Ladbrokes best price on Oscar Whisky winning World Hurdle

Oscar Whisky is not the most certain of starters in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle, but punters fancying his chances are best off backing him with the sponsors.

Ladbrokes are offering the best price on Nicky Henderson’s charge at 7/1 and the trainer still believes that his horse can see out 3m, despite failing to stay in the World Hurdle in the March just gone.

With four-time winner Big Buck’s ruled out this year because of injury, this will encourage to trainers to take their chances and there is not a better alternative for Oscar Whisky.

Undoubtedly, his best distance is 2m4f, but there is not a Festival contest over this trip, so he either has to go up or down in trip.

The Champion Hurdle over 2m is especially competitive this year and Henderson already has a raft of options with favourite Darlan, Grandouet and former winner Binocular.

However, although Henderson is responsible for seven of the record 61 entries for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle this year, none of the others seem to have serious claims.

Therefore, Henderson almost has nothing to lose by giving Oscar Whisky another crack at 3m and it would be slightly surprising if he did not line up.

Meanwhile, with Big Buck’s out, the race is particularly wide open, hence the vast number of entries.

Some entries are plain daft, with Riverside Theatre not having run over hurdles since 2009 and Prince De Beauchene more a horse with Grand National ambitions than the Ladbrokes World Hurdle.

Many of the leading fancies also have doubts hanging over them, as Quevega is expected to stick to her normal path of winning the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle and connections of both Grands Crus and Peddlers Cross are in two minds over whether to stay chasing or return to hurdles.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.