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Day three for the main thread wasn't a winning one as the pair of us both suffered defeats.
Il Est Francais didn't look in love with the Cheltenham course and didn't manage to dictate the race like we're so accustomed to from his Kempton runs. He jumped brilliantly and did eventually get to the front, but when the winner went upside and past him, he went backwards very quickly.
Rizzel's selection Sixandahalf was an unlucky loser and was ultimately outstayed by the 16/1 winner. Keith Donoghue gave the runner-up a belting ride and tried to keep as much stamina in the tank when jumping the last and running up the hill, but she didn't have enough to fend off the challenger and was headed in the final half furlong.
Cairnzy's Tips
Wendigo 13/2 – Cheltenham 3.20
I've had an extremely poor festival this year, which is disappointing, but from looking at the recent results, I know I'm not alone in what has been an extremely hard festival to pick winners in.
My last selection of this year's Cheltenham festival comes in probably the most competitive race of the day in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle. It's probably not the smartest of ideas to go hunting for a winner in this race, in an attempt to rise from the ashes. With that said, I've fancied this particular horse for a while, and at this point in the game, why not?
The Albert Bartlett tends to throw up big-priced winners ( 33/1, 18/1, 14/1, a 5/1, 50/1, 16/1 ) to rhyme with a few and at 13/2, my selections don't exactly fit that trend, but I guess it's what you classify as a big price in the market because 13/2 is my eyes is still an excellent price for a horse if you are strong on their chances.
It's hard picking a horse for this contest when it comes to analysing form. When you run your eye down the runners' list, it's simply filled with horses with ones besides their name. What makes it even harder is trying to pick out the bones of the form between them; there's not a lot that separates them, particularly those at the top end.
My selection, Wendigo, hails from the in-form Jamie Snowden yard, who currently operates at a 40% strike rate with six winners from his last fourteen runners. Gavin Sheehan takes the ride as expected, and Gavin himself is a smooth operator at present, operating at a 24% strike rate.
Gavin knows this horse well, having been aboard him for a few of his career wins. The form of second behind The New Lion could hardly read any better with that one winning the Grade 1 Turners on Wednesday when getting the better of the Irish raiders in Final Demand and The Yellow Clay.
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Rizzel's Tips
Brides Hill 5/1 – Cheltenham 2.40
The Friday looks like an extremely tough day for punters, and one of my selections will likely be picked up by Cairnzy, so I've opted for Brides Hill in the Mares' Chase.
I've always been a big fan of Brides Hill, and she has landed a few bets for me in recent years, but this year hasn't exactly gone to plan as she has been beaten in both of her runs in England in Listed races, but I think she deserves another chance of showcasing her talent.
The first run at Doncaster can be dismissed as it was her return to racing, and last time out, she was shouldering a penalty to a progressive horse who managed to dictate the pace and wasn't for passing, but it was still a nice run and a prep run for today's race.
She didn't make it to the Mares' Chase last season as the ground wasn't deemed suitable, but today, she will be taking her chances as the course has been riding quickly throughout the week. I think Dinoblue is a horse who is overhyped and isn't as good as we thought she could be, and at the odds, she has to be taken on.
Allegorie De Vassy is a decent horse on her day, but she doesn't look in love with Cheltenham and has been beaten in this race twice before, as well as being thumped by Brides Hill at Punchestown last May. Then you have Limerick Lace, who won this race last year but would want bottomless ground as she is a strong stayer, so conditions are against her for today's race, which left me with Brides Hill, who looks a cracking price against the favourite.
Nothing else has much of a chance on all known form, so I am confident that Brides Hill will win this race for a yard that doesn't waste its chances when bringing horses over.
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GambleAware
Mullins has 11 (yes eleven) of the 17 runners in the triumph hurdle.
Getting stupid now, he is strangling the sport, there should be a racing monopolies commission set up to see fair play and give other yards and up and coming trainers a chance
What possible joy can he glean from winning a race when he has 11 runners in it, after all he has 10 losers in the same race.
