Cheltenham 2024 Review

Favour and Fortune has been left unchanged on 138. This really does look very exploitable, re Aintree, if connections opt to transfer the 6YO from Graded company into handicaps.

 

Just like the last twelve months I shall call out that non trier every time he runs!
They would now probably be better off selling him.

 

Only Unibet (I can't bet with them) has odds and, as you say, at those odds it's not worth it, although I think that if some new horse doesn't come out (which I'm sure it will, and more than one) I see her fighting for the victory again, but in a year's time who knows how the mare is and how I am.

Currently I already have three bets for next year (one will run at Punchestown, the other two will not), not with high hopes but the good Festival that I have had allows me to do these silly things. If I don't see something that catches my attention, I don't expect any more bets until August-September.

 

So, last Wednesday evening in a quiet rural pub on the way home we had booked in for even meal. A well known ex racing correspondent was sitting at his table with laptop open studying form. We obviously asked him for a tip and he said to back Sine Nomine on the Friday. None of our group recognised the trainer or the jockey but a tenner at 14/1 seemed decent e/w punt.
The question I now pose is, how did this guy know to pick out that horse from the 14 races that were left? Do any of you guys who are used to studying form see anything in the history that would indicate that choice?

 

Well... I can tell you why I bet her 16/1 e/w and why in the Nap, Lay, e/w thread I named her Nap of the Festival.

I love the Hunters Chase, I don't know why, but I love them. Furthermore, I have a rule that I follow to the letter when I bet on them, which will probably be wrong, as it has happened to me many times, but which has also given me quite a good result (just yesterday at Exeter): I never bet on horses that "have been", nor on horses with a lot of age. I always bet on younger horses (she is eight years old) that come from the PTP and that have already proved once or twice "Under rules" that at least they won't be out of place. Of course, as I have said before, many times this is a total failure but....

In the case of Sine Nomine, I was trying to bet it since the beginning of February, but the bookmakers I could bet with didn't have odds for the hunter chases, so I saw those 25/1 and I was absolutely desperate, but in the end I could get 16/1 e/w, and I'm not complaining. I actually bet on Hitak because she wasn't in the market.

Sine Nomine was the only mare, and she was carrying less weight, factor to consider. She won last year at Strafford in February, then came second at Cheltenham when she looked the winner throughout the race, and then won again at Strafford in a class 2 hunters chases over 3m 3f (proven stamina).

This year, her level has raised a lot. She made her debut in a PTP after a break (200 days) with a very placid race where she was second. But where she showed that she could run with a chance in the festival was at Wheterby on February 3 (3m, soft) with a stellar performance (SP 6/1, took 7/1 in the morning) where she won by 15 lengths to Bennys King. Bennys King won by 23 lengths in his next race on 27 February.

These were, more or less, my reasons for supporting her, apart from watching her races three or four times last year "under rules", but that's because I have a lot of time on my hands at work (as I can write this now). Of course, I don't do this with all the horses, only with the ones that "catch my eyes" and I think they are a bit forgotten. So there she is in my avatar. Of course, from success to failure there is a very short space. If the jockey doesn't do that wonderful ride and doesn't change direction in the last fence, today we would be talking about something else.

 

Personally, I shouldn’t be unhappy to see the back of Cheltenham, if it meant an improvement to the competitiveness and quality of the remainder of the National Hunt season.
The domination of the Irish trainers and horses simply masks the trite nature of the jumps season as a whole.
I found it hilarious that Willie Mullins commented that he ran Galopin Des Champs “ so many times.”
The season is nearly over and he’s had four races.
In years gone by, the average must have been six or seven by now.
The question for racing’s governing body (and trainers/owners) should be…
“What do want, show ponies kept in cotton wool for the spectacle of Cheltenham, or quality racing for the rest of the year, based competitive racing, valuable and enticing handicaps , and a reduction in stakes races?
Let’s face it, the great races of the past like the Hennessy Gold Cup, Betfair Hurdle, Whitbread Gold Cup, and the Imperial Cup, are caricatures of their former selves.Most of their entrants wouldn’t have got in the handicap in their twentieth century counterparts.
And, for the life in me, I cannot understand why top trainers don’t run their animals more often - and their obsession with underfoot conditions. Trainers in the past only bothered if the going was too firm, not how much water was in the ground!
Nass has already highlighted many of the problems but, until we can see a change in attitudes and practices, I’m afraid the decline will continue.
Yes, it’s a pity we didn’t see a top horse like Constitution Hill at Cheltenham, but maybe it’s poetic justice for a horse that had only been seen once up to March.
Cotton wool softens, not hardens!

