Racing - Poker can be big Festival player, says trainer (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Racing - Poker can be big Festival player, says trainer

11:57am Saturday 7th March 2009 in

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FERDY Murphy, who has made a habit of turning out Cheltenham Festival winners in recent seasons, believes Poker de Sivola has a good each-way bet in the Fulke Walwyn/Kim Muir Handicap Chase next week.

The North Yorkshire trainer will have his usual strong hand at the Festival, but picked out Poker de Sivola as his best chance of success when he was one of the guests at Cartmel’s Cheltenham Preview evening on Thursday.

Well over 100 racing fans packed into the racecourse restaurant to hear a panel which consisted of Murphy, top jockey Denis O’Regan, local trainer Jimmy Moffatt and form expert Marten Julian with racing journalist John Sexton in the chair.

O’Regan, who won the Arkle on Tidal Bay and the World Hurdle on Inglis Drever last year, had no doubt over what he considers the best bet of the meeting – the French raider Kasbah Bliss.

“He did for my horse (Inglis Drever) last year as we had to dig so deep to win he was never going to come back. Kasbah Bliss seems to have improved this year and is my idea of the banker of the week” he said.

Moffatt is unlikely to have runners himself as he is looking to the Scottish National for stable star Chief Dan George, but he expects Alan King to have another good week and put up Katchit to successfully defend his crown in the Champion Hurdle.

Julian put up Tazbar as an outstanding each-way bet in the World Hurdle, while Sexton suggested Neptune Collonges is the value in the Gold Cup with so many question marks over the others.

Local bookmaker Chas Kendall kept the audience up to date with the latest betting moves and also donated free bets.