Day Two Review: Rude Awakening
After the magic of day one, inevitably, came the misery of day two.
A cracking day's sport was in prospect, and punters' hopes were high, due to the presence of three apparently rock solid favourites in the first three races. How the bookies must love apparently rock solid favourites.
First up on day two was the novices hurdle over 2m 5f. The favourite was the alleged wonderhorse, Aran Concerto. However, rumours at the track this morning were that he had not travelled over especially well, and this was reflected in his price. He drifted out to as big as 3/1 before being returned the slain 5/2 jolly.
Yesterday, I'd given a big shout to Silverburn, who was the plunge horse in the face of opposition to the Concerto. Backed from 7/1 into half that price, he ran well but still not well enough for a place on the podium.
The finish was fought out by two horses I mentioned in the preview yesterday but - as a portent for the rest of the day - I got them the wrong way round. My ante post tickets on Tidal Bay, at odds of 24 and 34 on betfair would have given me a guaranteed winning week irrespective of subsequent events.
Charging, lunging, flying at the finish, his efforts too late to wrest the race from the brave Massini's Maguire, with Catch Me back in third.
I could and should have backed the winner for small money, but didn't, having given it an honourable mention in despatches yesterday, due to its form tie-ins with Wichita Lineman (surely a good thing on Friday now?)
No matter. On to the Sun Alliance chase. As I said yesterday in the preview, Cailin Alainn did not complete the course: talented but can't jump, and Denman won as he liked. On another day, or at another festival, he would have been my 'get stuck in' wager of the meeting. Easy to say in hindsight of course. Except that I said that yesterday too.
A worthy winner but the 4/1 about him winning the Gold Cup is, at this stage, bordering on offensive.
So to the main event of the day. Is it just me, or is it hard to take a race seriously when its gone from being the Queen Mother Champion Chase to being the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase?! Nevertheless, they pay their good money to sponsor the race, so its only fair that I should give them a mention. I'm guessing they're a holiday firm. I wonder if they're related to Hoseasons, who a few years ago, used to sell us canal holidays. Erm, I'm rambling. Sorry about that.
Well Chief, my strongest fancy and - by a furlong - my biggest bet of the week, at 15/8. Big fat juicy price about an even money favourite, I thought. But of course, having shared this information with the world and his mistress, there was never even a remote possibility of collecting.
The mistake he made was preposterously novice-y for one so experienced. Indeed, WC had only ever fallen once before, and that was against the same Mister McGoldrick who barged him at the first fence and at the second when he came down.
Ever more infuriatingly, I was going to back Voy Por Ustedes to get at least some of my WC stake back, as he was the only conceivable danger (as discussed in a previous newsletter). Guess what? I didn't. I hope that many of you did.
WC would have won this race. As clearly as that is idle irrelevant conjecture on my part, I am certain that the proximity of the tumbling Ashley Brook at the last and, even more so, the moderate River City who picked up bronze, show this form to be bunk.
Voy Por is a very good horse. But I won't be on him at Aintree, with or without WC in the race. He lost there to Monet's Garden last year, and I don't think he has the speed for that track.
WC remains the best two mile chaser in Europe and, if you're into betting horses for next year's events (which I am not), Corals are offering 5/1 about him righting this wrong.
As I'm sure you'll be aware, I'm talking through a hole in my pocket the size of - well the size of my pocket.
Well done to you if you found the winner, or the placed horses.
I should also mention Dempsey who, without the assistance of Makepeace, ran a stormer to finish second, having traveled like the winner turning in.
My final word on this race, and by way of catharsis for me, and for you if you backed it too is the below. I have copied the recorded bets from the Sporting Life website. There are bigger holes (in doubtless bigger trousers) than mine tonight:
Moving on... the championship Grade 1's over with, and back to impossible handicap fare. I must concede to not having too much interest hereafter, but I did have a small ante-post interest on Mister Hight at 16 on betfair (got the price at least!), and I also backed Powerstation for a place for a modest sum at 4.7, which returned a thread or two of the aforementioned scorched pocket.
The winner was impressive, and is trained by a GP with only three other horses. One of those other three is the phenomenally tough and consistent Overstrand, who runs in the World Hurdle tomorrow. Again, in a previous newsletter, I gave that horse 'fun bet' status for the stayer's hurdling crown. Surely the Good Doctor can't have two Festival winners at the first attempt?!
Next up, and the predicted carnage ensued in the shambolic riders, er sorry, the amateur riders handicap chase. I know I give these people a hard time, but its for a good reason.
Look, you, dear reader, and I have to work for our cash. We are then coaxed into betting on events where the outcome is not just left dangling on the whims of a thoroughbred, but also in many cases on the whims of an inbred as well! (Ok, that is too harsh, and I retract it).
