Cheltenham betting

 

At 33/1 on PP from 40/1...apparently the owners have lumped big money on him...26k.

Good jockey on him aswell

As we enter the final day of what has already been a memorable festival ,we still have the spellbinding meeting of the two best 3m+ chasers in the country, nay Europe,, to come and there is no way I will be having a bet on that race. After all, why would you want to take your eyes off the action for a second, and worry about how your each way bet on a 33/1 shot is doing?. Let’s just hope that we get the clash every one is talking about and Denman jumps the last alongside Kauto Star and maybe one other to give the crowd the chance to really take the roof off the old place.

On Thursday’s racing, well I seriously underestimated how good a jumper Master Minded was and he gave Voy Pur a complete ass whipping in as impressive a fashion as seen at this distance for many a year. And since he is only a five year old, could he come back time and time again and do an Inglis Drever and won three titles?. On that horse, well how did he manage to drift out as big as 6/4. Tougher than old boots, and stays well with that touch of class as well you need. A true hero of the game and bring him back for one more try Howard, please!

Onto Friday’s less mammoth nine race card, and the Ballymore Properties, Coral Cup have already been covered by myself previously and the bets still stand.

12.30 David Nicholson Mares Only Hurdle

Whilst Mick Fitzgerald has already nailed his colours firmly to the mast with Chomba Womba and how much he thinks of her, I will be limiting my stake to just 0.5pt e/w on a large price outsider in Silver Charmer who is overpriced at 66/1.

Firstly, he has Ruby Walsh on board which is a positive in more ways than one. Obviously ,having a top jockey on board is a help, but this top jockey already has previous on this mare having won a handicap last spring over 2m5f here. She is clearly a mare who comes to herself this time of year, with three of her nine wins coming in the months of March and April. With that record, it is obvious to me that her trainer has kept her back deliberately for this in the hope of gaining some nice black type for her before she goes to the paddocks sometime in the next season or so. At the prices, she has to be better value each way than backing the favourite win only.

2.15 Triumph Hurdle

With the current prices on offer, the first thing to say is that this is a definite no-bet race for me. Franchoeck may well win but I would rather just let him do so without risking any hard earned, and there isn’t that much each way value in his rivals.

2.50 Brit Insurance Hurdle(Albert Bartlett)

I am glad that the Nicholls camp got off the mark today as it means that their runner TheTotherOne helps to allow bookmakers to give away a little bit of value with the less high profile trained Gone To Lunch under A P McCoy. If he was trained by the Master of Ditcheat then I would reckon his run behind Inglis Drever and Blazing Bailey in the Cleeve Hurdle would have him down as a short price favourite in this grade. An out and out stayer,he has been impressive in his four wins so far this season ,and was giving 7lbs to another of today’s rivals Nenuphar Collonges over today’s C&d prior to that last run in the Cleeve. As I said, if he was trained by a bigger name then he would be a lot shorter in the betting and therefore betting him Win Only at 11/2 seems the best course of action here for 2pts.

3.30 Gold Cup-Already said no bet race. One to set the replay for though and watch for years to go, especially on those balmy summer nights when sellers from Redcar or Windsor tend to permeate the racing channels broadcasts…

4.05 Christie’s Foxhunters

After the main event, this will feel almost like scrapping around in buckets looking for whatever leftovers are there compared to that main meal banquet served up by Denman and Kauto Star. However, I reckon there are a couple of tasty bets here each way, both currently available at 25/1 at the moment, and both being backed for 1pt e/w each.

First up, we have crack amateur Derek O’Connor riding for trainer Ian Ferguson on French Tyne. The trainer is of course most famous for the 3rd placed Joe Blake two years ago, so we know he has previous in bringing one over for this race and French Tyne is a nine year old who has two runs under Rules in Hunter Chases to his name, with the last one being a win over 2m4f at Clonmel on heavy going., and is a half brother to Thyne Again who ran creditably in the Arkle on Tuesday(God, that feels like ages ago now, doesn’t it ). In the after race comments, the Racing Post writer speculated that he would be suited by a step up in trip which he gets today ,and therefore at the prices he is overpriced to these eyes.

The second one is another raider from across the Emerald Isle in the shape of Railway Ranger who was in the process of running a good race behind favourite Agus A Vic at Leopardstown when tipping up three out. Ridden by another good Irish jockey that I rate in Coleman Sweeney(What is it though with Irish jockeys and strange first names? Ruby and now Coleman!) and if he gets on as well with this horse as his previous Festival mounts Sleeping Night and First Down Jets in this race(a winner and 66/1 2nd) then we should be in for a good run from this one.

4.40 Grand Annual

The last race over steeplechase fences for yet another Festival and I go with a shock result here with a lightly weighted runner in the shape of Magic Sky. I have been convinced for a while that there is a big race win in this one and having taken another look at the race he was 6th in behind Tamarinbleu over 2m5f here in December, I am sure it was as much the handicap mark he had then that kept him out of the first four there. He is now 8lb lower here and again, I feel he needs a mixture of this trip, cut in the ground and a good pace to take a hand in proceedings which he is likely to get here and at 40/1 he is worth throwing away 0.5 pt each way on him as I would hate to say all that and then not back him as he jumps the last six clear, given that he is joint top rated by both Topspeed and Racing Post Ratings..




5.20 County Hurdle

The traditional “getting out of jail “ stakes and two big priced outsiders make up my last bets at the Festival in what looks a sub standard renewal of this race compared to previous years, rating’s wise. The two who I shall be betting each way at 33/1 for 1pt each are King’s Revenge and Dark Bolero.

In the case of King‘s Revenge, where can you get a chance of backing an Alan King runner ,ridden by his stable jockey Robert Thornton, in a big race at 33/1?..He does have a look of a perennial bridesmaid about him in some way(King’s Revenge that is, not Alan King!) with seven seconds compared to just four wins but that should work in our favour with our each way bet as he should at the very least be competitive off his current mark of 131 of running a race for us.

The second runner is a bit more of a dark horse in the shape of Phillip Rothwell’s raider Dark Bolero who goes well fresh and is one I am certain to has a big field to be seen at his best and who has an eight pound pull at the weights with second favourite I’mSingingTheBlues .He was beaten 10 lengths plus that day but does that really explain the disparity in pricing between the two?. Not to these eyes it doesn’t and therefore I think Ladbrokes 33/1 is a pretty big price, and in common with King’s Revenge will carrying 1pt each way of my cash tomorrow to hopefully end the meeting in some style.


To recap:

12.30: Silver Charmer 0.5 pt e/w @66/1
1.05: Razor Royale 1pt e/w @28/1
1.40: Orbit’O’ Gold/Mendo/Tagula Blue 3x 0.5pt each way @ 40/1,22/1,and 80/1 respectively
2.55: Go To Lunch 2pt s win @ 11/2
4.05: Railway Ranger/French Tyne 2x 1pt each way @25/1(x2)
4.40: Magic Sky 1pt each way @40/1
5.20: King’s Revenge/Dark Bolero 2 x 1pt each way @ 33/1(x2)


Best of luck tomorrow and may all the jockeys and horses live to fight another day, hopefully one that includes Denman vs. Kauto Star : The Rematch..