2017 Cheltenham Festival Ante Post Thread

He really looks and sounds like one of the Great Train Robbery gang too?

 

you don't fancy him then!

 

Can you ‘like’ a post 100 times?!? Brilliant. Certain to be 2017 ‘Post of the Year’.

You can just hear old boy Gary, in his gravelly, Cock-en-ee drawl proclaiming, ‘Bash him on the bonce. Take the boun-teee. Scadad-ellle to the deserted farmhouse. Divvy up the spoils. Then sca-arp-her. Bish, bash, bosh. Waaaaa-lop.’

Mustn’t be too harsh on the old boy though as he is responsible for Ryan who along with ‘King’ Keiren is the best jockey of my lifetime. Some of you types have strange proclivities when it comes to jockeys (with several seemingly wanting at least a ‘bromance’ the retired rider who used to win lots of novice and selling hurdles) but this pair, ladies and gentlemen, are the greatest of riders.

 

Superb Story out of CH too. If you had a few quid on TNO to place you'd be laughing wouldn't you?

 

4th in last years supreme! So could argue he deserves his place Could be the strongest supreme for a while we have seen and sorry toppy could be stronger than Al Ferofs! But because we love you bringing it up please do

 

I won't be backing him mind you! As he stands no chance but just saying

 

As long as we remember that the form can very much be reversed over fences like dear old Al Ferof!

It has actually shaped so far like a really decent Supreme. Had Buveur D'air had 3 Hurdle runs as opposed to 2 chases and a Hurdle run id be really confident on him in the Champion Hurdle (he's a certainty to place in my view). I think he's the one who has the potential really put down a performance, the rest I kind of know where I'm at with.

Altior has shown his win was a proper win in the Supreme by being spectacular over fences, and Min looked good before injury this year and the two Gigginstown runners have fared well over hurdles.

Be interesting to see if anyone goes on to do a Cue Card, who remarkably finished 4th in that Supreme!

 

Thisltecrack injured

 

Yup, he's got a tear in his tendon so that is his season done.

 

Who wins now??

 

Not good, shortens the odds on the competition now.

 

If JP aims 3 at the Champion Hurdle (Buveur d'air, Jezki & Yanworth) and leaves just 1 in for the stayers, surely that exudes extreme confidence and it's time to get the wheelbarrow out and steam into UKWIMH.

Would love to see Jezki to have a tilt at the Stayers though!

 

So sad for the Tizzard team for Gold Cup. What a tough year for antepost favourites.

 

these jump horses are a bit fragile, need to start buying chasers from the AW, they run every week until theyre 12, sometimes twice a week

 

You’ve got to admire Mr Henderson’s honesty. Whereas most other trainers are always trying to convince us they make all the decisions (at the highest level more often than not they don’t) the forum’s favourite trainer just tells it like it really is re the placing of his horses at the Festival – the likes of ‘probably not my call’ and ‘where I'm not sure at this stage’ are as bluntly honest as anything you will get from a handler.

One horse who he didn’t mention that I’d like to flag up to the regular readers in HARGAM who is, incredibly, now perched on just 140. Has been placed at the meeting before (’15 Triumph), is a course winner and last term went off at just 16/1 to win the ‘Champion Hurdle’. The old boy won a Listed affair at Kempton, back in October, but then the wheels have, to put it mildly, come off re his career as he’s finished 12th, 14th and then 14th again in his last 3 events. What this trio of runs has done though is see his perch reduce from 153 to 140 (that’s a 13 lbs fall for those poor at maths). On his best form I think everyone would admit that Hargam is now incredibly well handicapped and if he can return to previous highs is incredibly well in – and who better to ensure this return than the man with a brilliant brain and those most ‘magic’ of ‘magic hands’. If I was being cynically I’d also say perhaps he’s been allowed 3 ‘easy’ races to necessitate this fall in the rankings but I won’t as its Mr Henderson we are talking about here, people, the man with ths straightest bat in the sport.

Where he will go at the Festival though is open to debate and the owner’s management will ultimately decide but I imagine it will be either the County Hurdle or a step up in trip for the Coral Cup or ‘Daddy’ Martin race. Currently Hargam is priced at 33/1 (NRNB) for the first 2 races and 25/1 (NRNB) for the last mentioned. I could see him going off as maybe the McManus 3rd or 4th string for his chosen objective and because of his reduced perch surprising a lot of people. Keep an eye out for him.

 

News from th Mullins press day

AUGUSTA KATE- AB
BACARDYS- NEPTUNE
LETS DANCE AND AIRLIE BEACH- likely to take each other on in the Mares novice
LIMINI 50:50 to be suplemented

 

BALLYWARD to be entered in the Bumper- pulled a muscle the other day