Also the meet needs to go back to 3 days of proper championship races.
Far too many Saturday afternoon type of impossible handicaps now to fill out a 4th and a once muted 5th day.
Won’t happens because a 4th and possible 5th day raises revenue for the bha and bookies involved with the sport.
And for me mares should have their own championship races and not be dropped into the champion hurdle etc with a 7 point gift allowance, it distorts the records like Annie power being known as a champion when she carried 7 pound less.
If she runs in the champion it should be level weights, that’s the gamble they’ll have to take
Well said Elvis. Used to go every year before my health problems and honestly we just spent the Thursday in the town in a good pub as the day was just as you said, impossible mediocre races with nothing to set them aside. Give us three days of the best as opposed to padding it out and the festival
Losing its shine.
As I’ve said I know not alot about horse racing but even I can see Cheltenham has changed. Seems to me that the festival now geared towards the bookies. Must be frustrating for the people who live and breathe the sport.
Elvis
You have to ask yourself why does Willie have 11 in the Triumph . It’s simply because he’s the best trainer and arguably the best there has ever been.
What if he sent 1 horse to the race, then there would be 8 runners in the Triumph and that would become a different discussion.
Willie Mullins has built up his empire on his own through nothing but hard work. He wasn’t just handed it and if you listen to any trainer being interviewed they all say that he sets the standard that they all need to strive to.
Every owner wants a piece of the Mullins pie unfortunately and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.
If your BHA sorted their shit out and managed to increase prize money in the sport it might encourage owners to look to more UK based trainers.
I’m not saying I like seeing one trainer have so many runners in a race but it’s for a reason.
Best example is Michael O’ Leary, an absolute commercial animal, pulled all his horses from Willie’s yard because he raised his training fees. What happened? He came crawling back. Michael O” Leary of all people.
Dan Skelton winning the Turners was a good thing though and hopefully now JP will start to support him more now, afterall Nicky won’t be around forever. But in general the state UK NH racing is in its going to take a long time before it turns around. 1 runner in the Supreme tells you all you need to know and he was out the back of the tele after 2 hurdles.
Yes Cheltenham should go back to 3 days but it never will. The changes they’ve made this year have brought about increased entries so they have definitely improved things but they still have some way to go.
But I disagree about the 7lbs. It’s there for a reason as men are stronger faster species to women and they are given that to make things even.
There will always be exceptions like Annie Power or Honeysuckle that may have won regardless but in general they would never win if off the same weight.
And if you want horses and mares to run separately then you would have had a 4 runner Champion Hurdle. Nobody wants to see that. But what we had was a very exciting build up to it with everyone talking about the clash between Con Hill and BDA and that is what the public want.
It’s been a horrible Cheltenham for me so far from a punting perspective, a few placed finishes yesterday and just a saver on Caldwell Potter meant it wasn’t too bad yesterday although Feet of a Dancer should have won the pertemps. Bloody jockey too confident staying out the back too long
Anyway onto today and I’ll Keep this brief
I’ve 3 antepost bets left which if successful could still turns things around for me so there’s still hope. They are
KARGESE 10/1 County
BRIDES HILL 20/1 Mares Chase
KARAFON 14/1 MP
Fingers crossed 1 or 2 can deliver.
Triumph Lulamba
County Kargese
Mares Brides Hill
AB Jasmin De Veux
Gold Cup Monty’s Star w/o
Hunter no bet
MP Karafon
A friend of mine has headed over to Cheltenham today. He has only backed 1 horse for the entire festival and he’s been backing it for quite some time and has some big prices on him and is going on as if defeat is out of the question.
The horse is DERRYHASSEN PADDY for Lucinda Russell in the AB. I’ve had to have something on him myself such is his confidence but he’s not my main selection.
BOL
Thanks for your write up dc, 👍 GL🍀
willy de houelle 1.20.our champ 2.00 royal Margaux 2.40 intense approach 3.20 shearer 4.40 nurse Susan 5.20 well done all winners yesterday
the real whacker 4.00 can back them all ew but I have gone for all winning bets today
Just the one today
18:10 Dundalk – pavilion end 5/2
As long as it’s a help jimba
GL today
Thanks for everyone’s tips!
