Cheltenham 2015. The cheers and groans have subsided,... the thrills and spills have all gone. Yes all the races have been run and for some of us, well.... there's always next year. I was just sitting here thinking what were my personal highlights of this seasons Cheltenham Festival. I thoroughly enjoyed the great event this year, backed a couple of winners, had 'some nearly(s)' and some 'if only(s)' but also had real alive disappointments too. I'm would be interested to know what your three best highlights and three worst disappointments are/were, now that the dust (and mud) has settled. My highlights:- 1) Dodging Bullets charging up the straight, seemingly full of running. 2) Call the Cops sneaking around the bend at the top of the hill. 3) Alistair 'Fat Al' Downs channel 4 reports on four Cheltenham legends of the turf. Denman: Master Minded; Kauto Star. unfortunately though, I missed yesterdays report. Can anybody tell me who the fourth member of this illustrious group of horses is. Alistair Downs turf journalism is superb. Disappointments :- 1) The going underfoot turned against Silvianco Conti. Such a shame because I thought he had excellent chance. I really couldn't see anyone else winning the cup. That was until the rain got into the ground. 2) Vautour, I should've had real money on him. Simply looked different class, even in the paddock. 1) Sprinter Sacre in the Queen Mary.Watching him having to pull-up was a sad,sad sight for me. Sprinter (for so many reasons), is the best 2 mile chaser I have seen and likely to see., in my lifetime. Tell us what your moments were, you know, the ones that are likely to stay with you for awhile !.
I'm not sure i can pick out just three highlights, the whole week has been generally very good. As far as disappointments, at the top of the list was Sprinter Sacre, just like Big Bucks last year it was sad to see the end of a great horse. From a betting perspective it would have to be, like most of the country, Annie Power
Highs Watching a sublime performance from Vautour Seeing a jockey get a tumultuous reception despite only finishing fourth Getting up the Cause Of Causes-Broadway Buffalo forecast which covered the week. Lows Annie Power's fall despite it not actually costing me personally a penny Seeing three of my favourite horses flop, The New One, Value At Risk & Beltor. Each blow hurt a lot and I hope I didn't let it show too much! Sprinter Sacre bowing out in sad fashion. What did he say "those that burn twice as bright fade twice as fast". A good many of the forum had brilliant weeks, I congratulate them.
Oh! Annie Power, There were reports of bookmakers running towards the exit gates, with their saddle begs full of wind, at about 10 past 4 last Tuesday. A number of them only stopped running after she fell at the last. A big reprieve for the layers. I'm told she's OK.
All my highlights are pocket talk, and all my disappointments are also pocket talk My number 1 highlight has to be Martello Towers gutsy win today, such a tough and brave performance. I was very confident of his chances all week, so it was great to bag myself a big priced winner. Faugheen making it 3 winners in a row for me on Tuesday, it was without doubt a devastating display of speed up the hill, that left the old guard for dead. A truly great horse. Vautour was another winner I backed, and another who put in an amazing performance. His jumping to my eye looked electric, he makes it look so easy. A real class act, and a potential superstar for the future. My number 1 disappointment was Sprinter Sacre, I tipped this horse up at 7/1 for the Arkle, after declaring his debut over fences as the best chasing debut that I'd ever seen, so he is a big favourite of mine. I'm not normally one to bet with my heart, but I probably did on this occasion, so I was pretty gutted to see how poorly he ran. Like Denman another big favourite of mine, horses never come back to there best after heart problems, so I should have opposed him. My next disappointment was Annie Power, I was so confident of her chances that I invested very heavily in her to win. So for her to fall at the last with the race at her mercy was a real sickener for me. The other one that disappointed me was Zarkandar yesterday, he was travelling so powerfully when he made that mistake, and he surely would have won with the way he eventually ran on for 3rd. But hey I had a good profitable week all in all, so I shouldn't complain to much
Yes KS I had a few shillings on Zarkandar. He travel well through the race, as was expected, given he has a high cruising speed in group company. However the bad jump at the second last (I think) didn't entirely cost him the race. It looked to me like Cole Harden was not for catching, and actually beat Zarandar at least 6 lengths readily on the day. Zark may have lost 3 or 4 lengths owing to a mistake and stumble like that, but I don't think 6+ lengths. Undoubtedly, though, it would have been close at the finish. There is definitely a big race in for Zarkandar, I personally think he wants a flat track to be seen at his best.
