Cheltenham Festival 2024 Megathread

Hope you're having a good time. I envy you right now.

 

I'm not there just found it on the BBC website. Makes Oakwell look cheap.

 

Had state man and lossiemouth as an enhanced double on sky, 13/8 is no great price but gives a few quid to play with tomorrow

 

Tomorrows suggestions:
1.30 Ballyburn - but its too short for me and its not foregone as the market seems to be saying
2.10 Fact To File - The Leopardstown form looks good coming into this but again its too short for me
2,50 Guard Your Dreams e/w - I think this one is lurking under the radar. Had some problems but two recent runs should have him ready for this. I was interested in Doddiethegreat and First Street but the Henderson yard is concerning at the moment
3.30 El Fabiolo - Another Mullins one as I simply think this is the best form at the table but again, boring though it is Im not backing at these odds
4.10 Coko Beach - Looks like Gordon Elliott's second string to me but I think he's bringing the best current form into the race (if it's not abandoned) I'll watch price on this one, might be worth a punt
4.50 Hardy Du Seuil - Looks like he might be peaking at the right time for this race after a really good effort at Sandown in February. This one I think is overlooked by the market and with several places on offer he's definite each way material barring accidents. I did get 32.0 on the exchange ante-post and now he's down to 16.0 at time of writing.
5.30 Jasmin De Vaux - Could definitely improve further after a comfortable win at Naas on soft ground recently. Shame its another Mullins but I think I'll probably back this one to place as I did get 10.0 on the ante post for the win and she's now 6.8 so I'll probably try and cover myself

Good luck folks. Beat the bookies!!

 

2 Hosses here wearing cheekpieces for the 1st time I think, 1 in the Coral Cup "Built By Ballymore" and 1 in the Browns Advisory "Stay Away Fay" nether favorites but should run a good race, E/W double me thinks, only if price's are right.

 

https://news.sky.com/story/two-horses-die-during-first-day-of-cheltenham-festival-13093480

 

Mixed bag of winners, placed, pulled up an fallers the fight goes on not as costly t'day hopefully, ps at least the win in Carlisle was a bonus.

 

Well, whether the quality was slightly lower or not, yesterday was still a great spectacle. Honourable mentions to Winker and Up The Colliers (Chianti Classico) and Kamikaze Co-Pilot (Slade Steel). Well done folks! I cannot curse Rachael, even when she comes up and dobs my selection, as she did in the first. That was a great ride, and Slade Steel outstayed the rest due to his stamina and Rachael's brilliant judgement. Elsewhere, I think Paul Townend demonstrated how much he has improved with fine displays on Gaelic Warrior, State Man and Lossiemouth. The latter looked perhaps the most impressive winner of the afternoon and a ready-made contender for next year's Champion Hurdle. However the best performance on Timeform's provisional ratings was Gaelic Warrior, who improved on his personal best by over a stone.

The day really belonged to Willie Mullins, though. 97 Festival winners, and he looks set to get the century up today with Ballyburn, Fact To File and El Fabiolo. That's before his customary cavalry brigade attempt to take the Champion Bumper yet again. Yes - he has the ammunition. But that's only because he is so brilliant at his job. Modest and self-effacing, he was even polite in decisively putting down Matt Chapman and his inane questions. "Do you wish you'd entered her in the Champion?" Wille won the ******g Champion with another horse! And to mention Constitution Hill to Willie in the afterglow of State Man's triumph was tactless and witless. As Willie said: "We turned up!" Chapman didn't last long on Dancing On Ice, and it's a mystery to me why he has lasted on the racing channels. He is a very poor man's John McCririck tribute act.

Well, as I said, I can't see beyond the Mullins' good things in the 1.30, 2.10 and 3.30. And as I posted above, (post #49) I'm wondering if Sa Majeste is really a Grade 1 level horse that Willie has kept under wraps. There is an argument to say he is a stone better than his current official rating. So I take him for the Coral Cup (2.50). In the Cross Country (4.10, if it goes ahead) I can't split Delta Work, Coko Beach and Minella Indoe. On the face of it, Delta Work has been disappointing this season, but I wouldn't read too much into that. I think Gordon will have been aiming him at this ahead of the Grand National, and Jack Kennedy (presumably) selects him over Coko Beach. I can't fathom the Grand Annual (4.50) and I make the Champion Bumper (5.30) between Jalon D'Oudairies, Jasmin De Vaux, Cantico and You Oughta Know. But it's mainly about Sa Majeste for me today. Only 24 rivals and heavy ground to overcome. God help us!

 

*P.S. Thanks to Dreamboy3000 for reminding me about Bet365's 'Super Boost' yesterday. Evens on State Man allowed me to cover my bets in the opener and emerge with everything intact! I'm behind the pack mentioned above in the tipping table, though!

 

Great post and you mention my double so i'm thrilled, been up most of the night driving and now i'm up and i just wanna say get a few bob e/way on elixor du nutz, enjoy the racing, enjoy the day and good luck.

 

Only 6 runners in the 2,10. and only 7 runners in the 3.10. ridiculous at a meeting like Cheltenham

 

Gladys clocked in with 3 winners !

 

Cross Country Chase gone!

 

Jonbon out.

Henderson withdrawn three of his I think.

Gonna be another day of boring odds on shots in small fields on bad ground. Like a midweek meeting at Sedgefield.

 

At least it’s Ladies Day …. Oh hang on .. Gender fluid day !

 

Don't forget your William Hill free £5 bet.
Put mine on Gaelic Warrior yesterday and pocketed £20. Along with other bets (Slade Steel, Reds to win) I ended up £37 up.
Today I've gone for Handstands at 10/1 in the 13.30. Unlikely, but let's see if my luck continues...

 

There'll be plenty of fluid no doubt.

 

1:30 Mercurey.
2:10 American Mike.
2:50 Shanbally Kid.
3:30 Elixir Du Nutz.
4:50 Gemirande.
5:30 Cantico.

 

Nice to see you. To see you Nice.