Unibet Elite Hurdle betting: Sceau Royal favourite for fourth win
Last year’s winner Sceau Royal is the 6/4 favourite in Coral’s Unibet Elite Hurdle betting to defend his crown at Wincanton on Saturday.
Knappers Hill, who has won his last three races over hurdles, is second best in the betting at 15/8 to extend his winning run.
Coral’s John Hill said: “Sceau Royal was far too good for his rivals in the Elite Hurdle 12 months ago and he tops the betting to defend his crown in the Grade Two contest at Wincanton.”
Sceau Royal will bid to win the Grade Two contest for a fourth time as long as enough rain falls before Saturday.
Owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, the Dino Dollar gelding made a successful seasonal bow when registering back-to-back wins in a Listed Hurdle at Kempton earlier this month.
Having first landed the Elite Hurdle as a four-year-old in 2016, he completed a hat-trick with wins in 2020 and 2021.
Saving the best for last 💫 Sceau Royal was so good, winning the Unibet Elite Hurdle 🐎#ITVRacing pic.twitter.com/f2FPOTHA7Z
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) November 6, 2021
King knows that victory is well within his compass, as he relishes the tight track and feels he has him in prime form ahead of the weekend, when he will face a maximum of six rivals.
“He is a wonderful horse and he is as good as ever,” said King. “His work over the last two seasons has been much better than when he was a young horse which is surprising.
“I’ve lost count how many times he has come up the hill here but he attacks it every day.
“I was thrilled with him in what was a nice canter around Kempton and provided they get enough rain I would like to run him back at Wincanton in the Elite.
“We will probably mix and match with him over hurdles and fences but the Elite is the next target for him then he will probably have an entry in the Fighting Fifth (at Newcastle).
“He is still a miserable so and so in the stable though and he still attacks me but once he is at the races butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth! Everyone loves him and rightly so.”
As well as Knappers Hill, trained by Paul Nicholls, rivals could include Grade One-winning juvenile hurdler Knight Salute (Milton Harris) and Welsh Champion Hurdle runner-up Milkwood (Neil Mulholland).
Everything you need to know for this Saturday's Badger Beers Chase Day!
📋 7 Racecard
🏇First race: 12.40pm
🏇Last race: 4.05pm
Gates open: 10.40am
📺Watch on: @racingtv pic.twitter.com/BvRyvwfKCa— Wincanton Racecourse (@wincantonraces) October 31, 2022
Frodon is among no fewer than 18 entries for the 61st Badger Beer Handicap Chase on the same card but he also holds an alternative engagement at Down Royal this weekend.
Cap Du Nord, winner of the Coral Trophy Handicap Chase at Kempton in February, is also among the entries where the King-trained Potterman could bid to go one better than the last two years.
King said of his 10/1 shot: “We did his wind last season then he won well at Kelso. The bet365 Gold Cup was a strange race. They went so hard and he never got into it. He is a horse that wants to be fairly fresh.
“The plan, ground permitting, is to go back to the Badger Beer Chase, which he has been second in the race for the past two seasons. He is handicapped to the hilt but hopefully he can bounce back to a bit of form.”
Unibet Elite Hurdle betting
6/4 Sceau Royal
15/8 Knappers Hill
3/1 Milkwood
9/2 Knight Salute
20/1 Calico
66/1 Dazzling Glory
100/1 Romanor
View the latest horse racing odds
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
