Villa Chris

Day 3 and the ground appears to be drying with today’s action being run on the ew course.   1.20 A race to sit back and enjoy with no financial interest (unless you’re already on at fancy prices obviously). Envoi Allen (pictured below) is unbeaten in 11 starts - that’s a point to point, 4 bumpers (including Cheltenham Champion Bumper), 4 novice hurdles (including last years Ballymore) and 3 novice chases. He’s actually only beaten 11 horses over fences in those 3 small field races but to my eyes he just oozes class and I’ll be very surprised were he not to beat these in good style. Fusil Raffles maybe the best of the rest.   1.55 A competitive renewal of the Pertemps Network Final with likely favourite Imperial Alcazar holding a definite chance to give local handler Fergal O’Brien his first ever Festival winner. He looks sure to run a big race but I like the horse that ran him to 5L at Warwick in the qualifier and is now 8lb better off - Tom George’s Come On Teddy. He had previously won over the course and distance beating the useful yardstick On The Blind Side and he looks poised to run a big race.   COME ON TEDDY 1 point EW @ 10/1 1/5th 123456   2.30 A well contested and competitive Ryanair Chase where officially there is only 11lb between the whole field. A case can be made for many including last years one - two, Min and Saint Calvados. Fakir D’oudairies has been on my radar for a while for this race as I feel this intermediate trip is just ideal for Joseph O’Brien’s charge. The only time he’s actually run at 2m 4f he blitzed the useful Ronald Pump by 22L at Fairyhouse in a grade 1. He was certainly not disgraced when running Chacun Pour Soi to 8L last time and represents a bit of value here.   FAKIR D’OUDAIRIES 1 point EW @  Bet365 8/1 1/5th 1234   3.05 The Stayers Hurdle and Paisley Park brings the best overall form to the race although I still can’t get out of my mind his flop in this race last year at odds of 4/6. He may well win but I’m happy to take him on and find some each way value. I’ll take him on with Flooring Porter, who may prefer softer ground although he has abundant stamina and will see this trip out well. He appears to have improved this season winning a handicap hurdle at Navan in December and the grade 1 Leopardstown Christmas Hurdle, keeping on strongly to beat The Storyteller and Sire Du Berlais who re-oppose today. Jonathan Moore is his regular pilot and keeps the ride here today.   FLOORING PORTER 1 point EW @ 11/1 Paddy Power 1/5th 12345   3.40 A typically tricky renewal with many having claims. Mister Whitaker is an interesting runner who’s Cheltenham Festival form figures are 1P3 with the pulled up coming over 3 miles which he just doesn’t stay. He was 3rd in this race last year and can race off of a mark 2lb lower so is no doubt well handicapped. He looks value at a big price with the firms paying the all important extra places. Farclas is one of the market leaders who could also run well as may last years runner up Happy Diva.   MISTER WHITAKER 1 point EW @ 14/1 Paddy Power 1/5th 123456   4.15 Willie Mullins has farmed this race since its inception, winning all 5 renewals. He runs three here and the best of them may well be Hook Up. She ran well behind Tuesday’s impressive winner Appreciate It when 4th at The Dublin Racing Festival and in a tricky enough race looks each way value, once again with firms pays those extra places.   HOOK UP 1 point EW @ 15/2 Paddy Power 1/5th 1234   4.50 Novice Mount Ida looks worth an each way bet in quite an uninspiring Kim Muir which obviously won’t be run with amateurs this season following their COVID ban. She ran Mares Chase fancy Coolreevy to 12L at Thurles last time out and could be well handicapped on her first handicap start. Kilfilum Cross has finished runner up in this the last two years off of 139 and 138 and can race off of 135 here. He’s not shown much this season but maybe he’s been trained with this race in mind. He’s worth a small ew saver also.   MOUNT IDA 1 point EW 8/1 Bet365 1/4 12345 KILFILUM CROSS 1/2 point EW 12/1 Bet365 1/4 12345    

Unfortunately it happens all the time in racing doesn’t it. Trainers trying to get their horses well handicapped by hook or by crook .