The winner - curiously enough - was tipped in yesterday's preview as one of the few horses with a decent jockey up top. No dough on in these quarters, but I did nominate it in my head to head with a racing mate (hoo hoo hoo Gavin, you've got a lot of ground to make up in the straight!!)
Last knockings today was the Festival Bumper. This race will throw up more winners than any other race at this year's festival. And I'm not being smart when I say that. It does every year.
The horses in this race are considered the best 'babies' in their respective stables, and that is as relevant for the 66/1 rags as for the 4/1 fav Mad Fish. If you keep a notebook with horses to follow, my simple advice is to add the names of every single one in this field. They will be winning from Fakenham to Fairyhouse, and from Tipperary (to where, incidentally, it is a long way) to Taunton, and all outposts and hotbeds in between.
You heard it here first. (Unless, of course, you've already heard this somewhere else).
The race itself was interesting. I, like many others, felt the Irish challenge was pretty weak this season. I, like many others, now look like a bumbling idiot. Who are we to doubt the nation that has provided all bar three of the winners of this race?
As it transpired, they had not just the winner, nor even the first three home, but the first FIVE home, and seven of the first eight home. That's just embarrassing.
So make special note of One Gulp, Fiddling Again, and the unlucky (and slightly errant) Lodge Lane. The last named incidentally was very well ridden, despite his naughty tactics, by young James White. He looks a decent jock in the making to these untutored eyes.
The winner, Cork All Star, was signing off in bumper, having now won the maximum four. Indeed, he'd given us all a sneak preview of what he could do when winning here last time out in November.
But I couldn't find him. And, in fairness, as darkness has now descended I still haven't been able to find the horses I backed in the race behind him.
As the half-time whistle blows on this year's Cheltenham, it's been tough to be a punter to date.
Tomorrow, for me, will be a drinking day first with only the Stayers Hurdle (World Hurdle as its known these days) to win / lose me a decent sum.
I hope you have reached the dressing room needing at worst a quick patch up, ready for the second half, and at best having already scored a couple of beauties. For me, I scored a couple of scorchers on day one, but I'm smarting badly from the missed penalty kick at 3.15 today.
Until tomorrow...
A cracking day's sport was in prospect, and punters' hopes were high, due to the presence of three apparently rock solid favourites in the first three races. How the bookies must love apparently rock solid favourites.
First up on day two was the novices hurdle over 2m 5f. The favourite was the alleged wonderhorse, Aran Concerto. However, rumours at the track this morning were that he had not travelled over especially well, and this was reflected in his price. He drifted out to as big as 3/1 before being returned the slain 5/2 jolly.
Yesterday, I'd given a big shout to Silverburn, who was the plunge horse in the face of opposition to the Concerto. Backed from 7/1 into half that price, he ran well but still not well enough for a place on the podium.
The finish was fought out by two horses I mentioned in the preview yesterday but - as a portent for the rest of the day - I got them the wrong way round. My ante post tickets on Tidal Bay, at odds of 24 and 34 on betfair would have given me a guaranteed winning week irrespective of subsequent events.
Charging, lunging, flying at the finish, his efforts too late to wrest the race from the brave Massini's Maguire, with Catch Me back in third.
I could and should have backed the winner for small money, but didn't, having given it an honourable mention in despatches yesterday, due to its form tie-ins with Wichita Lineman (surely a good thing on Friday now?)
No matter. On to the Sun Alliance chase. As I said yesterday in the preview, Cailin Alainn did not complete the course: talented but can't jump, and Denman won as he liked. On another day, or at another festival, he would have been my 'get stuck in' wager of the meeting. Easy to say in hindsight of course. Except that I said that yesterday too.
A worthy winner but the 4/1 about him winning the Gold Cup is, at this stage, bordering on offensive.
So to the main event of the day. Is it just me, or is it hard to take a race seriously when its gone from being the Queen Mother Champion Chase to being the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase?! Nevertheless, they pay their good money to sponsor the race, so its only fair that I should give them a mention. I'm guessing they're a holiday firm. I wonder if they're related to Hoseasons, who a few years ago, used to sell us canal holidays. Erm, I'm rambling. Sorry about that.
Well Chief, my strongest fancy and - by a furlong - my biggest bet of the week, at 15/8. Big fat juicy price about an even money favourite, I thought. But of course, having shared this information with the world and his mistress, there was never even a remote possibility of collecting.
The mistake he made was preposterously novice-y for one so experienced. Indeed, WC had only ever fallen once before, and that was against the same Mister McGoldrick who barged him at the first fence and at the second when he came down.
Ever more infuriatingly, I was going to back Voy Por Ustedes to get at least some of my WC stake back, as he was the only conceivable danger (as discussed in a previous newsletter). Guess what? I didn't. I hope that many of you did.
