First Cheltenham meeting always signals the proper start of the NH season for me. 2.10 I'm fascinated to see how The New One goes here, ran a cracker in the Festival bumper and should have the class to win this but I was at Worcester last week and watched Thomas Crapper win comfortably, he looked a picture in teh parade ring and jumped very well, he held off the challenge of Barakilla and won with a bit in hand for me and the pair forged a long way clear of the rest, so I think this one could go closest but I'll take the class of Twisters horse to prevail. 2.45 Carlitto Brigante tries fences this year, I'm not doubting the talent of Gordon Elliott to teach a horse to jump but I make Cheltenham the toughest of all chase courses and for a complete novice I think he'll have to be very well schooled to succeed, I'd prefer to see a horse have a more comfortable introduction so you can take him to Cheltenham with some experience under his belt. This one will be a win and place lay for me. I like the look of Go All the Way for this 3.55 White Star Line has plenty of experience for this, five unsuccessful attempts over fences last year including a second to the ultra progressive Hunt Ball at the Festival means this one is still a novice. I never quite know whether Dessie Hughes is trying every time he send one to the course but this is a valuable prize and if tuned this one can go close.
First Cheltenham meeting always signals the proper start of the NH season for me. 2.10 I'm fascinated to see how The New One goes here, ran a cracker in the Festival bumper and should have the class to win this but I was at Worcester last week and watched Thomas Crapper win comfortably, he looked a picture in teh parade ring and jumped very well, he held off the challenge of Barakilla and won with a bit in hand for me and the pair forged a long way clear of the rest, so I think this one could go closest but I'll take the class of Twisters horse to prevail. 2.45 Carlitto Brigante tries fences this year, I'm not doubting the talent of Gordon Elliott to teach a horse to jump but I make Cheltenham the toughest of all chase courses and for a complete novice I think he'll have to be very well schooled to succeed, I'd prefer to see a horse have a more comfortable introduction so you can take him to Cheltenham with some experience under his belt. This one will be a win and place lay for me. I like the look of Go All the Way for this 3.55 White Star Line has plenty of experience for this, five unsuccessful attempts over fences last year including a second to the ultra progressive Hunt Ball at the Festival means this one is still a novice. I never quite know whether Dessie Hughes is trying every time he send one to the course but this is a valuable prize and if tuned this one can go close.
I hate cockheads who misreport like that. Gives the horse a bad profile and that misleads readers who in this case are punters and as a journalist that is unprofessional. Barstards!
William Buick taking the piss or what he thinks "WIZZ KID" or as he prefers "WHIZZ KID" is a he - GET some proper work done you little baby faced prick
Note in my tracker that What a warrior ran a time 0.9 fast on course standard lto, rest of the races that day were well short of course standard
I don't really look at this as a betting day given that there's so many unknowns at this early stage of the season. That said there is one that I think is interesting 2.45 King of the Night receives weight all round and was a talented hurdler. 9/2 looks more than fair.
Looks a big step up for What a Warrior today, but after noting him on the Horses to Follow thread the other day, I'll have a little dabble myself I think. Not a big betting day I'd say - be good to see Sea of Thunder out again though.
The NH enthusiasts are out in force...brilliant....you can feel the excitement building towards March already.
Have to agree with you on this one, RV. King of The Night -excepting Carlo Brigante- is way ahead of these over hurdles. If he jumps OK, his weight pull should prove decisive. King Of The Night (Nap) Best Price 9/2 (Bet 365) 3.20 Action Master. Fit from the flat, he should run well off his current hurdles mark. Best Price 16/1 (various)
Yay the countdown will be well on the way to march come tomorrow! Cant wait for 2.10!! Only some small stakes tomorow saving for saturday! But my selections have already been put up, so its good for the confidence! lol
Having a few small plays at cheltenham tomorrow: 2:10 The new one 2:45 Kingsmere 4:30 The Romford Pele
Easy pickings tomorrow. First Cheltenham meeting of the new season and the chubby one has one in a handicap that is absolutely thrown in. WIFFY CHATSBY 11-2 3.20 most horses in the race are some way above their best winning marks and this lightly raced youngster looks thrown in on the evidence of his Stratford form. QULINTON would go close if rediscovering some of his old form. Later in the card I understand the connections are quite sweet on the chances of RYSBRACK 4.30
**** me some of you National Hunt enthusiasts are astounding, counting down to Cheltenham already! I find it too draining I'm pleased to see Go All The Way has won his opening two chases hoe he pleased. I've followed that horse from before he ran in the 2011 Cheltenham bumper and was in my ten to follow last year. Hoped he would make a chaser and it seems he may well make one. Tough race tomorrow though and I'm not sure I'd want to take 9/4 on him.
9/4 is short enough Toppy, I think he might go off around 11/4, does look a hard race but I think he is the most likely winner. The New One and Sea Of Thunder look two goodthings for me.
Hello lads. Cracking card at HQ tmz. I agree Go All The Way is a fascinating runner. There is no more patient trainer in the UK or Ireland than Jim Dreaper so his participation in October is very interesting. However,is this his call or the that of his high profile owners?...too short for me since,imo,course bumper form means little in a novice 'chase. Off to burn the midnight stuff through a haze of Merlot.