 

For one week I was interested, I had the desire to do in depth studies into the races. I didn’t look anywhere else but at the Cheltenham cards and herein lies the nub of the problem for me. Too much racing. It’s quantity over quality and we all know why.
Racing has become the property of the bookmaking industry to the exclusion of everything else.
The product is poor but plentiful. The seasons are diluted to the point where now none of us knows when one season ends and another begins. All weather racing is mainly poor to average with a few exceptions but its main reason for its existence is to guarantee the beast its income.
I can live with Cheltenham being four days but it really could have at least four races cut from the calendar. More likely that they will dream up four more.

 

As a fellow Annual Member at Cheltenham, I agree with much of what Nass has said in the opening post. We always stay in Tewkesbury for the week and, as we ate our meal on Wednesday evening, I was quite deflated about the experience of the first 2 days (from a racing perspective that is and not anything to do with prices, car parks etc). There had been no buzz at the place and the racing had been extremely uncompetitive. The 2 equine fatalities on Tuesday also contributed to the dampening of my spirits. My mood lifted on Thursday however as, unlike Nass, I did think the racing was way better on that day and it felt like a proper Cheltenham Festival day to me. Friday was decent also but my over-riding thoughts are that I may not go for the full week in future if the racing does not get more competitive. As a member there are plenty of other days to enjoy throughout the season. Tuesday has always been my favourite racing day of the year but this year it was dire. UK jumps racing is in need of surgery and whilst that’s likely to be a long process, a good start would be to address the programme for the Festival. At least 4 races need culling whilst changes should also be considered for others

 

Far to many good horses wrapped up in cotton wool.. .for a couple of plays in big races a year. Dessie ran 7-8 and 9 times in a season......starting normally Winc in Oct through to Aintree and Sandown in April sometimes.

Racing is not so appealing at present...there is a lack of horses for the 'people' to follow...a Tiger Roll for example.. we need to capture the imagination of the general public..

 

Agree with much has been already said on here. Just look at the entrants in the GN to see the state of British NH. Only 3 of the top 10 trainers in the trainers table have entries in the first 34 declared and one of them is Willie Mullins. Nothing from Hendo or Nicholls. Elliott and Mullins have 19 of those 34 between them. on the subject of pricing/value I’ve just booked flights to Paris and tickets for the Grand Steeplechase day for the same cost as Club Enclosure on a Festival day. Just need the french wonder horse to turn up now.

 

I am expecting him in December this year and in March next year. Bets are already done.

 

Good luck Pilgrim. Cheltenham GC25 seems to be the plan. Would be great if he continues his upward trajectory and gets there in 1 piece. I have always wanted to go to Auteuil and his entry in the Grand Steeplechase was just the kick up the arse I needed.

 

Over such a long period, they are essentially impossible bets, but miracles do happen occasionally. For December as his odds were (are) so low to take those risks I have made a double with a horse for Ascot (even more difficult! hahahah!). For March, I'm happy with the odds he has now, just a winner, no e/w, which maybe I should have done but... after the good Festival I've had I can afford this kind of foolishness. Surely the horse is in better health than me, so with a bit of luck he will be in one piece by that time. I hope I can say the same.

I wish you a great time in France.