Cheltenham 2016/2017

So Fehily won the first two Championship races - and on the hot favourite in the Stayers tomorrow!

Currently no ride in the Gold Cup though. Any update on Mark Walsh - could Fehily be the substitute and have a chance to win all 4 championship races?
 
I think the betting strategy for the rest of the week is just to back Elliott's blind. He's obviously just got a better drug than everybody else.
 
Bonjers said:
And then doesn't declare him....
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You can see why he might have thought The Supreme was a safer option, in terms of getting a run. Horse just made the cut for tomorrow. Very interesting contender off that weight. I will be surprised if he doesn't shorten a wee bit in the betting.
 
Watering to maintain the current going which is Good all over in readiness for the two day meeting next week
 
4 to 5mm applied last night and some patchy rain this morning, going stick 7.2 at 6am

Rails have been moved

Add to race distances, Races 1&3 113yds Race 2 23yds Race 4 76yds Race 5 50yds Race 6 132yds Race 7 217yds
 
Last season Cheltenham ended with the best staying chaser in years not running: Don Cossack, the best 2 mile hurdler this century not running: Faugheen, the best 2 mile chaser ever not running: Sprinter Sacre. Also some extraordinary horses not being there Vautour, Coneygree, Annie Power, Thistlecrack.

At this stage last year the above were all favs or 2nd favs to win the CH, CC, WH and GC. We also didn't came out with much for the future. Altior put in a mediocre display due to tactics, CC and GC winners are sub-standard. CH and WH winners are ok but how they got to run in those races makes it worse(BuV late-mid season, NC was running in 2m races all season). Labaik won the Supreme but not many hopes to win another race, Neptune winner doesn't seem like much, just scratched out the victory from short fav. Neon Wolf who's been put down last month.

I had hoped to forget about this year's festival but it was so so bad. The worst festival I remember in 10 years following the sport.
 
One thing for sure; until Ruby won on Yorkhill Thursday the on course atmosphere left a lot to be desired, but once they won the volume went back up to 11.
Must say though I have no plans to miss a few days in 2018 no matter how bad it may have seemed.
 
You'll be pleased to know that this last week marked the halfway point between the 2017 and 2018 Festivals. All downhill from here.
 
Aughex said:
Last season Cheltenham ended with the best staying chaser in years not running: Don Cossack, the best 2 mile hurdler this century not running: Faugheen, the best 2 mile chaser ever not running: Sprinter Sacre. Also some extraordinary horses not being there Vautour, Coneygree, Annie Power, Thistlecrack.

At this stage last year the above were all favs or 2nd favs to win the CH, CC, WH and GC. We also didn't came out with much for the future. Altior put in a mediocre display due to tactics, CC and GC winners are sub-standard. CH and WH winners are ok but how they got to run in those races makes it worse(BuV late-mid season, NC was running in 2m races all season). Labaik won the Supreme but not many hopes to win another race, Neptune winner doesn't seem like much, just scratched out the victory from short fav. Neon Wolf who's been put down last month.

I had hoped to forget about this year's festival but it was so so bad. The worst festival I remember in 10 years following the sport.
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maybe find a new hobby if it drains so much from you
 
Yeah, can't focus on the negative. The RSA was one of the most exciting races I can remember for a long time, full of drama. And whilst Sizing John wouldn't go down as an auspicious winner of the GC in terms of merit, the story behind him was excellent. The Mares was another fantastic race, this coming from someone who used to stick the kettle on when Quevega was beating moderate fillies. Some excellent types going forward in the Albert Bartlett, the Ryanair was exciting, Nick Williams had his first Festival winner - what more do you want.
 
Euronymous said:
Yeah, can't focus on the negative. The RSA was one of the most exciting races I can remember for a long time, full of drama. And whilst Sizing John wouldn't go down as an auspicious winner of the GC in terms of merit, the story behind him was excellent. The Mares was another fantastic race, this coming from someone who used to stick the kettle on when Quevega was beating moderate fillies. Some excellent types going forward in the Albert Bartlett, the Ryanair was exciting, Nick Williams had his first Festival winner - what more do you want.
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And there were no end of tight finishes. You could question the quality of the racing - even Cheltenham can have an "off" year - but it was hugely competitive last March.
 
I just don't understand this casual downgrading of Sizing John, even by the official ratings. The last 3 Gold Cups, Djakadam has finished 1.5l behind Coneygree, 4.5l behind Don Cossack and 3.25l behind Sizing John. This last race came when Djakadam started favourite after what his trainer thought was his smoothest preparation of the three races yet the post race marks for the winner were 172 for Coneygree, 177 for Don Cossack and 168 for Sizing John.
Sizing John is unbeaten in 3m+ races and, at 7 (the same age as Our Duke and a year younger than Might Bite), is almost certainly still improving. Those two rivals are obviously decent but their ratings are effectively based on a single run, OD in a handicap and MB in a race that he failed to complete. Thistlecrack lost on the only occasion that he raced against an on-form and fit rival and the current prices for GC2018 are very strange. Given the poor record of defending champions, you certainly wouldn't want to back this one 6 months out but he should certainly be clear favourite. Gets the job done with the minimum of fuss in much the same manner as Best Mate.
 
168 is a tad low for Sizing John, but I would say Djakadam's level of form was a bit lower than the previous two years. Mainly because of the mistake he made at the second last.
 
archie said:
You'll be pleased to know that this last week marked the halfway point between the 2017 and 2018 Festivals. All downhill from here.
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I would've thought it can only go uphill :)

granger said:
maybe find a new hobby if it drains so much from you
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well it doesn't drain as much from me as it does for you my presence :lol:

archie said:
I just don't understand this casual downgrading of Sizing John, even by the official ratings. The last 3 Gold Cups, Djakadam has finished 1.5l behind Coneygree, 4.5l behind Don Cossack and 3.25l behind Sizing John. This last race came when Djakadam started favourite after what his trainer thought was his smoothest preparation of the three races
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Finishing position of Minella Rocco downgrades that race so much. As for Djak, he came without a prep-run and in the previous race was beaten by Don Poli which shows his decline in form since coming 2nd to Don Cossack, on a much higher level than his running behind SJ.
 
Synchronised got 167 for his Gold Cup. This renewal was better than that and I would argue Minella Rocco is close to being as good as the former, which would out SJ on 172/3.
 
Actually Synchronized was also rated 168 for his GC, both sub-standard winners no argument there. Still he had Long Run 3 lengths behind, that has to be worth more than Minella Rocco given what LR was doing in the past 12 months.
 
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