Cheltenham Festival Handicaps 2018

Tbh I'm thinking Tom George could have a very good festival I think he has some great horses on his hands. Sommerville Boy and Black Op look like really nice novices can't quite recall the story but there is something linked with their breeding and they are the only winners to have come from it. Tom seems to have some good chances in handicaps. I might be insane but I think Gods Own might run a big race in the CC not that I think he'll win it. I know some people quite like The worlds end in the stayers, I don't personally but prepared to accept that I could be wrong on occasion/all the fecking time!

If all else fails though at least he'll win the cup :ninja:
 
Maruco said:
On a slightly different subject does anyone keep a record of where the cutoffs for the handicaps have been for the last few years? I do but for some reason I can't find my file.

If so I'd be grateful if you could either post or send me a message. I'm planning a big purge over the weekend, and I don't want to either do unnecessary work or cut off too early and miss some entries.
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I was going to with-hold this, Paul, seeing as you're following Max and DO over the cliff with Beat That (a Ferrari that went into the chop-shop, where they fitted a Morris Minor engine), but as I'm a good sport...........:lol:

Bottom-weight ratings for the Handicaps last season:

Ultima: 134 (10-5)
Close Bros: 137 (11-7)
Coral Cup: 136 (10-6)
Fred Winter: 124 (10-9)
Pertemps: 137 (11-2)
Plate: 133 (10-1)
Kim Muir: 133 (11-0)
County: 134 (10-2)
Martin Pipe: 135 (11-0)
Grand Annual: 135 (10-7)
 
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Grasshopper said:
I was going to with-hold this, Paul, seeing as you're following Max and DO over the cliff with Beat That (a Ferrari that went into the chop-shop, where they fitted a Morris Minor engine), but as I'm a good sport...........:lol:

Bottom-weight ratings for the Handicaps last season:

Ultima: 134 (10-5)
Close Bros: 137 (11-7)
Coral Cup: 136 (10-6)
Fred Winter: 124 (10-9)
Pertemps: 137 (11-2)
Plate: 133 (10-1)
Kim Muir: 133 (11-0)
County: 134 (10-2)
Martin Pipe: 135 (11-0)
Grand Annual: 135 (10-7)
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:lol:

Cheers Nick. Much appreciated. What I was trying to find is what the cut off was in terms of numbers of initial entries in the handicap to final runners. Ie what number on the list of original entries was the last horse to get in.
 
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That information, I do not have, I'm afraid, Paul.......there is an upper limit on how much research I can be arsed doing - even when it comes to the Festival! :lol:
 
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Last year, according to the hadnicappers on Simon's thread:

Coral Cup - horse 70 made the cut*
Pertemps - Horse 30 was last in

Quite a difference there.

* It put me off looking at the Coral Cup altogether for the time being. I suppose a number will also have entries in the Pertemps and/or County.

I'm still working my way through the non-handicaps.
 
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Thanks Mo.

I've got the cut offs for all the handicaps for the last few years somewhere and I just can't find the document. I'm thinking maybe I've deleted it accidentally which would be bloody annoying.
 
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Danny said:
Tbh I'm thinking Tom George could have a very good festival I think he has some great horses on his hands. Sommerville Boy and Black Op look like really nice novices can't quite recall the story but there is something linked with their breeding and they are the only winners to have come from it. Tom seems to have some good chances in handicaps. I might be insane but I think Gods Own might run a big race in the CC not that I think he'll win it. I know some people quite like The worlds end in the stayers, I don't personally but prepared to accept that I could be wrong on occasion/all the fecking time!

If all else fails though at least he'll win the cup :ninja:
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Backed Bun Doran for the Grand Annual at 33s. Should go well under optimum conditions.
 
Is anyone aware of any racing sites that clearly highlight on their Cheltenham cards which horses are novices?
As an example, I mentioned previously that last year 5 of the first 6 in the Plate were 6yo novices.
I know some novices will clearly jump out to the eye, but not all. Just hoping to save some workload by not having to go through each runner with the still massive fields for each handicap. Any pointers greatly appreciated.
 
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I don't know of any site that goes to the trouble of adding this detail, Shane. I reckon the only way of IDing them is if a) you already know, or b) you look for novice chase runs in their season's form.

Any reason why you would want to know which handicap entries are novices? You planning to draw a line through them all?
 
Grasshopper said:
I don't know of any site that goes to the trouble of adding this detail, Shane. I reckon the only way of IDing them is if a) you already know, or b) you look for novice chase runs in their season's form.
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Yes, this is what I've been doing, looking at the season form for novice chase runs

Grasshopper said:
Any reason why you would want to know which handicap entries are novices? You planning to draw a line through them all?
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It's just an angle I'm exploring bearing in mind results in H'Caps in recent years and as per the stat I posted above re: last years plate. I'm not hanging my hat on it at all, just something I'm looking into a bit further. I have a bit of extra time on my hands considering there's no proper racing today and I'm snowed in here! I'd normally otherwise be on the Golf course at this time of a Saturday morning!
 
One novice that will win a handicap is King's Socks in the Plate.......will have a stone in hand off 140.
 
Nope - not even this yard can get him beaten.

Like I say, the horse should have a stone (possibly more) in hand, based on his juvenile hurdles form, and he was never put in the race at any stage at Kempton behind Modus.
 
Interesting, hadn't fully realised Kings Socks had such decent French form. I was considering who to back between Tully East and Patrick's Park but I may just switch altogether to Kings Socks tbh.
 
Marble said:
Interesting, hadn't fully realised Kings Socks had such decent French form. I was considering who to back between Tully East and Patrick's Park but I may just switch altogether to Kings Socks tbh.
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And Patricks Park a massive doubt to even get in . He's #80 on the list
 
Grasshopper said:
Nope - not even this yard can get him beaten.

Like I say, the horse should have a stone (possibly more) in hand, based on his juvenile hurdles form, and he was never put in the race at any stage at Kempton behind Modus.
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Could he be another Kings Palace?
 
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