We are now just weeks away from the 2019 Cheltenham Festival, and horse racing fans will be eyeing up bets ahead of March’s National Hunt showpiece meeting.
The Foxhunter Chase is always one of the highlights of the week, and Kruzhlinin could be one to back this year.
With seven point-to-point wins already this season, he is in fantastic form and looks primed to challenge for a first Festival victory.
Trained by Gordon Elliott, Kruzhlinin has been aimed specifically at the Foxhunter Chase, and plenty of punters will fancy Paul and Claire Rooney’s runner to do the business.
Elliott has been Cheltenham Festival’s leading trainer in each of the last two years, and that may be enough to sway punters into siding with Kruzhlinin. Simply sublime in point-to-point contests over in Ireland this year, he will be difficult to stop at Prestbury Park.
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Kruzhlinin has won his last three point-to-point races with Jamie Codd on board – racking up a combined winning distance of 30 lengths. Now 12 years old, this will probably be his final outing at Cheltenham, and horse racing fans will be hoping for one last swan song.
Having finished fifth in the Ultima Handicap Chase in 2016, Kruzhlinin has put in a good performance over the Festival fences before and retains his natural jumping ability. He could feature prominently in the Foxhunter Chase this year.
At the time of writing, Kruzhlinin is priced at around 10/1 to win that race, and bettors will be keeping a close eye on the latest racing news and tips.
Kruzhlinin is one of the leading contenders to win the Foxhunter Chase in 2019, and racecards at free betting tip sites such as myracing will show that he is one of the more reliable runners in the field.
He finished seven lengths behind ante-post favourite Stand Up And Fight at Down Royal in December, but Kruzhlinin can reverse the form. That point-to-point form should help Kruzhlinin in his pursuit of a first Festival success - he has almost forgotten how to lose since winning at Tinahely in January.
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The former Grade 3-winning hurdler has proven himself on different types of ground in recent times, and he will be difficult to beat if in the mix approaching the Prestbury Park hill.
With Codd booked to take the ride, Kruzhlinin can secure an emotional victory for connections. His 2018/19 form is solid, and punters will fancy the Elliott runner to go close.
That defeat to Stand Up And Fight in December might be enough to tempt punters to look elsewhere, but Kruzhlinin’s point-to-point form cannot be ignored. On paper, he is one of the classier horses in the field, and Elliott will have him primed for a huge push at Cheltenham.
If he jumps well, Kruzhlinin will be hard to catch, and a memorable Foxhunter Chase success could be on the cards. With so many highly rated chasers and point-to-point winners lining up, it could be one of the highlights of the week. Who knows, it might even top the Gold Cup.
