Sybarite Tipped For Future Stardom

The dictionary defines a sybarite as “a person devoted to luxury and pleasure”, and if trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies is to be believed then his horse of the same name could well provide plenty of cash for the luxuries of your choice in years to come as the Naunton handler insists that the five-year-old could be his next ‘Imperial Commander’, writes Elliot Slater.

Twiston-Davies was speaking to the racing media as he opened up his yard to the ‘hacks’ and offered his opinions about his strong team for the forthcoming Cheltenham Festival which begins on March 15. When asked to nominate one horse in the yard that might carry on where Imperial Commander (last season’s Cheltenham Gold Cup winner) leaves off, Twiston-Davies nominated Sybarite as potentially his next superstar. Anyone with Cheltenham free bets to place may want to take note of his words.

Although he has won only one of his four career starts to date and has yet to get his head in front over hurdles, the five-year-old has already shown good form and is an intended runner in the three-mile Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle on the final day of the fixture. After landing an Uttoxeter bumper on his racecourse bow the Dark Moondancer gelding ran a good race to be third under his penalty in a Cheltenham bumper before contesting a Grade 2 contest on his hurdles bow, running a fine race to be second the very useful Champion Court over two-miles-five furlongs back at Cheltenham.

Beaten a length by Chablais, (another potentially useful performer) at Kempton last time on a track that probably didn’t play to his stamina strengths, Sybarite showed enough to suggest that a strongly run three-miles back at Cheltenham would be very much up his street and Twiston-Davies is anticipating a bold show from a horse he believes will really come into his own when he eventually jumps fences.

Sybarite is generally on offer at 20/1 in the ante-post market for the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle.

Tags: Imperial Commander, nigel twiston davies, sybarite horseShare

Matt Cardle Tipped To Win X-Factor

Front runner Cher Lloyd has fallen from the top of the bookies favourites after last weeks bootcamp episodes of the still-ever-popular, though God knows why, X Factor. Having been given Cheryl Cole (Tweedy in the U.S.) as her mentor, many had tipped her to run away with the title this year but not so say the bookies.

Matt Cardle, who was hardly mentioned throughout the entire process to date, has now flown to the top of the pile after increased coverage last week. Though he would originally have been included in the Over-25′s, Matt got a lifeline from Nicole Scherzinger after she had the age ranges moved so it now becomes the Over-28′s. Of course this also means that Louis Walsh doesn’t have a hope in hell of winning it!

Gamu Nhengu and Rebecca Ferguson have also clambered up the rankings and will also be mentored by Cheryl. That is, of course, providing she actually picks them. Nail-biting stuff I’m sure. Let the bawling, whinging and whimpering mutterings of “This means everything to me…”, “I’ve worked my whole life for this…”, and “My dead grand-mother would be so proud if she could see me now…” commence…

BUT!!! The latest X Factor 2010 rumours are good news for X Factor 2010 Betting Odds favourites Matt Cardle and Cher Lloyd with the duo thought to be amongst the twelve finalists. It could be bad news though for Gamu Nhengu who is rumoured to have missed out on being in Cheryl Cole’s final three.

Get to Paddy Power Bookmakers for some great alternative bets…as usual, adding a bit of comedy to the proceedings