Easy for me, a non betting man Best (any 3 from 4) Douvan Faugheen Vautour Coneygree Worst.(just the 2) Annie Power at the last Sprinter Sacre going backwards and being pulled up
AP was a disappointment as usual, never really does well at Cheltenham anyway ( swear he only ever wins the ryanair chase every year ), but thought he'd give it a bit more umph this week. just the sole winner once again though
Now don't get me wrong, I like Nicky Henderson, he's provided me with lots of winners down through the years, but was it a mistake to run Sprinter. Should he (Henderson) had run the horse at all, let alone in a Champion Chase at Cheltenham. Hindsight is obviously saying no. Sorry Nick.
I know Zarkandar got the reputation from Ascot last time as being abit of a bridle horse, but before that he was always genuine. When you look at the mistake the horse nearly falls over it was so bad, it was a huge error. Obviously jumping is the aim of the game, but I myself am still fairly convinced he'd of won without that error. As far as Zarkandar wanting a flat track, he is a triumph hurdle winner, so it's a track he's won a big race on before
I think Zarkandar is as game as they come and I thought he was coming to win the race. Most horses would have never got back up to challenge from that error.
Henderson did say he didn't think the horse was at his best beforehand, however he thought that he might still have some of his old sparkle left. Though it's impossible to know for sure until you actually race him. Henderson himself would have been more embarrassed than anyone by the display, so there's no way he'd of run him if he knew for sure the horse wasn't right.
He was on just two favourites and they were in ultra competitive handicaps, hardly the book of rides that Ruby Walsh had now was it, he is a genius....not a miracle worker!
I hope he comes out of this race OK and recovers his poise. Zarkandar is a trier, he owes me nothing and I'm looking forward to seeing and backing him next time.
Also a lot of the favourites McCoy rides in big handicaps are only favourite because he is riding, they don't necessarily have the best form. There are plenty of mug punters out their that walk into the bookies and back a horse purely because McCoy is on board.
I had thought about that., but couldn't see his name as an entrant. If he does appear at Liverpools' relatively 'flat track', I'll have a few extra shillings on him for that reason and that reason alone. I need another rum quick before the wife starts calling. Cheers.
Highlights (in chronological order): 1. Willie Mullins' two novice chasers Un De Sceaux and Vautour - two breathtaking front-running performances highlighted by bold jumping and the uncanny ability of Ruby Walsh to know exactly how fast to go at every single stage of the race. The perfect combination of horse and jockey to form 2 unbeatable machines on the day. 2. A.P. McCoy winning the Ryanair on Uxizandre. Only the cold-hearted would have denied the greatest jockey we will ever see a final victory at the festival. Given his starting price, few would have fancied Alan King's Uxizandre to provide it, but it was fitting victory - a talented yet enigmatic horse who responded to the great man's urgings and gave his all up the hill. 3. Coneygree becoming the first Novice since Captain Christy in 1974 to win the Gold Cup would be a worthy highlight in any festival year. But two things bring a lump to the throat and a tear to the eye - the manner of his victory and the nature of his connections. For a novice to jump a Gold Cup field into submission from the front, on soft ground, in a time just 5.5 seconds above standard, is quite simply astounding. I've rewatched the race several times and it just makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. As a reminder of the timelessness of racing, Lady Oaksey, with a tear in her eye, revealed that just 5 minutes before the race began, Coneygree's dam, Plaid Maid, had once again been covered by his sire, Karinga Bay. You just know that Lord Oaksey was looking down from the heavens and smiling with contentment. Disappointments 1. Annie Power's desperately unlucky fall at the last hurdle. The chance for the punter to really take the bookies to the cleaners on day 1 of the festival was cruelly snatched from us by the racing gods. Was it the low sun? Did she try and jump the shadow of the obstacle? As Ruby Walsh asked her to win the race coming off the final bend she surged clear of Glen's Melody and most of us were already counting our winnings with only the final hurdle to clear. Then, in the blink of an eye, it all came crashing down. Punting joy turned to punting disbelief as she fell at the last. 2. The Champion Chase - Sprinter Sacre pulled up, Sire De Grugy well below his best leaving Dodging Bullets to mop up another unsatisfactory Grade 1 chase from Somersby. The disappointment tempered only by the anticipation of what Un De Sceaux might deliver in the 2016 renewal. 3. That it has come to an end, as it always does. The Saturday morning after Gold Cup day is cold turkey of the worst kind. Months of anticipation, 4 days of high-octane, roller-coaster racing and suddenly we are left contemplating the field for the Midlands National.
