Deloitte Novice Hurdle Sunday 6th Feb 2011

Going through Sunday's Leopardstown card this race caught my eye because I don't fully buy into the Zaidpour hype and he is likely to be a short price. I felt racing left-handed was a factor in his defeat the last day and his breeding also nags at me (full brother to Zaynar who turned a bit mulish eventually)
Likewise Hidden Universe didn't look entirely happy bearing left in his last Leopardstown win, continually edging and jumping right. He got away with it in poor maiden hurdle company but won't find it so easy in a Grade 1. The only other time he's gone left-handed at the highest level in the Festival Bumper he also flopped badly, seeming not to handle the track.
There won't be any lack of pace on here if they all run as Willie Mullins' Cottrelsbooley usually likes to set a strong pace and Hidden Universe is also ridden prominently. That makes me think that a horse for whom this trip is a minimum might not be too inconvenienced by Sunday's conditions and could find the leaders coming back to him late on- step forward Oscar's Well, who's demolition job of a reasonable Grade 1 field at Navan seems to have gone a little under the radar. That was over 2 1/2 miles but he was always moving well and the final time was good for the conditions, meriting a Topspeed rating of 131.
Of course Zaidpour or Hidden Universe could be the real deal as both had excuses the last day, but 10/1 about Jessie Harrington's solid performer who will relish every drop of rain that falls to increase the stamina test will do me.
1 pt each way Oscar's Well 10/1 Paddy Power.
Won 7/1 +12.5 pts

This blog is far from a complete record of my bets- the National Hunt season thread on Betfair contains most of them: http://community.betfair.com/go/forum/popupExtra?output_method=iframe