Esteem an evident favourite among the lineup of Betvictor.Com/Cheltenham For Free Bet Offers Handicap Hurdle at Hereford
The Class 4 Betvictor.Com/Cheltenham For Free Bet Offers Handicap Hurdle that is open for participation by four-year and older thoroughbreds is to be staged at Hereford over two miles and four furlongs. The race has attracted a lineup of ten runners while
the purse is worth £2, 014 and the event is scheduled for Monday, 5th March.
Among those contesting today, Esteem, Mark Of Esteem’s nine-year-old bay gelding out of mare Please, is the most accomplished horse. The nine-year-old has made seven outings during the season already, has won twice, was placed thrice and failed to a fifth
position in the final race of 2011. He was declared unraced in two of his races during the season. In five of the races, Esteem was entered as a favourite.
He cracked into the 2012 season by participating in the Best Odds Guaranteed At Victorchandler.Com Handicap Hurdle on 8th January at Hereford over two miles and a furlong. Esteem finished second after the ½ favourite of the race, Johnny Owen,
led the field of twelve by a mere ¾ length.
Esteem was unraced in the Ladbrokes Handicap Chase on 18th January at Southwell over two miles. The 11/8 favourite of the race unseated the rider and had to discontinue racing.
After facing defeat in the first two starts, Esteem finally grabbed the Sidney Phillips Novices’ Handicap Chase on 19th January at Ludlow over two miles and four furlongs.
On the field set for nine, Esteem took lead of five lengths with Laughing Game at the heels and Top Benefit finishing third. Besides the winner, the other 9/4 joint favourite, Oscar Close, settled fourth.
On 24th January at Leicester, Esteem failed his jockey a second time while racing and knocked him down in the Brook Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Chase, raced over two miles and four and a half furlongs.
Leading by a staggering eleven lengths, the 7/2 favourite winner of the No Risk With Betangel Practice Mode Novices’ Handicap Chase, Esteem won on 15th February at Southwell over two miles.
Esteem’s last two attempts at racing have translated into second positions and at both the instances he was entered as a favourite. Today he will be giving his luck an eighth chance for getting a third victory of the season under his belt.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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