With just over a week to go until the commencement of the old Cheltenham Festival I’ve decided to jot down a few notes, ponderables, musings and questions that are in my head right now. Any views on them??? Will the fallout and repercussions of Gordon Elliott’s appalling behaviour overshadow the entire meeting??? There are, at the time of writing, 5 horses that are best priced 6/5 or shorter. I’m really struggling to suggest a viable alternative to any of them, right now. ITV Racing, please minimise the use of, or even turn the mics off of, Luke Harvey and Alice Plunkett during the Festival. Instead make far more use of the excellent Ruby Walsh, Sally Ann Grassick and Kevin Blake. In recent years I’ve been a huge critic of the ‘Cheltenham roar’ prior to the running of the Supreme Novices. It used to be spontaneous, uplifting and a total joy but this has morphed into a case of ‘after 3 you must all roar. 1, 2…’ and it has become tired, stale and, at best, half-hearted. With no crowd present will a ‘canned’ roar be employed in 2021??? And if ‘yes’ will it be more of a delight than in recent terms??? Why, oh why, isn’t Shishkin going for the Champion Hurdle instead of the Arkle??? Seems a huge shame, to me, that one of the most high profile horses is going for a comparatively weaker heat. To me the best horses should go for the best races. Plus, such a move could lead to racing immortality for the owners – at the same Festival have the Champion Hurdle winner and the triple CGC victor. I think Goshen’s Wincanton romp was the finest hurdling performance of the term and make him the best over timber. However, can he concede 7 lbs to Epatante and Honeysuckle and beat them??? The Mullins yard have 2 ‘shorties’ set to run on Wednesday – Monkfish and Chancun Poor Soi. This double could become the plunge bet of the meeting. This could become a treble if he runs just one of Kilcruit or Sir Gerhard in the Bumper or if one of these 2 goes well clear in the market prior to next Wednesday. What odds would Monkfish be if he ran in this terms CGC??? Disputing favouritism would be my guess. Following the running of the Champion Chase will the owners of the winner of the Arkle regret restricting their horse to the novice event??? Whether racing folk acknowledge it or not there still exists, in some quarters, huge resentment that the 2020 Festival took place. Will the mainstream media, as a result, really ‘go for’ the meeting ahead of its commencement??? Thursday’s card looks by far the weakest class wise of the 4 days. Still, don’t be downhearted as the 10/1 winner of a substandard heat pays the same as the 10/1 winner of a great race. How ironic would it be if the man with the straightest bat in our sport, Lieutenant Henderson, won the race that was a little bit ‘ooooooooooooh’, a little bit ‘eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee’ and a little bit ‘aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah’??? In Champagne Platinum the forum’s favourite trainer has got a great chance in the Pertemps Final. What are some of these races doing at the Festival??? Do they really belong??? I’ve yet to warm to such races as the Mares Hurdle, the Fred Winter, the Marsh, the Ryanair, the Mares Novices Hurdle, etc. Strip the meeting back to the best 18 races spread over 3 days, please. During Friday’s broadcast I hope that ITV Racing don’t tell us 374 times why the racehorse, Champ, is supposedly called Champ. And that Luke Harvey doesn’t look amazed and shocked every single time he hears this ‘revelation’. Is the catchphrase and/or tagline of this year’s Festival going to be – Tritonic leads to Gin and Tonic (celebratory)??? And will he end Alan King’s long losing run at the Festival??? Is there the possibility that Champ will ‘bounce’ in the CGC??? If he doesn’t I think he will be very hard to beat.
