Don Poli look's lazy and struts around like he knows he's good, having seen him live a few times during his races I was far from impressed in his early stages but towards the finishes I was always left in awe. He definitely keeps some back for himself and that will stand him in good stead for a battle because he seems to be able to pull a bit more out when called upon, it's an admirable quality to have and I'd be keen he will win tomorrow too, should relish the test.
I had a surprisingly good day today despite Pendra and The New One doing their best to ruin it! Yes Beefy I officially admit he hasn't quite reached the heights I thought he would. The pace of the race was all important today and that was a masterclass from Ruby in pace judgement. STD is clueless in that department. Probably makes very little difference but the stayer had no chance off those sectionals! Moving on to tomorrow. My biggest punting day as I have very strong opinions about several of the races. **** or bust time; 1:30 NICHOLS CANYON 2:05 DON POLI (despite the fact that I have the hugest soft spot for Kings Palace) 2:40 ACTIVIAL Interesting to note that the luckless GOODWOOD MIRAGE retains the services of McCoy, he must like the horse a fair bit. 3:20 SIRE DE GRUGY 4:00 SIRE COLLONGES I will have a look at the Fred Winter later but it looks a pin stick as usual. In the bumper I am sitting on a 40-1 ticket on BELLSHILL thanks to a little bit of info I got early season. Not that struck on him but with Ruby on board I am hopeful. The one I like in the race is GENERAL PRINCIPLE as he could hardly have been more impressive on his debut. Good luck to you all again fellas.
Managed to get lucky today with Glens and catching the last winner Irish Cav... So some optimism to go in to tomorrow with... VYTA DU ROC 1.30 IF IN DOUBT 2.05 DELL ARCA 2.40 SPRINTER SACRE 3.20 SIRE COLLONGES 4.00 ARABIAN REVOLUTION 4.40 VIRGIL 5.15 Cheers everyone and good luck
Had my tracker alert for Moon Racer tomorrow: 'Worth a serious check through his form throughout the season. Not an automatic bet but interesting and one to keep on side' Doesn't exactly help does it?
I look at the Neptune and it doesn't appear to be the strongest renewal. Nichols Canyon has proven his ability and might just be a good thing. He's won the right races and his yard are firing. I wanted to back Windsor Park but every man and his dog have beaten me to it so at 5/1 i'll leave him unbacked and lick my wounds if he reverses form with Nichols. Parlour Games has won at Cheltenham already but i doubt he's good enough to beat proven grade one horses whilst Outlander looks a sitting duck to me and isn't my idea of good value. The interesting runner is Beast of Burden at 16/1. I really rate Townend and his partnership with Curtis throughout the season starts to make more sense. His victory over Mendip Express is terrific form if, and it's a big if, the second that day produced something like his mark. At the price and given the paucity of serious competition, i'm happy to take an each way chance on Beast of Burden and back Nichols Canyon to win.
Windsor Park - Really interesting run last time, very eyecatching and I think he will love the hill and a truly run race. I think he can upset the Mullins applecart. If In Doubt EW - I know I know, but I can see it now. AP driving a recalcitrent and lazy jumper to victory in a big race. It couldn't be Wichita once more could it? I think the horse has a serious engine. Barizan EW and Goodwood Mirage EW - The former is coming off a break, and if they have him sweetened up, and he is on a going day, he is so well handicapped. The latter looks well in on his Wetherby run, and I think we can see him weaving a passage late in the day. Nicholls horses clear dangers here. Champagne Fever - I just can't have the big two or the two Nicholls horses, and that leaves me with Champagne Fever. Rank price mind. Chicago Grey EW (Best bet of day) - I think he is so well treated and if the wind op has got him spot on, I think he will run an absolute belter. His run first time out this season was so eyecatching. Bouvreuil EW - I like his name, it sounds like one of my favourite drinks. That and Nicholls spoke highly of him at Sandown I believe. Pin Stickers.
Sorry, also Beatabout The Bush in the Fred Winter - I have a feeling that this one is an under the radar horse who could well be a bit better than his mark suggests.
Ah, Wednesday. Historically a bad day for me but "We learn from failure, not from success" so here are my darts... NICHOLS CANYON 4/1 KINGS PALACE 4/1 UN ATOUT 14/1 eway CHAMPAGNE FEVER 5/1 4pm race is where I take a breather BARON ALCO 18/1 eway GENERAL PRINCIPLE 10/1 eway Good luck all and if today can be half as good as yesterday, we've done alright!!