Brian Cooper only had the 1 winner (Don Poli) at the festival - you'd have to say that goes down as a disappointing week for Gigginstown when you look at the horses they sent over.
The greatest weeks racing in the year has come and gone again, and I have promised myself that next year I will renew my membership and spend all four days on the course. I missed it massively this week after a glorious Tuesday at the course. My views are normally outside of the obvious and my views are - Highlights The quality rides of amateur jockeys - We had gloriously stylish rides by Codd and Carberry, two of the very best amateur jockeys, and it was great to see the artistry of the amateur, given the horrible injury that happened to JT McNamara. It was taking that On The Fringe was the one that carried Nina Carberry home, in the colours of JP McManus, given that JT rode him in the race in 2011. Jamie Codd is probably the best amateur, and for me wouldn't be out of place riding in the Gold Cup, he got the tricky Cause Of Causes up on day one and then he gave The Package a confident ride. The Package at 12 years of age is quite a story in itself. The failing of the handicapper - Irish hurdlers finished in the first six places in the County Hurdle, and the first four in the Martin Pipe whilst Zabana was only denied by a horse with French only form in the Coral Cup. It wasn't a great week for the handicappers when it came to their judgement of the form from both sides of the Irish Sea in terms of handicap hurdles. The Pertemps had only one Irish entry and surprisingly for Tony Martin, his runner ran no sort of race, but that was one of the few blips for the Irish in the handicap hurdles, along with the lottery that seems to be the Fred Winter. Amazingly the handicapper seems to have his pants pulled down by Paul Nicholls again, with his Coral Cup plot and his dominance of the Fred Winter, and perhaps that alone shows how badly the handicapper got the Martin Pipe as the horses finishing a fine fifth and sixth were both from the Nicholls yard. Expect the handicapper to react next year!! The New Dawn - We have had one exceptional horse since the golden era of Kauto Star and Denman, and that was Sprinter Sacre. This period has been very mediocre for chasers, with those looking to be top quality sorts turning out to be disappointments (Simonsig, Boston Bob, Cooldine [RIP]) and even those who have gone on to take the top prizes have turned into disappointments (Bob's Worth, Sire De Grugy, Lord Windermere). However we now have Un De Sceaux, Vautour, Don Poli and Coneygree to name but four, we could be entering another golden age of the chaser, throw in the potential of Douvan and some of the other novice hurdlers from this season and the future is mouthwatering. Disappointments Injuries and Death - again, as we all have come to expect/acknowledge, racing is mired by injury and death, and we have had a bad injury to an amateur jockey, and the death of horses. We as fans of the sport recognise the talent, bravery and endevour of those who partake in this great sport, but its still the stick that people use to beat the sport and it still shakes me to the core when I see those green sheets go up around a stricken horse or jockey. This was seen in the relief on course when L'Unique got to her feet after the World Hurdle. Pearl Bloodstock - What on earth is that all about? Buying a Foxhunters horse in the week of the festival. What on earth are they playing at? At least Bloomfields/Gigginstown/Wylie/Ricci get the horses in training well in advance, even if they are spending fortunes on them!! Everything wrong about flat racing gets shown in one race at the festival, and I hope it doesn't continue. Course Irrigation - I am one of the first to be disappointed when racing gets called off for waterlogging, or the like, but I think Cheltenham have gone too far with the quality of their drainage systems. I think the fact that they had to water pre festival, and they ran days two and three on ground that Timeform suggests was far faster than that suggested by the official going report, may have given us false results. National Hunt racing should be run on ground that is as close to natural as possible, and I don't think we are able to get that at Cheltenham anymore. Thankfully the rain came for the final day, otherwise we would have had a Gold Cup on ground that was far too fast, and we wouldn't have had the great story of Coneygree.