WC would have won this race. As clearly as that is idle irrelevant conjecture on my part, I am certain that the proximity of the tumbling Ashley Brook at the last and, even more so, the moderate River City who picked up bronze, show this form to be bunk.
Voy Por is a very good horse. But I won't be on him at Aintree, with or without WC in the race. He lost there to Monet's Garden last year, and I don't think he has the speed for that track.
WC remains the best two mile chaser in Europe and, if you're into betting horses for next year's events (which I am not), Corals are offering 5/1 about him righting this wrong.
As I'm sure you'll be aware, I'm talking through a hole in my pocket the size of - well the size of my pocket.
Well done to you if you found the winner, or the placed horses.
I should also mention Dempsey who, without the assistance of Makepeace, ran a stormer to finish second, having traveled like the winner turning in.
My final word on this race, and by way of catharsis for me, and for you if you backed it too is the below. I have copied the recorded bets from the Sporting Life website. There are bigger holes (in doubtless bigger trousers) than mine tonight:
£5000-£4000 £3125-£2500 £1250-£1000 £33000-£30000 (x2) £22000-£20000 £11000-£10000 (x4) £5500-£5000 (x2) £4400-£4000 (x4) £3300-£3000 (x4) £2200-£2000 (x2) £1100-£1000 (x3) £100000-£100000 £10000-£10000 (x2) £6000-£6000 £5000-£5000 (x2) £2500-£2500 £2000-£2000 (x3) £1000-£1000 (x10)
[Yes, that is an even hundred grand. Or fifty grand per fence!]Moving on... the championship Grade 1's over with, and back to impossible handicap fare. I must concede to not having too much interest hereafter, but I did have a small ante-post interest on Mister Hight at 16 on betfair (got the price at least!), and I also backed Powerstation for a place for a modest sum at 4.7, which returned a thread or two of the aforementioned scorched pocket.
The winner was impressive, and is trained by a GP with only three other horses. One of those other three is the phenomenally tough and consistent Overstrand, who runs in the World Hurdle tomorrow. Again, in a previous newsletter, I gave that horse 'fun bet' status for the stayer's hurdling crown. Surely the Good Doctor can't have two Festival winners at the first attempt?!
Next up, and the predicted carnage ensued in the shambolic riders, er sorry, the amateur riders handicap chase. I know I give these people a hard time, but its for a good reason.
Look, you, dear reader, and I have to work for our cash. We are then coaxed into betting on events where the outcome is not just left dangling on the whims of a thoroughbred, but also in many cases on the whims of an inbred as well! (Ok, that is too harsh, and I retract it).
The winner - curiously enough - was tipped in yesterday's preview as one of the few horses with a decent jockey up top. No dough on in these quarters, but I did nominate it in my head to head with a racing mate (hoo hoo hoo Gavin, you've got a lot of ground to make up in the straight!!)
Last knockings today was the Festival Bumper. This race will throw up more winners than any other race at this year's festival. And I'm not being smart when I say that. It does every year.
The horses in this race are considered the best 'babies' in their respective stables, and that is as relevant for the 66/1 rags as for the 4/1 fav Mad Fish. If you keep a notebook with horses to follow, my simple advice is to add the names of every single one in this field. They will be winning from Fakenham to Fairyhouse, and from Tipperary (to where, incidentally, it is a long way) to Taunton, and all outposts and hotbeds in between.
You heard it here first. (Unless, of course, you've already heard this somewhere else).
The race itself was interesting. I, like many others, felt the Irish challenge was pretty weak this season. I, like many others, now look like a bumbling idiot. Who are we to doubt the nation that has provided all bar three of the winners of this race?
As it transpired, they had not just the winner, nor even the first three home, but the first FIVE home, and seven of the first eight home. That's just embarrassing.
So make special note of One Gulp, Fiddling Again, and the unlucky (and slightly errant) Lodge Lane. The last named incidentally was very well ridden, despite his naughty tactics, by young James White. He looks a decent jock in the making to these untutored eyes.
The winner, Cork All Star, was signing off in bumper, having now won the maximum four. Indeed, he'd given us all a sneak preview of what he could do when winning here last time out in November.
But I couldn't find him. And, in fairness, as darkness has now descended I still haven't been able to find the horses I backed in the race behind him.
As the half-time whistle blows on this year's Cheltenham, it's been tough to be a punter to date.
Tomorrow, for me, will be a drinking day first with only the Stayers Hurdle (World Hurdle as its known these days) to win / lose me a decent sum.
I hope you have reached the dressing room needing at worst a quick patch up, ready for the second half, and at best having already scored a couple of beauties. For me, I scored a couple of scorchers on day one, but I'm smarting badly from the missed penalty kick at 3.15 today.
Until tomorrow...
Labels: Cheltenham
posted by Matt at
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