Festival Preview Evenings 2018

I’m attending Fitzdare’s in London tonight and will attempt a précis. I committed before remembering that Spurs will be beating Juventus this evening. Fitzdares took over Sunderlands, a decent and thoroughly fair bookies that have tolerated me as a customer for many years. First experience of the new owners last year was particularly impressive - helped by a positive result so won’t renege on commitment. Will have BT Sport on phone though.
 
By far and away the worst ‘pundit’ I’ve seen is Paul Kealy of the Racing Post; a self-satisfied, pompous arse, whose flawed-reasoning for/against horses, have him right-up there pitching for Winstanley’s crown as Most-Pointless-Preview-Guest-Ever.

But he is an excellent tipster. He's more than proved his worth since he took over as the Weekender's flagship tipster. If he opts for anything I fancy I'm always tempted to increase my stake. Likewise if he goes in strongly for something I've dismissed I'll always take another look at it. I've been under the impression for some time that what he's best at is interpreting the information coming into the RP offices, that he is in contact with good sources.

Even in this week's Weekender he tells us he had "spoken to Patrick Mullins on Monday" regarding Sharjah. Plenty of newspaper tipsters would merely have surfed the internet for quotes and claimed them for themselves.
 
The Timeform preview was very disappointing last night.

Generally, preview nights spend far too much time talking about the Graded races - where the form is there for all to see - and spend no time at all talking about the handicaps, which are the most inscrutable races of the week, and where you’re looking for the most insightful commentary.

Of those I’ve seen, Timeform’s David Cleary has been the best contributor by some way - though he reminds me rather too much of Clement Freud, and I half-expect him to make a boost for Mince-Morsels, after each race has been discussed.

By far and away the worst ‘pundit’ I’ve seen is Paul Kealy of the Racing Post; a self-satisfied, pompous arse, whose flawed-reasoning for/against horses, have him right-up there pitching for Winstanley’s crown as Most-Pointless-Preview-Guest-Ever.

The Final Furlong one better be good tonight.

I couldn't access the second half but found the first half rather tedious and, even with my limited knowledge, it didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. Then again, I'm someone that is more interested in the handicaps than the Championship races.
 
:lol:

Does change things, doesn't it!

At least he obviously did speak to him.

I mentioned Sharjah because Kealy isn't prone to putting up 3* selections. A rare one was Altior a few months ahead of the Supreme (when he was something like 8/1). And when he does put them up (usually ew shots) they tend to at least place. He put up Sharjah at 10/1 ages ago. Obviously the horse has fallen out of favour in the market with his defeat last time but I have him top rated among my hurdlers (Samcro or no Samcro) and only soft ground - which I didn't really anticipate when I backed him - gives me cause for concern. Kealy clearly also still rates Sharjah and was looking for a reason for his poor run last time. Mullins told him it was the ground. Willie Mullins says in his stable tour that Sharjah 'cannot put one leg in front of the other in soft ground', and that's now my worry.

I have NRNB and BOG with my 7/1 win-only bet so would probably now prefer to see him withdrawn if the ground is against him but I also took him ew without the guarantees at 33/1 to much smaller stakes, stakes I can afford to write off.
 
To be honest, DO, if he was agreeing with all my selections, I'd probably be haling him as good. It's mainly why I liked what Cleary has had to say.

I'm sort of prejudiced that way!:lol:
 
Athlone last night, a mate of mine popped down...


Present were :
G.E. : Gordon Eliott
KATE : Kate Harrington
N.M.: Noel Meade
D.M. : Donagh Meyler
A.L. : Andrew Lynch
DAVE : David Jennings
ED :Eddie O'Leary


SUPREME NOVICE HURDLE :
G.E. : Gordon thought Getabird was far too short and needs soft ground. He thought that Mengli khan would be a lot closer this time as he is a different horse now to the last day. He would prefer good ground for him and thought getabird would prefer softer conditions and also the question of getabird going left handed at cheltenham could be a question mark.


DAVE : he thought that sharjah was a great each way bet and a place bet on paloma blue .


KATE : she said that at 50/1 , puppy power was very keen on Ainchea which he rides for colin tizzard.