Having a stinker of a week myself, 4 2nds yesterday hurt!
Has anyone noticed if the the plug has put any up???
Best of luck all!
Lady Vega Allen 16-1 Cheltenham 1.20
Bet365 bet up to 10 pounds and get it back in bet credits if it doesn’t win
No he hasn’t been on since Day 1 when he fancied Now is The Hour in the NH Chase.
In fact the thread has been piss poor this year.
Back in the day there would be hundreds of comments and now we’re lucky to get double digit figures and that includes the same people putting multiple posts up.
1-20 Hello neighbour 6-1 ew
1.20 Lulamba
The absolute state of this festival. Wtf iis going to happen next
I’ll be glad when it’s over myself
Valgrand 9-1 each way
Vino Gris 18-1 each way
2.00 Cheltenham
100-1 winner in the first, bookies must be popping the champagne corks again
2-00 absurde 5-1 ew 6 places.
2-40 Limerick lace 6-1 ew 3 places.
3-20 intense approach 14-1 ew 5 places (paddy power)
2-00 absurde 5-1 ew 6 places.
2-40 Limerick lace 6-1 ew 3 places.
3-20 intense approach 14-1 ew 5 places (paddy power)
100-1 and never jumped a twig in public wins the triumph.
One of Mullins 11 runners.
Anyone smell a rat here ⬆️⬆️🐀
2pm
Daddy long legs ew 12/1
FINALLY !!!!
4-00 Corbett’s cross
EVENS top 4 finish bet365
(Double your dough 😁) NAP…🏇
4-1 without galopin and Banbridge bet365
22-1 ew 3 places HILLS
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4-40
Angels dawn 3-1 (meeting NAP)
Saver on. Top 2 at 6-4 HILLS in case it’s on the line wins….
With the 7 pound allowance, a clear run and previous meeting form, this should be right in the mix.
Won the Kim Muir in 2023 beating the currently impressive stumptown into 2nd then last year in the same race was looking like a potential winner when falling in a race won by a horse who had been supplemented for today’s gold cup.
Angels dawn also won on this day in 2022 in a hurdle at Limerick.
Now dropped in a hunter and only aged 10 !!!
Last year’s winner sine nomine had a similar profile winning with the 7 pound allowance.
—————————————————————————-
Lucky last
Minella sixo
16-1 ew extra 8 places.
I’ll follow you on Angels Dawn as I haven’t a clue when it comes to Hunter Chases
Nice to see a variety of trainers winning today 😂😂
Is he going through the card today, that would be the death knell for competitive racing .
But like DC says it’s up to the bha to up their game considerably or this will continue
Yeehaa………..the winners are flowing now !!
Well after the week we’ve had it was bound to happen.
Winner won well though
He’s 5/2 for the national 😂
How much was the supplement fee they paid ?
Money well spent whatever it was.
Grand national odds
Inothewayurthinkin. 3/1.
Intense Raffles. 10/1.
I Am Maximus. 14/1.
Iroko. 14/1.
Nick Rockett. 14/1.
Stumptown. 14/1.
Vanillier. 20/1.
Perceval Legallois. 20/1.
Should be a cracking renewal.
A fresh intense raffles for me .
25 grand Elvis
It’s in 3 weeks. Not sure if iknowthewayyourthinkin will go after that run.
I hope he doesn’t anyway 🙏
Karafon must have lost a leg, out to 25/1 ??
There’s next year’s Mares winner
🇺🇸
Colonial Downs -Race 4….Moon Rox 10/3 Skybet
GL all
Apologies only 10-15 till the off but IF can get on worth some of your Cheltenham money left over 👌
🐎 💩
🇺🇸
Fair Grounds -Race 7…Knock ‘Em Out Jerry 5/2 Skybet
Should win this on comeback run after 7 weeks off before its run at Kentucky Derby weekend
Be shorter the off I think