The Liquidator Looks one to Follow

Posted by Andy at Bet1015.com on 19/11/2013

Although he didn't have to look to his laurels to easily account for his three rivals at Cheltenham's November fixture in the Grade 2 Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices Hurdle, there was an awful lot to like about the victory of the David Pipe-trained The Liquidator, one of the top bumper horses of last season.

An easy winner at Carlisle a few weeks earlier on his hurdling bow, The Liquidator was one of four winners on the afternoon for the Pipe yard which emerged from something of a quiet spell to post a stunning 5,995/1 four-timer.

His 15-length defeat of the favourite, Sea Lord, was better than most racing betting fans might have anticipated, Sea Lord having come into the contest in search of a remarkable seven-timer.

The writing was on the wall from early on though for John Ferguson's charge who appeared somewhat ill-at-ease on the undulating Cheltenham track and was blown away by Tom Scudamore's positive front-running tactics on the easy winner.

Fourth in the Championship Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival last March behind Briar's Hill, the gelded son of Overbury then made the journey over to the Punchestown Festival well worthwhile when posting a fine winning effort in the Grade 1 Betdaq The Peoples Exchange Champion INH Flat Race. He stayed-on powerfully to beat Gilt Shadow and strengthen the already big reputation he had back home in the south-west of England.

Pipe made it clear that he does not intend to over race his wide-margin winner and suggested that his mind was far from made up yet as to which of the Supreme Novices Hurdle or the Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle his rising star might bid for back at Cheltenham in the spring.

The racing live betting markets make The Liquidator a 14/1 ante-post second-favourite for the Supreme Novices Hurdle, the opening race of the 2014 Cheltenham Festival, and a similar price for the longer 'Neptune' later on at the meeting.