Daily Racing Thread Friday 18th. March 2022

Friday's Meetings

Cheltenham Festival
N/H 7 Races 1:30-5:30p.m.
Gold Cup Off @ 3:30p.m.
Fakenham
N/H 7 Races 1:10-5:00p.m.
Doncaster
N/H 7 Races 1:20-5:10p.m.
Wolverhampton(E)
A/W 7 Races 5:20-8:30p.m.
Newcastle(E)
A/W 6 Races 5:45-8:15p.m.

Racecards
At The Races
Sporting Life
Racing Post

Good Luck

 

County Hurdle-Tritonic

Each Way @ 15-1 (Bet 365) 10 places

Has a touch of class

 

My bets for Friday:

Triumph
Porticello 25/1 e/w

County
Top Bandit 12/1 e/w

Albert Bartlett
Ballygrifincottage 33/1 e/w
(Letsbeclearaboutit 50/1 e/w NR)

Gold Cup
Minella Indo 10/1 Win only

Hunters' Chase
Pont Aven 14/1 e/w
(Highway Jewel 33/1 e/w NR)

Mares Chase
Vienna Court 16/1 e/w

Martin Pipe
Freedom To Dream 33/1 e/w

 

Right Smokey, what am i backing tomorrow!

 

Bloody hell don't be asking me haha. My least favourite day of the festival is the Friday. Don't like the Gold Cup. Don't mind trying to find silly prices lurking in the Foxhunters though

 

2.10 colonel mustard - running off 140 with lots of very good placed form against horses we’d all think are decent like Sir Gerhard, Jon Bon, Three Stripe Life, Echoes of Rain.

has run well enough on soft ground and has a nice few races under the belt for experience.

6/1 7 places feels like it’s got a very solid chance of a place and it could just be a question of whether something else has more than 6-8 lbs in hand (as to whether it wins) which is what I expect the good Colonel has.

 

I've got a few quid on Bob and Co tomorrow at 8/1. Happy enough with that, still. I've got more than a few quid on Galvin at 7/1. My faith is starting to go downhill with this one. I'm now leaning towards Minello Indo.

 

1:30 - Vauban 7/4 (also 20/1 ew ante post). I have a skybet special on Pied Piper and Minella Indo to both win at 33/1.
2:10 - West Cork 17/2 (8 places skybet). Eclair De Beaufeu 40/1 (7 places Bet 365 free bet).
2:50 - Hillcrest 9/4 (5 places skybet)
3:30 - Galvin 7/2 (5 places skybet). Tornado Flyer 12/1 (free bet with Virginbet). Asterion Forlonge 25/1 (antepost). And the above special with Minella Indo/Pied Piper.
4:10 - Pont Aven 9/1 (5 places skybet). Point The Way 50/1 Ew single (5 places skybet). Senor Lombardy 66/1 Ew single (5 places skybet)
4:50 - No bet today. Just have the special rolling over from yesterday Allaho/Concertista double at 8/1.
5:30 - Banbridge 11/1 (6 places skybet)

First ones mentioned above are again my Scoop 6/Placepot/lucky 63 selections.

Always my least favourite day of the festival and not just because it means its coming to an end.

best of luck those of you playing today.

 

Friday
1:30 VAUBAN a bit short at 2/1 but I think he wins. Improved bundles on second run after losing narrowly to Pied Piper on debut.
2:10 SURPRISE PACKAGE fairly bolted up in the Imperial Cup at Sandown last Sunday and if in the same mood again tomorrow he will there at the finish.
3:30 MINELLA INDO won this last year and many horses repeat the feat, he seems to save his best for Cheltenham.
5:30 HOLLOW GAMES just the type of battler you need for this test and has a great lad on board.

 

I doubt I'll be able to watch much today, but here's my each way plays, which might just give me a nice surprise by 5.35 ( ish ) :

1.30 Knight Salute
2.10 Cormier
2.50 Good Time Jonny
3.30 Protektorat
4.10 Fumet D'oudairies
4.50 Zambella
5.30 I A Connect

Have a great day and good luck to all of you.

( not long now .... )

 

Last day. Let's give it another go
Vauban
Suprise Package/ West Cork
Minella Cocooner/ Chantreusse
A Plus Tard
Winged Leader
Concertista
Admantly Chosen/ Chemical Energy

 

Hello, again team. Won't go full scale review (I'm sure there will be time for that later on) but in short I thought Constitution Hill and Edwardstone (unquestionably now monikered 'The Wiltshire Warrior') were awesome on Tuesday. On Wednesday it was an utter priviledge to see Shiskin, Chacun Pour Soi and Tiger Roll in the flesh - yes they all got beat but what legends of our sport. Sir Gerhard was awesome in the Ballymore, oh if only Ahoy Senor can brush up on his leaping - what a prospect he, potentially, is for next term. And that Bumper is going to provide a wodge of Grade 1 winning novice hurdlers re 2022/23. On Thursday Galopin Des Champs turned elation into despair in a millisecomd, Klassical Dream came to win his race and then found absolutely nothing and Dinoblue failed to justify the hype. The positives though were Allaho being on a different planet to his rivals and Lieutenant Henderson having 2 huge priced places. Oh and must mention Melon. What an absolutely wonderful old stick. He looked amazing. Fab-u-luss!

