Sky Bet Extra Places Every Day Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase Tips

There’ll be plenty of Cheltenham Festival clues on offer at Ascot this weekend as their two-day Christmas meeting is the feature of a busy weekend. The Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle (and two fiendish big betting handicaps) are the highlight on Saturday – defined by the rematch of Thyme Hill and Paisley Park, plus potentially one or two extra rivals in the shape of Sire Du Berlais and Main Fact, who are both improving fast.

Will Smith Betting Tips – Sky Bet Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase – Friday 18th December

While Ascot’s Friday card will throw up some pointers towards the Supreme and the Novice Chases at the festival also, with the Kennel Gate Novices’ Hurdle and the Noel Novices’ Chase the Grade 2 features.

There is also a fascinating looking novices’ handicap chase earlier on the card at 1.55 – the Sky Bet Extra Places Every Day Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase. In which a fair few unexposed and fledgling chasers are set to lock horns. But there is one horse that is a fair chunk of value at this stage, and that is Gary Moore’s Editeur Du Gite, who at 12/1 each-way with sponsors Sky Bet rates as a cracking bet.

A hurdle winner in France before joining Moore, he was highly tried on his first two starts on these shores, including the Grade 2 Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase at Kempton last Christmas. It was here that he first showed some ability, as he jumped and travelled nicely in pursuit of the likes of Global Citizen and Rouge Vif, amongst others. Eventually well beaten that day, he was by no means disgraced.

Fast forward a few months, and Editeur Du Gite proved to be a force to be reckoned with on his seasonal debut here in a handicap at Ascot back in October, over slightly further than the 2m trip he will face on Friday. His jumping that day at Ascot was a sight to behold, and he had them all beaten off way out, except the well-handicapped Sully D’Oc AA, who was also fresh from a breathing operation. The only other races on that card that matched up with the pace set by Editeur Du Gite were the Listed and Class 1 handicap hurdles won by Kid Commando and Regal Encore.

Dropped in trip for his next handicap start at Newbury, he tried to see them all off again from the front. But to no avail on much livelier ground than he faced at Ascot, and will be likely to face at Ascot on Friday. Given he exhibits a good bit of knee action, soft or heavy ground, when allied to his jumping, will one day combine to produce a sparkling performance. At 12/1 with Sky Bet for the 1.55 this Friday at Ascot, I’m definitely of the opinion that this could be just that occasion.

At Newbury, he helped the race produce the fastest time of the day, and when headed Editeur Du Gite battled on gamely, suggesting that there is plenty of fire in his belly too.

Looking at the entries for Friday’s race, there are no fewer than 7 of the 14 entries who have other options over the course of the next 5 days or so – including stablemate Ar Mest, and four others who are currently available at single figure prices.

While current ante-post favourite King D’Argent looks far from likely to line up as Harry Skelton is jocked up on stablemate Flegmatik. Taking the 12/1 each-way for three places with Sky Bet now, about Editeur Du Gite, looks definitely the sensible play, as the field could conceivably cut up to less than 8 runners, and most of the absentees could be fancied horses.

With Joshua Moore jocked up, who got such a great tune out of Editeur Du Gite on his previous Ascot visit, he looks set to run a massive race on Friday, with the ground and track very much in his favour. He could take some pegging back…