Rather be nowhere haha but at least ratings are working 

Worse I’ve seen monkfish but still wins easy enough 

From yesterday... 

Kim Muir thurs 
Bob Mahler  8.3 14/1
Storm control 7.9 18/1
Hold the note  7.5 13/2
Again some nice prices .....I'll try 20pt wins all 3 
 

Plate hcap Thursday 
Happy diva  8.8 25/1 
Two taffs  7.6 33/1 
Dead right  7.6 25/1
Huge prices on these top 3 .....gotta be worth a play ...3x 20pt wins 

Pertemps final Thursday 
Come on teddy  8.2 
Imperial alcazar 8.0 
Redford road  7.5
Kansas city chief  7.5
Uknowwhatimeanharry 7.1 
Champagne platinum 7.0 
Applying trends leaves 
Come on teddy 8.2 12/1 
Imperial alcazar 8.0 5/1 
Kansas city chief  7.5 66/1 
 
Kansas is 66/1 so has to be a value bet ....the other 2 have been running really strongly so should make a bold bid ....3 against field 20pt wins 
 

Good luck, everyone. Have a brilliant day, betting-wise and life in general! x

Very tough race . Got Us And Them rated high but can’t have them all. Amoola Gold is weighed very well so had that at 18/1. Ben Doran top rated and the other selection is an Elliott horse so had to be a bet . Good luck today. 

Good luck everyone today ....I had near misses behind a 28/1 and an 80/1 yest  which ....both 2nd so otherwise would have been a fab day ....could have gone ew and done ok with quite a few placing but I'm chasing a big win this year so it was always gonna be all or nothing ....that's Cheltenham.....see what today brings ??
Well done everyone who collected .........back to the trenches ?