Anyway, I'll stop waffling. As for today??? Well he's what I'm predicting.

1.30 Was so taken by the performance of PIED PIPER in the 'Triumph Trial', over course and distance, back in January and a repeat of that effort will surely, in my opinion, make him very hard to beat in the Triumph itself. Pied Piper travelled so effortlessly that day and won in a canter. And in the process marked himself down as an amazing prospect. Think he is very good, people.

2.10 Nicky Henderson 0/16 in this race these past 10 years. However, I take him to end that losing sequence with my old fave, BROOMFIELD BURG. I'd advise each-way, team. He's already a 3 time winner this term but I think a mark of 134 greatly underestimates this one. Broomfield Burg's main negative seems to be that, at times, he races far too keenly and that certainly was the case last time out, when favourite, for the Betfair Hurdle. Found absolutely nothing from the last (and faded into 7th) because of this earlier keenness. If he can adequately settle in the County Hurdle I really think he will go close at a big price.

2.50 There has to be a case for this race being the most difficult of the entire Festival - 7 out of the last 8 winners were returned at double figure prices (including two at 33/1 and a 50/1 shot). I think you are guessing, big time, re the actual merits of a lot of these so I'll plump for a horse with proven Grade 1 form to his name, GINTO. He won't be a double figure price but is the horse in the contest with easily the best form and Ginto has indicated that he looks Classy with a capital 'C'.

3.30 If Santini wins then the roof will be raised at Cheltenham, the forum will explode and I'll be delirious. Good luck, old boy. Doubt he will win though, crew. Haven't got the strongest opinions re this years CGC but I do think the most likely winner is A PLUS TARD. The 8YO son of Kapgarde was beaten over Christmas but his earlier performance in the Betfair Chase, I think, was the standout staying performance of the term thus far over the big 'uns. A repeat of that and A Plus Tard really should be improving on his runners-up placing in this race last season.

4.10 BILLAWAY was 2nd in this event in '20 and '21 and I'd take him to win this event at the 3rd attempt. Looks a bit of a standout in the contest I'd say.

4.50 Just 8 mares go to post here and for me MOUNT IDA is the most likely winner. The old girl won at the meet, last term, and I'll predict more of the same here.

5.30 The deadly stat re this race is that in the past 5 season 60 horses, prior to running in this race, have competed in a handicap. All 60 were beaten, I say beaten. CHEMICAL ENERGY comes here via a Fairyhouse novice hurdle and a mark of 137 appears more than fair. A dual winner in bumpers and 2/3 thus far over hurdles I'd expect a very big show from CHEMICAL ENERGY in the concluding contest, the lucky last, the Cheltenham closer, the Festival finale.

Good luck all.

 

@NassauBoard - Thoughts on young Harrison as he was on yours lto? He chased this one and rides for Fahy in the last and looks overpriced at 20s.

 

Day 4
1:30 - icare Allen
2:10 - west cork / stepnay causeway
2:50 - shantreusse
3:30 - al boum photo
4:10 - Bob and co
4:50 - elimay
5:30 - decimation

 

1.30 The Triumph is always competitive, so although im leaning towards VAUBAN there are plenty of good alternatives.
PORTICELLO each way option
2.10 COLONEL MUSTARD & SURPRISE PACKAGE from the top of the market and BALLYADAM at a bigger price.
Small saver on State Man who could potentially have too much class here
2.50 HILLCREST has done little wrong so far. MINELLLA COCOONER each way
3.30 A PLUS TARD is a worthy favourite, wasnt too far away last year and can go one better this time.
Very impressive at Haydock and if that form can be reproduced I think will be too good for the rest and can reverse the form with Galvin.
MINELLA INDO loves Cheltenham and can run into a place as well as the old warrior AL BOUM PHOTO
4.10 WINGED LEADER the value bet against Billaway
4.50 CONCERTISTA to proved the best. VIENNA COURT each way
5.30 Havent had a chance to look yet!

 

15:30 Cheltenham - A Plus Tard
(Just can't look beyond the probable favourite. This French-bred gelding is top-class and a sound jumper with stamina to match. Enough said! 3/1 best price in four places at time of writing)

17:30 Cheltenham - Banbridge
(The Class 2 'Martin Pipe' for conditional jockeys is a very tricky affair to end this year's Festival meeting. This well-bred Doyen gelding has the form to give it a chance of a podium finish. 12/1 generally-available at time of writing)

(Win on each and e/w double will do for me!)

Best of luck today folks!

 

Great few days here's hoping everyone remembers to log in Monday and share views, clues and banter  I'll be tippin favs as usual

 

Vauban very impressive winner of the Triumph. UK horses soundly whacked this time as I think the first half-dozen (?) home were Irish.

 

Willie Mullins running away with everything today! What a trainer!