The 2018 Uttoxeter Summer Cup betting tips given by Horsebetting.com experts include Winter Lion, who has a nice racing weight in a typical wide-open renewal of the 3m 2f handicap chase on at the Midlands venue. Other each-way bets to consider in this contest are Henllan Harri, who was fourth in the race last year, and Another Hero for big prize plunderers Jonjo O’Neill and JP McManus. Read all about these horses in our 2018 Uttoxeter Summer Cup betting tips preview.Winter Lion should roar in Uttoxeter Summer CupFergal O’Brien is a jumps trainer in decent form and his Winter Lion looks well-treated to make his presence felt in a typically wide-open renewal of the Listed 3m 2f Summer Cup at Uttoxeter on Sunday (16:20).
The eight-year-old only joined his current handler in March and, after finding soft going far from ideal and an amateur rider on board on debut for the yard at Sandown, won on his second start in a competitive novices’ handicap chase over roughly this trip on better ground at Cheltenham.
Although racing wide and held-up on the first circuit, Winter Lion was simply lulling his rivals into a false sense of security. Under Paddy Brennan, he made headway following the 16th fence and went a close second three out before taking up the running with two to jump.
The way this son of Galileo held on well up the Cheltenham hill and responded to his jockey’s urgings to score by a half-a-length suggested he was one to keep onside when moving into open company this season.
Winter Lion then stepped up in class on his first start of the new National Hunt campaign in May when he was a length second to the re-opposing Virgilio at Aintree. Although Dan Skelton’s charge was always doing enough, that does not tell the full story.
Showing rallying qualities when looking outpaced following the 15th fence, Winter Lion closed up and went second before the last where a mistake may have cost him the race. He still stayed on well and was closing on the winner, who he now meets on 2lb better terms, all the way to the line.
That could well be enough to reverse the places if Winter Lion puts in a similar display and is error free at the business end of affairs. Horses carrying top weight do not have good record in the Summer Cup, so Virgilio may have his work cut out for him to follow-up.
Winter Lion, however, fits the age profile for the race as seven of the last 10 winners have been eight or younger. He is definite each-way value for the contest and entitled to be among the market principals. Henllan Harri has another big race in himLast year’s Summer Cup fourth Henllan Harri is back in-form and races in this renewal off the same mark of 130, so should go well again.
Trained by Peter Bowen, this 10-year-old had his finest hour in April 2017 when outrunning massive odds of 40/1 to land the bet365 Gold Cup from the front at Sandown’s Finale meeting by a head from Vyta Du Roc.
Henllan Harri made every inch of the running in that 3m 5f Grade 3 contest and then placed in this contest when a staying on 13 lengths behind Tempestatefloresco. Those displays are the pick of his form and heights this son of King’s Theatre hasn’t truly reached again since.
A series of underwhelming performances followed, but Henllan Harri bounced back to form last time out in the Perth Gold Cup. Racing prominently throughout, he joined the leader at the tenth fence and took it up two out before being ridden over the last and staying on well to score by two lengths from the re-opposing Beeves.
If he doesn’t leave this run behind, then Henllan Harri has claims of making the frame again. An unchanged mark from 12 months ago is a big plus and he’ll carry 2lb less this time around under regular rider Sean Bowen.Another Hero also each-way valueThe in-form combination of Jonjo O’Neill and Aidan Coleman team up to saddle and ride legendary Irish gambler and owner JP McManus’ nine-year-old Another Hero here, so he’s also worth an each-way wager.
After finishing a 20 lengths eleventh in the 2017 Scottish Grand National over a marathon 4m at Ayr, he spent a year on the sidelines before making a winning return in a 3m 2f handicap chase at Cheltenham in April.
Although badly hampered when challenging two out, Another Hero recovered and led over the last before being driven and gamely hanging on for victory to deny Singlefarmpayment by a head.
He was then a well-beaten fourth behind Virgilio last time out when weakening in between the last two, but the bounce factor may have been in play after so long an absence previously.
Another Hero is now 4lb better off at the weights with Virgilio, so that means he should get closer to that rival. With the stable back in form and the change of jockey from Barry Geraghty to Coleman, who is riding plenty of winners of late, he can surely give a better account of himself in this and make the frame.Your Next Bet