ARKLE CHASE :


G.E. : He thought that footpad might struggle coming up the hill. he also worried that petite mouchir might get lit up beforehand but eddie o'leary said that he would be wearing a hood in the preliminaries to help him. In general all the panel fancied petite mouchir over footpad . Later in the night , Gordon stated that hhe did not like saint calvados at all and nobody gave brain power a chance.


CHAMPION HURDLE :


All the panel agreed that bouveur dair looked a certainty. David said that heliked mick jazz each way to which gordon replied that he would be ridden to be placed but would be delighted if he finished in the first five. Gordon said my tent or yours or wicklow brave without the favorite would be his choice. Noel also liked wicklow brave without the favorite. Kate and eddie said that if ruby rode yorkhill , he would have a great chance. Noel nearly fell off his chair when he heard this and said that he would give up training if yorkhill won a champion hurdle.


MARES HURDLE :


No surprise here with all going for apples jade. eddie mentioned le bague au rio each way. someone else mentioned jers girl but gordon said she was more likely to go for the coral cup.


BALLYMORE NOVICES HURDLE :


Again , all agreed that samcro was a banker with eddie mentioning vision des flos each way.


CHAMPION CHASE :


Andrew and donagh thought altior a good thing . noel said that if douvan is back to himself , he would beat altior. Gordon said that david casey was very negative about douvan and david is regarded as the best judge in mullins stable.


RSA CHASE :


Gordon said that dounikos runs here and that he had an each way chance but was not sure if he was good enough. he really liked presenting percy. andrew fancies monalee here and reckons that he should be favorite . david mentioned ballyoptic each way at a price . the panel in general were a bit worried that presenting percy may not have recovered fro the hard race the last day against our duke.


BUMPER :


Gordon and noel liked blackbow with gordon saying that his horse felix desjny had a good each way chance and he would not be bringing him if he did not think he could go close. eddie liked hollowgraphic and acey milan. donagh gave a good mention for rhinestone , while kate was very impressed with carefully selected and said that it rode a good bumper that he won .


JLT CHASE :


The only horse mentioned here was modus who david reckoned had a great chance.


RYANAIR CHASE :


Eddie really likes balko des flos on good ground and said it it turnrd soft , he might not run and that sub lieutenant wouls be preferred on soft ground. noel liked un de sceaux and thought he would be a certainty on soft ground but andrew disagreed and reckoned that he might not stay on soft ground. david also liked balko des flos on good ground.


STAYERS HURDLE :


David like lami serge here. all the panel were against bacardis while kate was very positive about supasundae. gordon , noel and eddie all liked supasundae. gordon also mentioned wholestone each way.


TRIUMPH HURDLE :


Kate , gordon and david all liked apples shakira. gordon mentioned his own horse farcslas as well saying that he stayed well and donagh also liked him . eddie mentioned mr. adjudicator as a negative. gordon also mentioned sayo each way at a price.


ALBERT BARTLETT :


Gordon said that he would run dortmund park here if he worked alright this morning. david liked callet mad and clan des obeaux but also said that if you had backed the horse that had run the most times in the past years , you would have collected four times at big prices . the general feeling was to stay away from the fancied horses. andrew gave a good mention to chris's dream , saying that he could be anything.


GOLD CUP :


There was mixed reaction here saying that any of seven or eight horses could win with question marks over so many and that it was a sub standard gold cup this year. kate said that they made a mistake running sizing john at christmas and that he was in great form now. she said that noel fehilly had been over to school our duke over a few fences at home and was delighted with him . she could not split the two of them but under pressure went for sizing john as she rides him out all the time. she said that sizing john preferred better ground while or duke would prefer a bit of give. noel said that road to respect was in good form and was better going left handed but to me did not seem over confident . donagh could not have might bite at all and liked native river on soft ground but gave road to respect a big each way chance. gordon could not have might bite either and did not like native river either . he said in an open gold cup , killultagh vic had a good chance as had our duke. he said that gary o'brien is all over our duke and he is a great judge. david also went for our duke saying that he was overpriced and should only be a 6/1 chance.


