Re:Early thoughts on CHELTENHAM

Good morning all and just over a month to go before the big festival starts on Tuesday the 16th March.

I understand that life has not been the same with the bloody virus, however the show must go on.

Much can still happen over the next few weeks and ante post bets could be a liability rather than asset (should that word ever be used in racing)?

Tuesday 16th March

Appreciate It looks a decent sort.
SHISKIN a popular banker
Champion Hurdle great clash between HONEYSUCKLE and Epatante.


Wednesday 17th

MONKFISH special and a banker.
Chacon Pour Soi can win Champion Chase but let’s watch Altior on Saturday.
Tiger Roll might run in the Cross Country
Kilcruit look the answer in the Bumper.

Thursday 18th

ENVOI ALLEN a banker
The Stayers where we will be looking for Paisley Park to come with one of these outstanding finishes.


Friday 19th

Gold Cup day and very open


Good Punting

No spectators.

Will be very strange 😢

I’m reading your thoughts Dave, Chook, Bob, et al, so please type some more


Sent from my Ferrari using Tapatalk

Spectators make Cheltenham, will be extremely weird without them.

Looks like Betting Shops will still be closed also.

DAY 1: R4 - SILVER STREAK
R2- ALLMANKUD
R1 - MY DROGO
DAY2 : RSA CHASE= GA LAW
DAY 4 : R5 - HAZEL HILL

Touch wood, we are all still here to be able to give thought to next month's Festival meeting at Cheltenham.
I must confess that being locked in,starved of booze etc does after a time work on your mind.
The little Scots fella Charlie,who you can see Top Left corner keeps me company when I am banging away at the Laptop and we have conversations .
He doesn't reply and the day he does the guys in the white coats will come and do the neccesary to me.

Champion Hurdle
HONEYSUCKLE (9/4 JF) won the Mares Hurdle last year and was very impressive last weekend.She will take all the beating.

Arkle
SHISKIN to beat but how good is this Energueme .He was frighteningly impressive last weekend and came off as if he never had a race.He is 6 from 7 BUT has never run at Cheltenham.

Queen Mother
Bit of a question mark over Altior so it maybe PAISLEY PARK(3/1) or THYME HILL(7/2).

Gold Cup
Al Boom Photo obviously laid out fot this race and has good chance.
KEMBOY(10/1) I think will run and can win this.
If it is wet and heavy and becomes a slog and Dickie Johnson on Native River (16/1)is 2-3 lths ahead coming round the last bend they will all be stretched.
Ran a great race last Saturday at Sandown.

Gordon Elliot and Joe Tizzard have been right off the boil but positive signs of them coming back into form now just on time. Could be some good value following them at bigger prices to cause some upsets over Cheltenham & Aintree and they swing right back into top gear.

Great racing to look forward to and some huge clashes ahead.

Starts 4 weeks tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Delta Work out of GC.

They already talking about Cheltenham 2022.

Envoi Allen vs Monkfish

Goshen. Any thoughts.

Seems to lost his spark after last years fall at Cheltenham when the race was at his mercy.

There is no point getting older if you do not get wiser. Time may show that Nicky Henderson, a 70-year-old for just over two months, may well have pulled off one of his wisest tricks yet in deciding to run leading WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup hope Champ in a recognised Champion Chase trial.

Both the trainer and bookmakers were certainly impressed with the performance of last season's star staying novice, who on his belated seasonal reappearance ran a race full of promise to finish second behind top-class two-miler Sceau Royal in the Betfair Game Spirit Chase.

Having been available at 12-1 for the Gold Cup before the race, Champ became most generally a 6-1 shot, thrusting him to the top of the home team's pecking order and behind only dual victor Al Boum Photo in the ante-post market