Cheltenham Festival 2012

Utd heap

Models for Coin.
Joined
Aug 15, 2006
Messages
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I'm aware we have a horse racing thread but i assumed this one merited it's own. If one of you Mod fella's disagree then use your oppressive regime powers.

What's everyone on then?

No prizes for tipping up Hurricane Fly or Quevega.
 
Best 4 days of the year so happy its finally here.

Biggest winners for me would be Cotton Mill in the Neptune and Sir Des Champs in the Jewson.

Festival gets off to a really tough start from a punting perspective with the Supreme Novice Hurdle looking a right minefield. Gonna be a no bet race for me but I wouldn't put anyone off backing Tetlami at 14s, he's looked ultra impressive in what he's done thus far and seems overpriced.

Next up is the Arkle and I hope Sprinter Sacre turns out to be the superstar every jumps fan is looking for. He is by far the most exciting novice I've ever seen and hopefully he blows everyone away tomorrow.

JLT Handicap is next up and I couldn't resist an e/w wager on Fruity O Rooney,this animal has to goleft handed and ran a cracker in the SkyBet last time out,coming third despite the saddle slipping. He'll be prominet too which is a help and looks more than fairly handicapped.

I have a decent price on Binocular for the Champion Hurdle but I honestly can't see past Hurricane Fly who looks pretty much bombproof. Hopefully Binocular can turn him over though.

Mares Hurdle has been a benefit for Quevega for the last three years but this years race is quite decent and I certaintly wouldn't be backing her at 1/2 for what will be her first run of the season.

The novice handicap which finishes the day is a no bet race for me with a lot of unexposed sorts from cute yards!
 
lem8sh said:
Festival gets off to a really tough start from a punting perspective with the Supreme Novice Hurdle looking a right minefield. Gonna be a no bet race for me but I wouldn't put anyone off backing Tetlami at 14s, he's looked ultra impressive in what he's done thus far and seems overpriced.
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The Festival does deserve it's own thread for sure.

Agree re Tetlami in the first. The supreme isn't a race I get too heavily involved in but I've had a go because the market leaders - Darlan, Galileo's Choice and Steps to Freedom are all horses that are very opposable at single figure prices. Darlan is priced up on reputation, Galileo's Choice is a flat horse trained by a flat trainer with a terrible Festival record who's been beating shite in Ireland and Steps to Freedom has formlines with Montbazon and Tetlami that favour the latter two. I've backed the latter at 14s with Bet365 who are paying out four places.

Sprinter Sacre is my biggest ever bet on the jumps. I first backed him for the Arkle a week after last year's Festival and I have him at an average price of 4/1. If he jumps round, and he's a fantastic fencer, he wins.

I have more bets on Wed, Thurs and Friday that I'll post tomorrow evening. If you're having a punt good luck. And I echo lem8sh - it's the best four days of the year.
 
Tetlami
Sprint Sacre
Hurricane Fly
Scots Irish
That'll do.


A few different combinations on these for me today.
 
Sorry lads but i've just tipped up Tetlami on a few other forums on the back of you two tipping it :D
 
Im on Tetlami 14/1 and Distant Memories 33/1 e/w in the first.
2nd race isnt much of a betting affair might go with a f/c or the 2nd favourite.
Did Quatative 6/1 and Tullamore Dew e/w in the 240
Oscars Wells 12/1 e/w in the 3.20
Sizing Austraila @9/2 in 4.00
 
Got a load on the Sprinter Sacre, Hurricane Fly double. Half way there but the more I read about Binocular the less confident I am on Hurricane fly winning it
 
Nearco said:
Sprinter Sacre is my biggest ever bet on the jumps. I first backed him for the Arkle a week after last year's Festival and I have him at an average price of 4/1. If he jumps round, and he's a fantastic fencer, he wins.
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The drinks are on Nearco! Well done mate, you must have relaxed a bit as soon as Al Ferof whacked that fence about 6 out.
 