1:30 - Outlander 2:05 - Don Poli 2:40 - Aux Ptits Soins 3:20 - Dodging Bullets 4:00 - Sire Collonges 4:40 - All Yours and Zarib 5:15 - Vigil
Up until this morning I hadn't quite realised how much my Wednesday punts relied so much on Nicholls and Sam having the day of their lives! Got 4 of theirs tomorrow
50's is an insult for a horse like Sizing Europe, i know he's aged, but we know he'll be in great form and heart, Bromhead in good form ( 3 runners today, 2 placed @ 25/1 ), Sizing loves cheltenham, 3 wins out of 7, hasn't got the pace to win anymore but could easily nick 3rd, 50s is huge
Well today was the first day in about 4 years that Ruby has ridden a winner over fences I think nicholls is about the same?? So he could break his duck tomorrow(hopefully over the XC fences and not before it )
Here's hoping!! Dodging Bullets and Sire Collonges have been on my radar for a while, so always intended to bet on them. I'll be totally honest and say I don't know much at all about his Coral Cup entry Aux Ptits Soins, tomorrow will be his debut for the yard but the Coral Cup looks a bit of a lottery, my hope is that with Nicholls bring him straight to the festival for his debut that he thinks something of him.
Nichols Canyon Don Poli Un Atout (another cliff horse) Sprinter Sacre to prove he still has what it takes, and make Sire De Grugy look second rate Sire Collongues in the pony trek And in the last two, I'm opting for the AP/Jonjo charge Box Office 16-1 in the Fred Winter and the Gordon Elliot entry General Principle 16-1 in the Bumper (double also)
1.30 Nichols Canyon 2.05 Kings Palace 3.20 Sprinter Sacre 5.15 General Principle Nichols Canyon I feel has a great shout, he is unbeaten over hurdles bar when he unseated his rider, and he already has a 3 length victory over one of his main market rival Windsor Park in a G1 only a month ago which reads well to me, there where a few other decent horses beat that day also. Outlanders form is comparable, though he was well beaten when stepped up to 3 miles by Martello Tower, so I fancy stamina could be an issue for him. He did reverse form with Martello Tower over 2m4 but he was getting 5 pounds that day and only just won. So I can see Outlander struggling up the hill in what will likely be a fast run festival race. Outlanders run though will be of interest to me as I do fancy Martello Tower in the Albert Bartlett, and have already backed him at 10s . But I think Nichols Canyon has to get the nod here, especially with Ruby in the saddle. Kings Palace is a horse I've been very impressed with when I've seen him run, and it is hard for me to oppose the Mullins horse Don Poli when I've won so much on his horses so far. But i fancied him before, so I can't switch. Whilst the bare form of his runs may not look all that impressive it has been the manor of his victorys, especially when he was at Cheltenham last time when he gave weight to some decent horses and was very impressive. Don Polis form admittedly reads better, but sometimes you just have to go on how visually impressed you are and Kings Palace has looked like a horse with a lot in hand. This will be his 3rd chase start at Cheltenham so he knows the course very well, and with it being such a small field I can see him getting things his own way out infront, and being very difficult to pass. Sprinter Sacre didn't look like he had a tough race at Ascot, Geraghty went very easy on him. No he was knowhere near the old Sprinter Sacre but he doesn't have to be to win this. That run at Ascot will have shaken some of the cob webs off and I can see him really improving for that run. He was probably 20 pounds below his best at Ascot, so if he can just find another 5-10 pounds he should be able to win this. Nicky Henderson is a shrewd trainer, he will have had Sprinter Sacre trained throughout the season with this race as the main goal. Sire De Grugy is a likeable horse, but he won IMO the worst Champion Chase I have seen for many years. He did win it well, but he beat nothing. Dodging Bullets has never won a race in the spring, he just doesn't like spring ground and Cheltenham, whilst Champagne Fever has never won a 2 mile chase in his whole life, so you have to question wether he has the speed for 2 miles these days. I think he's better off over further. General Principle is my fancy in the bumper, mainly because most of the main protagonists look like much of a muchness. General Principle is the only one that looks like he has the potential to be abit special. He thrashed a Willie Mullins horse by 17 lengths on the bridle at Punchestown on his debut in what looked super impressive. It's hard to say what he beat as the Mullins horse hasn't been out again, but Mullins doesn't have bad horses, so you have to be impressed by the way he beat him and assume he's pretty good. How good like I say is hard to say, but he's definitely worth a punt at 16/1.
