I am in work 'working' this week Have my SkyGo set up anyway and have been trying my hardest to get the rest of the shop to place a few bets!
1:20 - Envoi Allen, if he wins I break even for the whole festival no matter what happens for the rest. I do like Blackbow and Darver Star E/W w/o Envoi too. 1:55 - Small win on The Bosses Oscar because price is too short for E/W... I do really like the look of Kansas City Chief E/W too. Ran well in this race last year and finished 6th. Half a stone lighter this year and I think young Miss Wonnacott is a decent claimer, claiming 5lbs which nearly gives it a stone lighter than it's run last year, so I'm hoping it doesn't weaken as much in the last furlong or two like it did last year. Unowhatimeanharry might interest me if he drifts to about 70's if I had a skybet account (7 places), just because of the claimer taking 5 off seeing as he died a few furlongs before home last year too... 2:30 - Oof, meant to back Samcro this morning E/W at 12's, shouldn't have waited, he's now 7's so I'll have less on him E/W now. Great Cheltenham form, cost me my whole account last year when I laid him as one of my bets of the festival, how foolish was that. Obviously likes it around here and I think him and Melon can definitely run into places if not win. I'm liking the booking of Cooper on Melon, he should get him to attack the fences and hopefully he can finally give Melon a Grade 1 success. PS. Any bookies taking bets on Melon to finish 2nd? 3:05 - After his performance last year I can't see Sire Du Berlais not making it into the first 5 so a fairly hefty bet E/W on him. One of my favourite horses of all time is back at 66/1. Almost won me a fortune 2 years ago at the same price so I'm going to have another decent crack at Sam Spinner E/W. He's coming back to hurdles after winning 3 chases before being pulled up on his last chase start. Joe Colliver, his usual jockey for the last few years said he just felt like he never travelled and that something was wrong with him. No excuse given for his poor performance over Christmas where he finished last behind a bunch of these but that was his first round back over hurdles so I'll forgive him for that run. I don't know how I feel about Joe Colliver not riding him though. Joe always got a good run out of him even though he was notoriously hard to settle. For a horse that hasn't ran below a rating of 151 when it's finished in over 3 years I feel like 50's or above is a huge price. Fair enough, this is the worst form he's been in and something didn't look right for the last 2 starts but I'm hoping that he can bounce back to his best and revive himself at Cheltenham for a huge price. A small E/W play on Lil Rockerfeller too, he's won me enough money in the past and I always thought he was good enough to place in this race so hopefully he can do it this year after starting to find form again. 3:40 - I feel they should've given The Shunter an extra days rest after his Kelso win, and would've preferred to see him over hurdles too. Farclas has course form over hurdles, looked good as a novice chaser and looks to be banging at the door to win a race soon. Small win bet on him. Was interested by Mister Whitaker and Happy Diva too but I've gone for Eamon An Cnoic E/W. Seems to enjoy Cheltenham. Ninth in a very good race at the festival in 2018, 5th beaten a neck by Mister Whitaker here in Nov, 2018, 4th in this race off 7lbs higher 2 years ago, Unseated after 2 fences next time here, 2nd next race at Cheltenham in Dec meeting 2019, jumped poorly and finished 7 of 9 in 1 of only two races he ran in 2020. Has been hurdling for his last 4 races so I'm hoping David Pipe has been schooling him well over fences but in the hope that he has, I'll take 40's about him. 4:15 - Might have a small E/W bet on Skyace just for the story behind the horse... Bought for only £600 off Willie Mullins by the Shark! No real bet for me here though. 4:50 - Small E/W play on Sizing At Midnight and Kilfilum Cross, If Deise Aba drifts some more where I can get value playing him E/W I might have a bet but probably too short for me at 10's... Also just remembered I have a meeting between 3:30-5... Going to have to find some excuse for not attending
"Also just remembered I have a meeting between 3:30-5... Going to have to find some excuse for not attending" You are snowed in and the internet is down
Already used the fact he chewed the cable a few weeks back I'm supposed to facilitate the whole meeting as well so I might just have to get the chainsaw out, cut down the electricity pole and watch the races in peace on my phone!
I take my hat off to racing fans working this week...it was bad enough for me working on Monday - struggled to concentrate and be productive then. I'd be hopeless in over these 4 days...
Cheese n Tomato Toastie, bowl of tomato soup an apple and a mug of tea... Bllomin good considering it's simplicity...8/10... Now bring on Day 3 please...
Afternoon all. Very tricky looking card today. Punters beware! Chantry House to finish second 7/2 The Bosses Oscar win/ Champagne Plat Ew Min to Win( backed 6s) Paisley Park win/ Beacon Edge Ew Fils D'oudairies/ Wave to the Sea both Ew Hook Up win/ Rosey's Hollow Ew Hold The Note/ BoB Mahler both Ew
Going to have to hold onto that one for some other racing festival... Can't use it yet, it's a banker that I'm holding onto for as long as I can
In the Ryanair (14:30) Kalashnikov could run well at a big price. Last time I looked it was 28/1. Hasn't won for a while but is not a bad NH performer at all, and has run well previously at this track.
Marsh; Envoi Allen 5/4 to win by 5 lengths or more Pertemps; Ante post voucher The Bosses Oscar. Added Mrs Milner and Copperhead today. Ryanair; Chriss Dream small ew for interest Stayers; Paisley Park PPP; Assemble, not ideal form figures coming to a race of this nature but he could be way better than his mark. Mares Nov; Gauloise despite the drift KimM; Milanford and an extra places bet on Double Shuffle