3.20 Cheltenham Sivola De Sivola 7/1 NAP Very sweet on the chances of Tom George's improving and relatively unexposed 6 year old who I think has an excellent chance of landing this competitive looking Class 2 handicap hurdle over 3m. I'll start off by saying that I will stake my reputation on Sivola De Sivola being much better than his current mark of 132 and he is a horse who I think looks primed to have a very big season. I actually backed him in the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival as I rate him as a horse of that sort of talent but he came home dehydrated and distressed that day so you've got to ignore that effort(he was one of the favourites for the Pertemps Listed Handicap at the Festival but didn't get in). This grey started his career back in December 2010 with a decent staying on midfield effort on debut at Bangor over 2m1f before putting that racecourse experience to very good use when running a fantastic (but comfortably beaten) 2nd behind the excellent Spirit Son on his 2nd racecourse start over an extended 2m at Huntingdon, beating the now 135 rated hurdler Palace Jester into 3rd place. He stepped into Grade 2 company on just his 3rd less thatn two weeks later where he could only finish midfield but he returned after a 3 month break to score his first success in April of last year at Perth. Sivola De Sivola was then given a 6 month break and he seemed to improve again for the summer as he scored on his reappearance in admirable battling style to score by a comfortable 2L over 20.5f at Carlisle in a Novices event last October as he carried a 7lb penalty to success. The form of that race looks decent with the 2nd Bound For Glory scoring on only his subsequent start very impressively and it was a fine performance by Tom George's grey. 3 weeks later he was stepped into Grade 2 company at Cheltenham over 2m5f when running a very respectable and eye catching 12L beaten 5th in a race won by the excellent Fingal Bay. When it came to the business end, Sivola De Sivola was outpaced as he lost a few places before rallying well up the hill to pass 3 or 4 rivals. Like in most of his previous starts, he shaped as if he was crying out for a step up in trip but regardless of that he lost little in defeat in a hot race. Sivola De Sivola got his step up in trip to an extended 3 miles on his next start when running out a very impressive winner at Newbury off a mark of 122. Sitting just off the pace, Sivola De Sivola was niggled along a small bit with about 3/4 of a mile still left in the contest before taking up the running with 3 flights to go. He stayed quickened up really nicely from the front when asked to kick on from Paddy Brennan to score by an eased down 5L at the finish, although he would have won by at least double that margin if pushed out all the way to the line. The form of that race looks very strong with the 2nd Kasbadali subsequently off a 3lb higher mark as well as taking an AW bumper whilst the 3rd Prince Tom has developed into a very nice chasing prospect having scored 3 times in his four starts in that sphere. Sivola De Sivola was raised 10lb for that race to his current mark of 132 for his 2nd last race where he was an extremely eye catching race in a Class 2 handicap at today's course over a clearly inadequate 2m1f. Clearly a prep run for Cheltenham, Sivola De Sivola was given a very easy time of things by jockey Liam Heard and he made seemingly effortless progress under very tender handling to coast by several rivals to finish a never nearer 5L beaten 4th by his stablemate Module at the end of January this year. That looks a very good race with the winner Module looking an extremely exciting prospect as he scored on what was his British debut. Furthermore, the 2nd Art Professor ran a cracking staying on 4th in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys race over 2m5f at the Cheltenham Festival and the 3rd Hinterland has since come out and scored very impressively this month off the same mark at Chepstow after falling in a Juvenile Grade 1 at Aintree in the interim period. Sivola De Sivola's last start came at Cheltenham where he came home distressed and dehydrated so as I said you clearly have to ignore that effort. This 6 year old comes here on the back of another summer on his back which I feel should definitely have helped him improve physically (although I think he wouldn't need to have improved to score off 132) as he returns to the track from a 217 day absence. I've no concern with him coming back from a break as he scored after nearly a 6 month absence this time last year so I confident that he'll be ready on his first start of the new national hunt season. Tom George has come out and said that Sivola De Sivola's first major target of the year is the Grade 3 Fixed Brush hurdle race at Haydock next month and that statement could either be a huge positive or a huge negative. Last year's renewal of the race would have seen this grey scrape in as bottom weight but considering he missed out on the Pertemps at the bottom of the weights I definitely think they will be looking to get him a penalty to guarantee his place in the race. I could be wrong, and we will surely see come 3.30! Other than that, he will love every yard of tomorrow's 3 mile trip and should relish coming up the hill. Unexposed at a staying trip he clearly needs, I think Sivola De Sivola is more than well handicapped off his current mark of 132 and I am very confident he will finish the season a considerably higher rated animal. Paddy Brennan takes the ride and gets on very well with this gelding and with trainer Tom George looking in fine form having landed a Listed hurdle race at Auteil and an impressive winner on the back of an absence yesterday I am very confident of a big showing and feel its going to take an extremely well handicapped horse to beat him (lets hope Wiffy Chaffy isn't just that!)