Thanks. I didn't relax until he'd jumped the last to be honest. My other bets of that size have all been on the flat so it was extra tense.

Tomorrow I have more bets than today.

In the 1.30 I like Alfie Spinner each way. He has form with some high class novices, is a good jumper and has Long Run's jockey up top. 10/1 might be available tomorrow.

I'm a sucker for horses like Simonsig who is favourite for the Neptune at 2.05. He travels beautifully and has an engine like Sprinter Sacre's. He's 5/2 but the race has cut up recently.

In the big Novice Chase I want to be against the front two in the market. This is a grinder's race normally and Grands Crus is a bit flashy. Not sure he'll stay. Bob's Worth has no form this year that entitles him to be 7/2. The Irish challenger First Lieutenant won at the Festival last year (in fact he beat Rock on Ruby) and is a decent enough jumper. I think 5/1 is very fair.

Lastly in the Queen Mother I can't really oppose Sizing Europe with much confidence but with 8 runners I think Wishfull Thinking is backable each way at 16s. He's not had a good year but jumped beautifully at the Festival last year before stamina became a bit of an issue over a longer trip. He is a spring horse.
 
Cheers for the little write ups fella's - Really informative.
 
I'm from Cheltenham, was gonna go this week but got work training course in Newbury :(

I should really advertise our spare room next year - 5 mins from the racecourse or town.
 
Colin129 said:
3 horses died today so that a load of compulsive gamblers could loose all their money.

There is no point to horse racing apart from a way for people to throw their money away.

There are exceptions to this rule, but few & far between.
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It's an industry that employs a hell of a lot of people so there is some point. Cheltenham fecked up big time today though. Two of the horses who died came to grief in the Cross Country event that is run on a part of the course that they can't water. That being the case the race should have been called off.
 
Colin129 said:
3 horses died today so that a load of compulsive gamblers could loose all their money.

There is no point to horse racing apart from a way for people to throw their money away.

There are exceptions to this rule, but few & far between.
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Respect the sentiment mate - but if you want a debate on it start another thread.
 
Second place, and a short priced winner thus far today.
Simonsig was impressive, but a shame Cotton Mill fell and couldn't push it.
 
Utd heap said:
Second place, and a short priced winner thus far today.
Simonsig was impressive, but a shame Cotton Mill fell and couldn't push it.
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Had Cotton Mill, pretty gutting!

Great success on the 1.05 though, had 1st and 2nd place on £2.50 each way. Nothing since though
 
peterstorey said:
Much the same as car racing eh? Except it's people being totalled.
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Huh?

Nearco said:
It's an industry that employs a hell of a lot of people so there is some point. Cheltenham fecked up big time today though. Two of the horses who died came to grief in the Cross Country event that is run on a part of the course that they can't water. That being the case the race should have been called off.
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Fair comment about providing employment.

The Paddypower chap on Talkshite was talking about the horses that died, saying its a shame but 100 horses got back safely. Just reinforces my view that the could just as well be betting on cartoon racing as actually horses, as long as they are making peoples lives miserable and making themselves money.
 
I had a good start then couldn't back a horse that finished the trip.

Nearco - been following alot of your advice and you've made some good calls mate, nice one.
 
Thanks mate.

Simonsig was very nice. Actually had 14s for the Neptune and the Supreme and laid it all off when there were so many conflicting reports as to the race he was going for. All worked out in the end though with some trading in running and I managed 5/1.

I'm going tomorrow and am proper stoked. Whatever happens I'll be up for the meeting so I'll be out to have a laugh and drink and enjoy it. Some bets:

In the Jewson that opens the day I will back For Non Stop at the track. He's a decent enough horse who will appreciate this step up in trip. Might not be quite good enough but he's trained by the stable I follow. I also have Peddlers Cross in a multiple. He's the class horse in the race.

