The Open Meeting - reflections

A

Ardross

Senior Jockey
Joined
Aug 8, 2007
Messages
5,468
Friday

Really liked the three hurdlers in the novice race - this seemed to have more depth than recent renewals

Garde Champetre is on the decline and I cannot understand how he has his highest rating now of 159 - give the horse a break !

Grand Crus very exciting , Champion Court promising - shame about Cue Card he was going well enough . It may be unfair but I just don't think he will fulfil his potential with the Tizzards


Saturday

Hinterland was very impressive but I think Murphy should have made more use of Hollow Tree.

Thought Galaxy Rock has become a really professional staying chaser but maybe more for the Scottish than Welsh National . Fair Along should go back hcap hurdling - fences scare him and he is no longer good enugh for the top graded races over hurdles .

Great Endeavour impressive but cannot quite see him winning a Ryanair or a Hennessy - WT went too fast , Mon Parrain overhyped but a good showing for the new Centenary Novices Chase principals .

The final 3 m novice chase was exciting and WAlsh and AP both gave their horses superlative rides . Restless Harry 's jumping was disappointing but perhaps Wetherby took a bit out of him and he could have done with a bit more schooling on grass .

Sunday

Al Ferof- a really taking and professional performance - another poor ride by Johnson .

The Shloer Chase field was very disappointing and Woolcombe Folly is an overrated dog .

Fingal Bay a gorgeous horse and they just did not go fast enough for him . I hope he goes for the Neptune not the stayers race .

Some nice types in the bumper but a good effort from Mumbo Jumbo considering the interference he suffered at the top of the hill .Montbazon looked a bit one paced .


All in all a great Open Meeting .
 
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Mon Parrain might be a very backable price if they run him on a flat track next time. The economy in his jumping that we saw at Sandown and Aintree was never there yesterday.
 
Loved it up there on Saturday...Galaxy Rock and Great Endeavor fabulous...think we saw the Triumph Hurdle winner too with Hinterland

Glad I didn't go today would have lost every race
 
Wished I'd gone today as would have backed 4 winners

Went on Friday and did my conkers

Grands Crus is top drawer but haven't given up on Cue Card

The x-country race has a place at Cheltenham

Great ride from Timmy on Great Endeavour & think David Pipe is a top bloke

Agree Hinterland has every chance in the Triumph

Al Ferof looks a natural

Fingal Bay is a superstar in the making


Nicholls is the master & 4/6 for the trainers championship is a g’teed 66% return in 5 months

It does not get better than racing at Cheltenham & the paddy power is not far off the festival qyality wise and on a par as a visitor
 
Perpetual said:
Wished I'd gone today as would have backed 4 winners

Went on Friday and did my conkers

Grands Crus is top drawer but haven't given up on Cue Card

The x-country race has a place at Cheltenham

Great ride from Timmy on Great Endeavour & think David Pipe is a top bloke

Agree Hinterland has every chance in the Triumph

Al Ferof looks a natural
Fingal Bay is a superstar in the making


Nicholls is the master & 4/6 for the trainers championship is a g’teed 66% return in 5 months

It does not get better than racing at Cheltenham & the paddy power is not far off the festival qyality wise and on a par as a visitor
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Saturday was nearly as busy as the festival
 
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Would agree with most of the above especially re Cue Card.It won't happen because of the owner but i'd like to see him fulfill his potential with another set up,training and riding.Hinterland,Grand crus and al ferof.I can see them all having a big say come March.Very impressed with the ease of which al ferof jumped them.
 
Maybe people thought this was the Gold Cup, on my journey to work I overheard people in front of me reading information on the day - apart from the "is Dettori" going to be riding they assumed this was the big race that Cheltenham was all about.

It certainly worked! the best racecourse in the world is Cheltenham, I'll work there all my life and its great to see crowds of 72,000 flocking it really is.

The marketing has really paid off, hats off to everyone!
 
IRO my antepost portfolio a number of questions arise.

i)Can Al Ferof win the Arkle- looks the real thing- ( heavily in at 12's and Banker in multiples)
ii) Can Hollow Tree beat Hinterland in Triumph- not the most ambitious tactics yesterday - on at 33's and in some multiples
iii) Will Restless Harry's jumping improve sufficiently- at best a place unles dramatic improvement- heavy in and in multiples
 
Tout Seul said:
IRO my antepost portfolio a number of questions arise.

i)Can Al Ferof win the Arkle- looks the real thing- ( heavily in at 12's and Banker in multiples)
ii) Can Hollow Tree beat Hinterland in Triumph- not the most ambitious tactics yesterday - on at 33's and in some multiples
iii) Will Restless Harry's jumping improve sufficiently- at best a place unles dramatic improvement- heavy in and in multiples
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Danger of doing same horses in multiples and singles at this stage. Whilst Al Ferof is looking nice, a win from him only could only win you a very small profit even though you'd feel like a champion.
 
One horse I want to take from the meeting for the very short term is Suburban Bay. Went off a big price in the 2m 5f conditionals hurdle but was making very good progress into second and closing in on the leader when losing all chance with a blunder at the second last. Given how Decoy was almost ran down, I think he might well have won but for that mistake. One to look out for in the coming weeks.

With other handicaps in mind, I also liked the run of Havingotascoobydo, who jumped better than might have been expected as a novice given recent efforts. A longer trip will suit and he too can win off a mark similar to his current one.

Viva Colonia was an eyecatcher in the Greatwood, and given other big-field 2m hurdles are also likely to be run at a strong gallop, he can make more of an impact than he managed here, flying up the hill having been ridden with arguably too much restraint.
 
Bruce_Savage said:
The marketing has really paid off, hats off to everyone!
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I think the mild and quite sunny weather helped, though Bruce. Had it been weather like the meeting 4/5 years back (esp. the Sunday) there would have been much fewer people around.
 
The three day figure is probably around 72,000.

Have to say when I was there in 2006 there seemed to be too many people there and the same is true of the three times I've been to the Festival (twice on Champion Hurdle day and once on Champion Chase day).
 
Bar the Bull said:
I am not going to the Festival again; I would prefer to watch it at home. It was too crowded, and my wife charges less for a hog roll.
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Sorry to hear this, hope you find a way of over coming your fears and returning to the Festival soon.
 
Generally I get invites to corporate hospitality for most days of the festival but usually I decline as I enjoy being with my friends and concentrating on the horses.
We used sometimes to wangle it that one of us was providing corporate hospitality to the others but most often would pick up late cancellations or persuade commercially inclined hospitality arrangers to fit in an extra table-for cash. Costs would vary as Gold Cup day facilities are always in demand but discounts of up to 50% are often available in the morning on other days. Sometimes if you are a punter at a certain level (as I assume quite a few on here are) you can get bookies to invite you either for free or with friends at a discount. The bookie I use has a tent in the village and provides free food and drinks plus chairs. My group tends to use this nowadays although the saved expense and more can easily be blown by the availability of non queue betting facilities and the odd extra point for long term clients. I'm reasonably sure some other bookies offer facilities where you pay for drinks.
For viewing I'm six foot tall and can get a good view standing in front of the main stand around 30 feet from the rails. It is pretty difficult to see the horses in the ring and then to get back to the viewpoint and most times I do not try. Wouldn't miss it if I can help it.
 
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