Day 2 and I hope you managed to find a winner or two today.   1.20 A disappointing field size but the main runners are all here and we’re racing so let’s not be too downhearted. I think one of the front three in the betting will win this and although you can make a solid case for any of the trio I’m with Bob Olinger. Impressive winner of an Irish point to point and bumper. He was beaten by Ferny Hollow on his hurdling debut at Gowran Park in November and hasn’t looked back since winning at Navan and Naas. He looks the real deal to me and although I have respect for his two main dangers in Bravemansgame and Gaillard Du Mesnil it’s Henry De Bromhead’s 6 year old for me.   BOB OLINGER 2 points win @ 6/4 Betway   1.55 Only 6 go to post for the Brown Advisory Chase (RSA to most of us) and a very warm favourite in Willie Mullin’s Monkfish. He’s looked exceptional in his three chase wins this season and as a previous Cheltenham Festival winner of last season’s Albert Bartlett will be very hard to beat. I think Colin Tizzard’s The Big Breakaway can chase him home but from a punting angle it’s a no bet race for me.   2.30 A typically wide open Coral Hurdle where I’ll take two against the field to be backed each way with one of the firms paying enhanced place terms (Skybet, Paddy Power/Betfair SB are the best in the village with 1/5th 7 places). Blue Sari is my first pick. It’s possible that the horse has totally gone as he’s been pulled up on his last two outings but let’s not forget his 3/4L 2nd to the smart Envoi Allen in the Cheltenham Bumper only two years ago. Or his defeat of The Bosses Oscar on his hurdling debut at Punchestown. He was backed on Monday afternoon so with JP McManus owning him that was good to see. The other one I fancy is Guard Your Dreams, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies. If you get a chance have a look back at the footage of his run last time out in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury then please do. He jumped the last in 12th place and ran on to such effect that he finished 6th only beaten 7L. He looked a horse that day that was crying out for a step up in trip which he gets here. They’re my two but it’s a devilishly hard contest.   BLUE SARI 1 point EW @ 10/1 1/4 odds 123456 GUARD YOUR DREAMS 1 point EW 11/1 @ 1/5 odds 12345   3.05 Chacun Pour Soi’s day of destiny. He’s yet to race outside of Ireland for his trainer Willie Mullins but everything he’s done in th best company over there has screamed Champion Chaser and although he’s a skinny price it’s hard to see past him despite the fact that he has no experience of this track. He was of course pulled out on the morning of the race last season and can make amends here.   CHACUN POUR SOI 2 points win @ 4/5 Paddy Power   3.40 Not my favourite race and my first thoughts were that I wanted to get the favourite Easyland beat as I can’t get out of my mind his lack lustre performance in a handicap over this unique course back in November. However when you start looking at the opposition it’s hard to find any serious challengers! Tiger Roll looks a horse who’s half gone. I’ll keep my stakes low but I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s Easyland’s to lose.   EASYLAND 1 point win @ 5/6 Paddy Power   4.15 A competitive renewal of the Gran Annual. Joseph O’Brien has thee interesting runners  here including last seasons third Us And Them and novice Embittered but this maybe a race the home team can take and I’m particularly sweet on Philip Hobb’s Zanza. He was travelling as well as any when crashing out at the third last here in November with the two that went on to finish 1st and 2nd Sky Pirate and Ibleo now rated 18lb and 17lb higher respectively. Zanza has been off since and can race off of the same mark as he did that day making him look dangerously handicapped.  In such a big field with the enhanced places I’m also tempted to back Venetia Williams’s Ibleo who has done nothing wrong in his last two runs and looks over priced to me.   ZANZA 1 Point EW @ 15/2 Boyles 1/5th 12345 IBLEO 1/2 Point EW @ 14/1 Boyles 1/5th 12345   4.50 The Champion Bumper concludes Day 2 and this looks fairly certain to be going across the Irish Sea. The front two in the betting could both be very good horses and although I have every respect for Willie Mullin’s Kilcruit who was so impressive at the Dublin Racing Festival I have to stick with Sir Gerhard, who is now trained by Mullins following his move from the disgraced Gordon Elliott. He’s done nothing wrong in his short career and could be another Cheveley Park Stud superstar.   SIR GERHARD 2 points win @ 9/4 William Hill

@Tedthewolfget in there 

Dans Le Vent 66/1 5 points ew 
Monte Cristo 12/1 5 points ew 
Grand Roi 6/1 5 points ew 
paying 7 places 

Ben Doran 28/1 5 points ew 
Or Juana De Somoza 33/1 5 points ew 
Amoola Gold 18/1 5 points ew 
paying 6 places . 2nd and 3rd bit high in the weights . Plus 2nd has had a very busy season so might not have the legs for this . 8 is a non runner . Luckily top rated nice price and I’ve gone with 6&7 purely because of their price and value 

Need to open some more accounts I reckon 

104.50 points returned 

Managed to leave work early so can watch it all unfold . It’s the missus day off so she’s not impressed that’s she’s lost the tv on her day off, but she knows the rules. 

145 points returned 

Vintage 49-1 Betfair! 28-1 sp nearly half the value.

Final ratings for The Ultima 
Aye Right 7.55 3rd 
Milan Native 7.5
Fingerontheswitch 7.4
Vintage Clouds 7.35 won 
Happygolucky 7.25 2nd 
One For The Team 7.2 5th 
Pym 7.05
Sky are paying 7 places so I’ve put top 7 rated up . Aye Right was 5th rated and luckily I gambled on him being closer to the top and it’s paid off. The 4 rated above him have all dropped out. He’s currently 11/2 but I got on him at 10/1. Milan Native I will also play.  3rd and 4th are a good price but surely too old and exposed to win this. 
 
Aye Right 10/1 ew 
Milan Native 9/1 ew 
Vintage Clouds 20/1 ew(added this morning on another thread 

145 points returned 

Good luck everyone. More importantly hopefully all the horses return to their stables tonight. 

HA HA never to old sunshine?
 

145 points returned