Anyone else looking forward to the Cheltenham Horse Racing Festival next week?

I can't wait!

Punjabi in the Triumph Hurdle (2.00 Friday), generally around 10/1 and looks a decent price for a horse who has a very tall reputation in a top yard.

Aran Concerto looks the 'good thing' of the meeting for me in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle (2.00 Tues); 8/1 still available with Stan James, generally 4-5/1. We Irish have been raving about this horse for a while now .......

I do have a few other horses I'm keeping an eye on, but Punjabi and Aran Concerto are the only ones I've (more or less) settled on.

Near enough everything else looks too short a price, or doubtful to run, so I'll wait until the couple of days before to sort my selections out, but it's by far and away my favourite meeting!

Bring on the Irish roar!!!!!!!

We had a tip for Punjabi the other day when it won at 3/1 was it?

I don't like to make selections until the night before when I look in the Sheffield Star and even then I check the Sun the day after.

I like having a place pot as they pay huge amounts of dosh although getting one up is very very hard!

It was bigger than that, 9/2. I backed it, and it drifted like a barge. Very, very impressive too, but it was only a 6 runner race, albeit a Grade 2.

I gave up on placepots after deciding that 5 out of 6 was really doing my head in ........

That was it, it was on teletext in the morning at 3/1 and went out. I didn't see the race but my other half did and he said it pis*ed it!

I got 5 out of 6 a few month ago and the last race my horse was taken out and they were 2 co favourites and one won but it didn't count! Boo!

This might be useful in the build up.

At The Races Cheltenham Guide (http://www.attheraces.com/cheltenham/raceindex.asp?sub=entries&hlid=448224)

The cards and prices are pretty regularly updated.

Thanks for that.

I'm all excited now!

I'm told that Aran Concerto will go for the 2m4f race instead on the Day Before Thursday, the Ballymore Properties. Should be even more of a banker over the trip, but is only about 9/4 :mad:

I reckon it will be nearer Evens SP given the way the ground should go.

Thats it lads keep posting your tips , so I have at least some idea were to place my money.:(

Thats it lads keep posting your tips , so I have at least some idea were to place my money.:(

You mean which ones to swerve :hihi:

Spotthedifference is hard to ignore in the Cross Country Chase on Tuesday too, even at 14 years old. He's only about 5/1, but is the only one who knows his way around that peculiar track really well. The probable soft going may find him out, but he's still well handicapped for what really is a glorified point-to-point.

Gungadu - only one of him and he is Nicholls best novice chaser.

Lounaos - they won't see which way this filly goes, anything bigger than 3/1 is great value


Either way my heart's beating faster already, not just because i've just sorted out my ante-post portfolio and have erm half the field in the Arkle LOL.

Lounaos was impressive in winning the Grade 2 she did, but although she acts on the ground, will she like the track? Her form behind Hardy Eustace is top notch, but Leopardstown is a different kettle of fish to Cheltenham.

I'm off there too on Thursday .....:D

Any tips would be great .... Cos I only pic horses by they're names !!! :rolleyes:

In the Queen Mother chase there has been some insider betting.

Camilla Parker Bowles should win at a canter.

Mr Ed (Champion hurdle) talks a good race....

Black Beauty (Arkle) looks all set to become a hero....

And don't tell me Judder, The Peach will win the National at Liverpool as it's only carrying a stone .......

And don't tell me Judder, The Peach will win the National at Liverpool as it's only carrying a stone .......

You must introduce me to this horse as I've not come across it before.

In fact looking at the shortlist - there doesn't even appear to be a horse named 'the peach'.

Wins Now has a chance in the opener today.

Detroit City the Bismarck in the big race. Classy horse, but up the hill in the soft??
I think Hardy Eustace will be er, too "hardy" for him.

Well the bookies are off to a flyer with that 40/1 shot.

what a horrid day. what happened to detroit city it looked like it had just had a spliff. got gaspara in but unfortunately nowt to go with it (i had crossed doubles and treble) help i'm losing.:help:

The best I had was Heltornic who fell when in contention 2 out, and I changed my mind in the cross country chase and backed Silver Birch (2nd - I'm good at them).

Aran Concerto should still be the banker of the meeting, but the three at a price tomorrow are Turko (e/w) in the Royal and Sun Alliance, All Star (e/w) in the inpenetrable Coral Cup, and Den Of Iniquity in the Bumper.

No certainties, but you should get a decent run for your money at a decent price.

The best I had was Heltornic who fell when in contention 2 out, and I changed my mind in the cross country chase and backed Silver Birch (2nd - I'm good at them).

Aran Concerto should still be the banker of the meeting




Your redeeming mission could come at Punchestown as today Noel Meade confirms Aran Concerto plan.

Trainer Noel Meade - who accounts for nine of the 73 entries - today confirmed that Aran Concerto, who finished fifth behind Massini’s Maguire when favourite for the Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, could bid to bounce back to form in the Land Rover Champion Novice Hurdle with Paul Carberry on board.


"He just didn’t settle and didn’t jump at Cheltenham," said Meade. "Tony (McCoy) said that he ran very babyish and was never happy. He thought that a faster run race would have suited him better and he suggested that he might have been better suited by the two-mile race.


"The horse seems well and Punchestown is the plan but I haven’t decided yet whether he’ll for the Land Rover Champion Novice Hurdle or the two-mile race (vcbet.com Champion Novice Hurdle). We’ll see how it goes closer to the day and what the ground’s like before making a decision."