Sorry to be the bearer of bad news mate but i've also backed this each way and i'm in ****E form at the moment!
Just hope vatour gets beat so rich ricci has to think for a whole year what might have been if he'd ran it in the gold cup !
Don't really tip on here anymore but the one I've been waiting for tomorrow is missed approach in the pertemps, really fancy this one. Wouldn't be in a hurry to back johns spirit at 6/1 in that later race, 24 runner handicap, that's a 10/1 the field job. Chance taken on empire of dirt for me.
beefy gave me Yorkhill 16/1 and Limini 7/1 two singles and a double, my only mullins bets will back Don Poli on the day
I'd be extremely cautious with Vautour tomorrow. They stated recently his work wasn't what It should be and he wasn't 100% himself, then the late defection from GC to Ryanair. It screams to me as if they are saying he wouldn't have ran his race in a true run GC but he might be able to scrape a Ryanair 80-90% match fit. No doubt the classiest horse here and if cherry ripe and accident free, a winner, but I'd thread very carefully at those odds, albeit class may prevail. Good stuff all week lads I missed the first 2 day's unfortunately after thinking I wouldn't but that's life. I am off for St.Patricks Day and will have a good perusal of the races and have a bet or two tomorrow... Keep up the good work
In the Ryanair Chase (14:50) the 33/1 on offer with Bet365 for Village Vic will do for me e/w. Tough devil who keeps on improving.
Looking forward to Thursday. Vautour is catch 22. Is he fit as a fiddle all along and they've been pulling a fast one on the biggest certainty of the week? Or is he genuinely not firing on all cylinders and hence vulnerable? I'm steering clear at the odds- how are you guys reading it?
I am not buying any of this 90% fit bollocks. If you owned or trained a horse this good you wouldn't let him run in ANY race unless he was spot on! Its nonsense!
Ricci has already said Vautour was going gold cup or going home ...another comment to get a better price and prob smash the arse off it tomoz . soooo no doubt he is 100% and will romp home .
£2 e.w lucky 31 1.30 Garde la Victoire 2.10 Oscar Sam 2.50 Al Ferof 4.10 Salubrious 5.30 Upswing. Going large on Thistlecrack,my banker of the meeting!
1.30 Cheltenham Black Hercules 6/1 This looks a wide open contest and I'm plumping for the 7 year old Black Hercules representing the all conquering Willie Mullins. 4th in the Champion Bumper 2 years ago and a decent novice hurdler who disappointed when favourite for the Albert Bartlett, Black Hercules should be 3-3 over fences but for a last fence fall on his final start when having the race sewn up. His previous defeat of Definitely Red now looks good with that rival subsequently splitting RSA winner Blaklion and 4 Miler runner up Native Gallery and in a wide open race I think he'll go well under Ruby Walsh. I'm not massively confident in a wide open affair but I think he should go close at an each way price. 2.10 Cheltenham If In Doubt 11/1 I was really impressed with If In Doubt's win on his return to hurdles on his last start and, given that race has worked out well, I think the 6lb rise leaves Philip Hobbs' inmate still on a good mark of 146. Having shown some strong form over hurdles in defeat behind Saphir De Rheu and stablemate Fingal Bay in handicaps back in early 2014, If In Doubt finished what was meant to be his last start over hurdles with a credible 9th in this contest to end that season off a mark of 140. He then embarked upon a 'failed' chasing campaign whereby, although he showed some good form and nearly snatched 3rd in last years RSA, it was purely his engine that got him to run with credit as he was always an awful jumper of a fence. It wasn't until December last year that Hobbs ditched chasing plans and If In Doubt was very impressive when returned to hurdles on Stephen's Day with success at Wincanton. Held up in last, despite having an awful lot to do heading to 2 out it seems Tom O'Brien was confident he had a lot of horse under him as he perfectly judged the ride to win going away by over 2L. That race looks very strong form with the 3rd, 5th & 6th winnning next time out and 6lb rise still leaves him ahead of the handicapper in my eyes. With champion jockey Dickie Johnson on board, I can see him weaving through the field late on this 8 year old and I'm confident he can get him home in front. 