Below are our free Ladbrokes Trophy tips from our horse racing expert Will Smith. Will provided WhichBookie with tips throughout the 2020 Cheltenham Festival which had an excellent hit rate. Be sure to check out Will’s ante-post Ladbrokes Trophy tips below and keep an eye on our free betting tips section for more HOT tips.

Ladbrokes Trophy 2020 Tip: Topofthegame – 10/1 EW (Bet365)

Quite when the world will be back to how we used to know it, if ever, is anyone’s guess. But one thing that I’d be fairly confident of saying, is that come late November this year, we will have had some racing to enjoy.

It goes without saying that other matters are more important right now, but if you want to brighten up your day somewhat, take the 10/1 about Topofthegame winning the Ladbrokes Trophy on 30th November.

Paul Nicholls’ strapping chestnut was a cosy winner of the 2019 RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, beating in the process the subsequent 2020 Gold Cup runner-up Santini and the dual Grade 1-winning Delta Work. Santini is now rated 173 and Delta Work 170.

Topofthegame then went on to finish an, on the face of it, disappointing second to Lostintranslation in the Grade 1 Mildmay Novices Chase at Aintree in April 2019. Despite not being suited to the speed-favouring nature of the Aintree Mildmay course, and was maybe feeling the effects of a hard race at Cheltenham a month prior, he still ran a cracker to finish second. Lostintranslation is now rated 172 after a brilliant effort to finish third in the Gold Cup two weeks ago.

Topofthegame’s other two chase starts last season were notable also – he ran an extraordinary race at Exeter behind the now 170-rated Defi Du Seuil, over an inadequate trip having given up many lengths at the start. While the other run was when he was second in the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton Park – again despite displaying a dislike for the tight nature of the track.

Everywhere you look, Topofthegame has form mixed in with 170+ performers, and what is his handicap mark I hear you cry… 164. So, he clearly has a few pounds up his sleeve.

But for me, it is more the way in which he races, the fact that the long straights at the Berkshire venue will really play to his strengths, and Paul Nicholls’ was targeting the 2019 renewal before ‘a minor leg injury’ curtailed his season. It is patently clear that the Cheltenham Gold Cup 2021 is the main aim for Topofthegame, but Nicholls’ would clearly love to win the Ladbrokes Trophy for the first time since a certain Denman did so in 2007 and 2009.

Topofthegame would be winning the race off the highest handicap mark since the mighty Denman won off 176 in 2009, but such is the calibre of horse that we are dealing with, it can be done. The 10/1 with Bet365 surely won’t be around for long.

Keep well everyone, stay safe and dream of better days ahead.