A positively gargantuan list of head-scratchers for a Sunday morning Unfortunately much of the emotion will be missing from this year's festival - indeed Covid has become more of a passion-killer than those hideous "flesh-coloured" women's undergarments. Brrrr. As I've posted elsewhere, this year's roar must surely be provided by excellent Matt Chapman - both fitting and cost-effective I do agree with you re Shishkin and the Champion Hurdle - I said the very same about Altior 4 years ago - but one assumes Lieutenant Henderson is looking to spread the love and already has Epatante and Buveur D'Air for the Champion Hurdle. As you say, Goshen will make them all go though and, for me, if his revival were to culminate in him being crowned Champion Hurdler it would be one of the stories of the week. Assuming the BHA allow horses from Elliott's "former" yard to run, then I will be hoping my one and only ante post bet (a tenner e/w at 33/1 on Duffle Coat in the Triumph) sees me get a run for my money - if not it is only 20 quid I suppose.. It seems highly likely that several horses from that yard will win races and one wonders what the reaction of the racing community, and indeed the wider public, will be. Tuesday and Wednesday easily the highest quality days for me - Thursday is usually entirely forgettable and Friday has only 2 races - Triumph and Gold Cup - which truly belong at the festival. As I won't be able to visit my parents and darken the door of the local Ladbrokes this year I am not sure whether I will be having a bet or not. Tempting as it is to open an online account, it may be even more tempting to just watch and enjoy. I've got the 4 days holiday booked so that is the main thing.
Oddschecker are showing that William Hill have pushed him out to 20/1 today. Makes you wonder what they know (or think they know) as Duffle Coat as low as 11's elsewhere.
I think after the week we have had recently we all could do with some feel good stories and moments couldn't we... Paisley Park for me would be massive, not just because it's my favourite horse in training but i really felt for connections last year and to bounce back from that disappointment would be good. But, if Goshen got up to win the Champion Hurdle, well then that would be just a great story wouldn't it..!! Day 1 will not be about the roar at the beginning of the Supreme as no one will be there, which is still a shame, but don't forget they blamed the Festival for promoting the virus around the country last year didnt they...!! It looks like being a Fav's day on Day 1 and thats a good thing in carrying you forward for the week isnt it...?? Day 2 is always my hardest day in terms of betting and other than Monkfish in the Novice Chase & Chacun Pour Soi in the QM all of the others are up for grabs once again... Day 3 is my main day, starting with Envoi Allen then a Pertemps race that has its usual plots and sub plots, and some good horses in the field. A Ryanair that is wide open so could produce a battle royal coming up the hill after the last before we get to the Stayers Hurdle and hopefully Paisley Park getting the better of Thyme Hill once again. The last 3 races on the card will be tough to find a winner but we have some interesting runners and some potential closely run finishes... Day 4 is normally all about the Gold Cup and in Al Boum Photo we have a tag line of a potential treble winner, so whats not to like there? My only thought is that we just dont have that real Rock Star horse that lights up the course, has us all drooling over how good he really is and yet if he dos win the race it's got to be the biggest and best achievement that ole Willie Mullins has done hasn't it...?? All in all, lets hope that all of the horses come back safe and sound as the sport needs it more than ever at the moment dosnt it. Something, unfortunately, we just can't guarantee can we...
Great summary redcgull. no point being negative about the festival - it is what it is this year. Will still be a lot better than 2001 and day 2 of 2008! festival week for me usually starts with breakfast in a cafe on my way into work whilst reading the preview day by day guide in the racing post. No cafe this year but much of the week will be unchanged for me. Booking days off work from Tuesday lunchtime, my only concern is that the days racing will feel a bit rushed this year with the new schedule. Each day will be done by 5pm! Appreciate it, Honeysuckle, Roksana treble on day 1? the Arkle looks hard to solve - Shidkin faces a fight from the improving Energumene. Arguably the 2 class acts of the week are both on day 2 - monkfish and chacon pour so I both look unopposable all about Envoi Allen and Paisley Park on day 3 - rest of the card looks a bit mediocre. the schedule for the final year seems to get worse by the year so it really is all about the Gold Cup now, and of course whether Al Boum Photo can land the treble. I think the answer is probably, and if so it would round off hopefully a great week!