2.50 Cheltenham Vautour 5/6 I would have backed Vautour had he run in the Gold Cup and he looks pretty much home and hosed in my book. Having put in one of the most breathtaking performances to land last years JLT, Vautour hasn't done a whole lot wrong this season either and was only mown down very late on by Cue Card in the King George and I think he'll definitely appreciate the return to a left handed track and Cheltenham. Last year’s Gold Cup 3rd Road To Riches is probably the main threat on paper but I'd be very, very surprised if he's good enough to beat Vautour over this trip. I don't buy for one second that Vautour is only '90% fit' like Rich Ricci said as, if there was any issues, he just wouldn't be running. I really hope we see another performance of the magnitude of last year and I feel it's a case of how far as opposed to if. 3.30 Cheltenham Thistlecrack 5/4 I'm absolutely shocked to see 5/4 available about Thistlecrack as if he was trained by a more fashionable yard he would be odds on and I think Colin Tizzard's 8 year old is an absolute banker. In 3 starts this year, Thistlecrack has absolutely blown away the opposition and I don't think anything in this field comes close to him. The yard have already though about going straight for the Gold Cup as a novice chaser next year given how highly they rate him and I will be sat there gobsmacked if he doesn't win this impressively. 4.10 Cheltenham Niceonefrankie 20/1 Jonjo O'Neill looks to have plotted up John's Spirit much like Holywell was on Tuesday but, although he's won 3 times at Cheltenham they've all been on the old course and his form on the new course isn't nearly as impressive. At 6/1 if he wins then fair play but I'm siding with Niceonefrankie who represents the Venetia Williams yard who have won this race 3 times and had 5 places from just 16 runners and who I think can go very well here. An incredibly impressive winner over C+D off just a 3lb lower mark in December 2014, Niceonefrankie has run just 3 times since and he certainly bounced back to a good level of form on his latest start when a battling second to Taquin De Seuil who looked absolutely thrown in off his mark. The 3rd home Cogry is a good yardstick to be measured off and I think that outing last month will have put this 10 year old spot on for this. The excellent Charlie Deutsch takes an invaluable 5lb off and if on a going day I think Niceonfrankie can take things up a good way from home and prove very difficult to peg back. 4.50 Cheltenham Smart Talk 7/1 Limini has looked a very smart prospect to hurdles for Willie Mullins and it will be a surprise if she is beaten but Brian Ellison's Smart Talk has achieved an awful lot on the racecourse and I think 7/1 for a horse rated 149 looks a huge price. A very progressive mare, Smart Talk comes here on the back of Grade 2 win at Doncaster where she ran out an impressive winner despite a horror mistake at the 3rd last where she beat more experienced mares. Back into novice company today, I just can't see her out of the first 3 and I can see her giving Limini a real race and I think she can come out on top. 5.30 Cheltenham Upswing 9/1 Current favourite Doctor Harper looks to have been plotted up for this race by last years winning connections and I couldn't put anyone off backing him. I do, however, think that Jonjo O'Neill's Upswing looks ahead of the handicapper off a mark of 139 and I think he's primed to run a huge race. If taking aside his last run when pulled up in the Welsh National in treacherous conditions (Jonjo's yard were in poor form), then Upswing is a very progressive chaser and his 2nd at Cheltenham to Sausalito Sunrise back in November reading very well with the winner now rated 19lb higher. With course form in the book and with the excellent Derek O'Connor in the saddle, I'm more than happy to take on the less experienced chase Doctor Harper and I'll be surprised if Upswing doesn't fill one of the 5 places on offer.
Really looking forward to the World Hurdle today - have some accas running on Oddy's pet and should him, Limini, Cue Card and Zubayr do the business, I won't be a million miles from retirement!! Four horse acca today - BRISTOL DE MAI 9/2 and the three shorties. Also put BDM in a L15 with LA VATICANE 16/1, SADDLERS ENCORE 16/1 and PERFECT CANDIDATE 22/1. Good luck all and let's hope today is half as good as yesterday!! Only just about pulled myself together after what that magnificent monster did yesterday!! Think the only thing that tops that would be having Hurricane Fly come out of retirement and hosing up in next years Champ Hurdle!! Have a good one!!
