Cheltenham Week - what do we all do?

[edgt]

My interest in horse racing, Flat, hurdles, steeplechasing began in March 1975.
A request from my brother was about to go and change my very life.
My brother Mike home sick from school he asked of me two wagers to place.
Comedy Of Errors in the Champion Hurdle, Ten Up in the Gold Cup
The seeds were sown when each horse won his race.
Now it might to some seem funny, Michael won the money
But i was the one to catch the racing bug.
A lifetime spent matching pedigree, form and lady luck
My father had the answers to most questions that I to him did pose
So as I learned my nine times tables, I read his Stud and Stables
And hope the information gained there stuck.
And when I backed a winner, I would go around feeling like a King
And told the World and it's mother
That this horse racing really was my thing !

 

[Neal1962]

My dad introduced me to racing 40 years ago and the Cheltenham festival was a huge event for him. We got up a half hour in the morning time and did us both a fry. We would discuss the ante post runners over breakfast, using the previous evening herald as the gospel.
Little did I know how much the memories of them breakfasts would cheer me up later in life.

Here’s just one discussion

Dad....I was reading in the life graham McCourt thought he would have been much closer in the king George if he had not made mistakes.

Me.....dad, don’t say that out loud or the men in the white coats will be called for you.

Week later...

Dad... I was looking thru the life during the week and Norton’s coin has run at Cheltenham three times and finished 211 and that farmer that trains him says he is great order also says he can’t wait for the race.

Me...dad he has never ran anywhere near the gold cup distance, don’t be wasting your money.

Dad...if a horse likes that course that’s a huge plus he is a 100/1 shot and I am backing him before he shortens, you should throw a few quid ew on it yourself.

Me......under my breath, lunatic.....but to him, yeah I suppose so worth a small few quid.

We always took the three days of together.
Morning of the race, we walk down to the bookies, corals, Norton’s coin is 150/1.
Jesus look Norton’s coin is 150/1he said to me. Quick he says, put £2.50 e/w on it for me.
I did and we went in for a drink, he asked me “ did you throw a few quid on it yourself”

Me...do you not think one nut job in the family is enough.

I punted stake wise a lot more than him and he knew that, plus the fact I was having a terrible Cheltenham.

Come the race, he asks, what ya go for.

I was a big Jenny pitman fan back then, TOBY TOBIAS I said. All in.

All Toby had to do was pass one fooking horse up the run in, a 100/1 rag called norton coin. He couldn’t

After the race my dad handed me a coral docket with £3 e/w on norton coin at 150/1 saying just as well only one of us is nuts but it’s not me.

I had the chance to back Norton's Coin in the 1990 Gold Cup, as he was in that season's 100 Jumpers published by Raceform, but like you I dismissed his chances. I did however do Beech Road at 50/1 the previous year for the Champion Hurdle after he beat a more fancied runner. Then when I went upto Aintree for that year's National, failed to spot him running in the race before. Never been to Cheltenham myself as it's too far away but used to watch it on TV in the 80's and always like backing the horses. Gold Cup day is my favourite ever since Silver Buck won. Then the following year heard what Dickinson said about Bregawn and knew he was the one to be on, when he led in his other 4 stable mates.

 

[Neal1962]

My dad introduced me to racing 40 years ago and the Cheltenham festival was a huge event for him. We got up a half hour in the morning time and did us both a fry. We would discuss the ante post runners over breakfast, using the previous evening herald as the gospel.
Little did I know how much the memories of them breakfasts would cheer me up later in life.

Here’s just one discussion

Dad....I was reading in the life graham McCourt thought he would have been much closer in the king George if he had not made mistakes.

Me.....dad, don’t say that out loud or the men in the white coats will be called for you.

Week later...

Dad... I was looking thru the life during the week and Norton’s coin has run at Cheltenham three times and finished 211 and that farmer that trains him says he is great order also says he can’t wait for the race.

Me...dad he has never ran anywhere near the gold cup distance, don’t be wasting your money.

Dad...if a horse likes that course that’s a huge plus he is a 100/1 shot and I am backing him before he shortens, you should throw a few quid ew on it yourself.

Me......under my breath, lunatic.....but to him, yeah I suppose so worth a small few quid.

We always took the three days of together.
Morning of the race, we walk down to the bookies, corals, Norton’s coin is 150/1.
Jesus look Norton’s coin is 150/1he said to me. Quick he says, put £2.50 e/w on it for me.
I did and we went in for a drink, he asked me “ did you throw a few quid on it yourself”

Me...do you not think one nut job in the family is enough.

I punted stake wise a lot more than him and he knew that, plus the fact I was having a terrible Cheltenham.

Come the race, he asks, what ya go for.

I was a big Jenny pitman fan back then, TOBY TOBIAS I said. All in.

All Toby had to do was pass one fooking horse up the run in, a 100/1 rag called norton coin. He couldn’t

After the race my dad handed me a coral docket with £3 e/w on norton coin at 150/1 saying just as well only one of us is nuts but it’s not me.

I had the chance to back Norton's Coin in the 1990 Gold Cup, as he was in that season's 100 Jumpers published by Raceform, but like you I dismissed his chances. I did however do Beech Road at 50/1 the previous year for the Champion Hurdle after he beat a more fancied runner. Then when I went upto Aintree for that year's National, failed to spot him running in the race before. Never been to Cheltenham myself as it's too far away but used to watch it on TV in the 80's and always like backing the horses. Gold Cup day is my favourite ever since Silver Buck won. Then the following year heard what Dickinson said about Bregawn and knew he was the one to be on, when he led in his other 4 stable mates.


The luckiest Gold Cup me has to be The Thinker because the race was delayed I think due to a snow storm, but it allowed me to pick my wages up from work (having in those days get an actual wage packet, not paid into the bank like it is today ), and place a bet on him.

 

[Desert Orchid]

I`ve been only the once. It was 1977 and Davy Lad won the Gold Cup.

That was quite a day for me and I wasn't even in the country!

I was working in France and had phoned the brother the morning of the race to get him to put my bets on. I'd been high-tailing it on my bike on a daily basis down to the British Library in Bordeaux to catch up on the racing in the Times/Telegraph/Guardian and was aware of the conditions. I decided not to worry about form and concentrate on heavy-ground horses.

I told him to put three 25p doubles and a 25p ew treble on Meladon [Triumph], Davy Lad [Gold Cup] and another that escapes me. I don't think it could have been Kilcoleman in the County because the winnings would have been unforgettable but I don't any any other results from the day.

Meladon was something like 9/2, Davy Lad was in double figures. The other couldn't have been a big price because I got about £150 back but I remember sitting by the radiator with my transistor radio (apparently we're not allowed to call them trannies any more) held against the big metal radiator in my room as it seemed to amplify the signal as I strained to hear the BBC coverage.

That was a brilliant year for me on so many levels including punting The Minstrel in the Derby. The Minstrel was only fourth in the Guineas and went out from 7/2 to 20/1 for the Derby. I got the brother to put £1ew on at 20/1 ante-post and the rest, as Charlie Nicholas would say, is geography.

 

[pawras]

I shall be chatting a lot of sh&t on the phone with my old man.

I don't normally go mad cos my approach doesn't tend to point to the festival races, in betting terms for me it makes no difference if it's a grade1 or a seller so long as the numbers look right.

However this year I've decided to have a real penk at it for a change and I'm doing quite a bit of analysis prep, so we'll see how that pans out....