The Ryanair at 2.40 is really competitive and I have Rubi Light and Medermit ante-post. The ground might be too fast for the former and it's a bet I probably shouldn't have placed to be honest. He is a fantastic jumper of a fence though. Medermit is a tough battler of a horse I really like. He's sure to be thereabouts and is a worthy each way wager even at 8/1. Could be a Gold Cup horse in 2013 and is unlucky not to be a Festival winner already.

Big Buck's should win the World Hurdle but Oscar Whisky is an each way bet to nothing. He's easily the best horse Big Buck's will have faced and I'll be astonished if he isn't in the frame. I have a decent bet on him and will lay him at short odds during the race (he's a far better traveller than BB)
 
evra said:
I think that Oscar Whiskey looks good value at 2/1 when betting without Big Bucks.
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Very good value that. Where did you get that?

Just watched Cristal Bonus flop massively, like a fee of Nichols horses this week. There must be something in it.

I know he stables the big guns separately though, so hopefully big bucks and Kauto won't be affected.

Before anyone points it out, yes I know he had the champion hurdle winner, but that horse is kept in a different yard.
 
StuCol101 said:
Very good value that. Where did you get that?

Just watched Cristal Bonus flop massively, like a fee of Nichols horses this week. There must be something in it.

I know he stables the big guns separately though, so hopefully big bucks and Kauto won't be affected.

Before anyone points it out, yes I know he had the champion hurdle winner, but that horse is kept in a different yard.
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Paddy, now they're offering money back if your horse finishes second to BB.
 
Having a nightmare festival. Not backed one winner. In fact, me backing a horse seems to be the equivalent if giving the beast a sedative.
 
StuCol101 said:
Having a nightmare festival. Not backed one winner. In fact, me backing a horse seems to be the equivalent if giving the beast a sedative.
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:lol: You're not alone. I'm seeing it coming up on facebook about people not having a winner, and on talksport this morning they had paddypower saying the same thing, and that bookies were offering better prices to entice people back. How much truth there is to that I don't know, but RT was my first winner. Got a £6.50 E/W double on Big Bucks and Long Run now for about £40.
 
Can't believe I didn't get on Big Bucks at that price, but I have a hard and fast rule of never backing odds on shots over fences.
 
StuCol101 said:
Can't believe I didn't get on Big Bucks at that price, but I have a hard and fast rule of never backing odds on shots over fences.
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The race was over hurdles so that rule shouldn't apply really. Anyway, I went yesterday and the same thing happened with Big Buck's price as occured in 2010 - where he went off at a backable price because Nicholls was having a bit of a mare. I didn't step in though as I was still numb from Medermit getting beat when he was looking the likely winner. That really hurt.

Onto today and I have Baby Mix and Urbain de Sivola in the opener. The former is a big gangly thing with an engine who won last time out despite not jumping great. He has decent form at Cheltenham though and has a lot of scope. Urbain de Sivola goes into the race as one of the higest rated juveniles in the country but the ground is a bit of a worry. Might not run if it's too firm but at 16 and 20/1 I thought him worth a bet.

In the 2.40 all the money is gonna be for Boston Bob, who Willie Mullins said was his best chance of the Festival. He's unproven on decent ground though and I have 10s about Mount Benbulben who I think has claims of reversing form with him. They met at Navan earlier in the season when my selection wasn't right and had to make his own running. The price differential between them is too big.

I don't fancy anything in the Gold Cup
 
Well, I have 16s about Time for Rupert ante-post who's now 50s I think and 80s on China Rock who is now 200s :eek::eek:

I think Long Run will win but is too short. If forced to have another bet I would go small each way on Synchronised who should be flying up the hill if he jumps and What a Friend who will love the ground and ran well last year.

Oh, and in the very last race of the meeting Cornas is worth a small each way investment. Should be able to get 40 or 50/1
 
My Dad has two bets a year.

The National and the Gold Cup. He has no clue.

Just won 280 quid on that the cheeky sod, i'm home this weekend so he better buy me a curry.
 
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