CROSS COUNTRY CHASE :


Gordon said that both cause of causes and tiger roll were in great form and had been over to cheltenham for a school over the fences . he said jamie codd rides cause of causes , keith donoghue rides tiger roll and davy russell rides bless the wings. if pushed , he said he would go for cause of causes as he had done it before . donagh recommended doing a tricast combination of gordons three horses.


OTHER RACES :


Gordon : he said de plotting shed was in very good form but was gone a bit short in price for the close brothers novice chase but said that tycoon prince was a bit inexperienced but had a good each way chance at a price. he mentioned that he would love to win the martin pipe again and thought flawless escape had a great chance if he gets in . he also said that blow by blow says well and could be well handicapped and that he would have four runners in it . he has jonathan moore , donagh meylerand two other lads booked to ride but not decided yet ,who rides who. he napped presenting percy for the rsa chase and said that jers girl could be well handicapped in the coral cup.


ANDREW : He napped laurena in the mares novice hurdle saying she was a good thing.


KATE : Kate liked rock the world in the grand annual and jers girl in the coral cup.


NOEL : He said that no decision had been made yet where snow falcon would run but was meeting the owners today. he napped samcro and gave good mentions to cause of causes and tully cast.


EDDIE : Eddie said that he liked footpad and presenting percy and gave duca de thaix as a dark horse for gigginstown in the county hurdle.


DAVID : David mentioned a few in the handicaps , dingo dollar in the ultima , jury duty in the national hunt chase , any second now in the close brothers chase , don't touch t in the grand annual , louis van pouch in the pertemps and le breuil in the coral cup.
 
As this is on YouTube does anyone know if it will available on there to watch tomorrow or is it solely a live stream?
 
These previews can be fun to watch after the event - especially Ted Walsh stating Sprinter had no chance in the 2016 Champion Chase. In fact 90% of the pundits got that wrong .

if David Casey is very down on Douvan and thought VVM was flying on the gallops then clearly Douvan us going to bolt up next week !
 
The disappointing thing for me is how little effort the majority of the pundits put in, and equally that the handicaps aren't covered properly. Let's face it, we're all unlikely to be swayed by much in the non-handicaps this late in the day. Maybe the odd each way bet to add to our idea of the winner.

I would travel a good distance to listen to the right people having put the effort in and discussing the handicaps though. Myself and a small group of friends did our own Preview Night on Tuesday in deepest, darkest, rural Northamptonshire, and we both put the work in and did the handicaps properly. It was infinitely better,and more valuable than anything that's served up at the usual Preview Nights.
 
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Myself and a small group of friends did our own Preview Night on Tuesday in deepest, darkest, rural Northamptonshire, and we both put the work in and did the handicaps properly. It was infinitely better,and more valuable than anything that's served up at the usual Preview Nights.

Is there a report ? :whistle:
 
Myself and a small group of friends did our own Preview Night on Tuesday in deepest, darkest, rural Northamptonshire, and we both put the work in and did the handicaps properly. It was infinitely better,and more valuable than anything that's served up at the usual Preview Nights.

I question the value of a Preview Night held in a dogging car-park outside Brixworth.
 
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Do you mean me Col ? I've never said they do but I believe in reading or listening to all opinions and there's good guys out there just as there are in here and different people respect different people's opinions.Just giving them options by posting these, not saying they're gospel.
 
Barry Geraghty has probably been the best panel attendee I've seen so far.

I thought he was considerate, insightful and honest with his answers at the FF/ATR preview last night......and where he couldn't be honest, he at least had the good manners to swerve the question! :lol:

The Final Furlong/ATR podcast last night was decent generally. I liked Tony Keenan, Boycie was bearable, and if Kevin Blake stuck to analysis, and binned the Beavis & Butthead routine with Kennedy, he'd be really good too.

I actually don't mind Kennedy too much, but...........you know?........he's one of them?.............a bit of a fanny.
 
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Yeah it was very watchable last night. Enjoyed it but not too much in the way off new information. Maybe Geraghty implying that Apples Shakira is head and shoulders above We Have A Dream was the biggest insight.

That’s the thing with these previews. You have to sit through them regurgitating stuff you’ve heard ten times before, but it can be worth it for that one little golden nugget one of them comes out with.


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