Offramp

Standings

 

The dog watcher holds on for the win.
Calvas late surge falls short as does Mrjol in 3rd
Special mention to @harry_rag who also took part but contributed little else apart from ensuring the accuracy of Grammar the pedantic B'stard. 👨‍🎓 😁🤣

Congratulations to @the finster whose 4 winners on the final day wins him the daily prize and the overall prize
Well done to runner up @waggy and third placed @Timusher

Too short a festival. I prefer to play my way in for the first 3 days then blitz the winners on the last day. Well done the winner and anyone who finished in the black (or on better than -£9 to be fair).
Cheers to Zil for running it with his customary skill, grace and wit. 😎

The best of luck! 

The best of luck! 

I missed the first day. 
Here's my punt today.

I missed the first day. 
Here's my punt today.

I missed the first day. 
Here's my punt today.

Fleurman comes out on top on my figures but being blinkered 1st time means it will use up too much energy on the bends and fade but i hope i am wrong because i have backed it in my lucky 15 before i realised it was Blinkered 1st time.

Hopefully these will prove as successful when they helped me land £993 from a £3 lucky fifteen.
Again I will stick to the 1st 4 in the betting forecast. This again proved profitable in its own right again last year and has now shown a profit for 9 years in a row ! There have been 139 wins from 831 runs with a profit of 190 points and an AE of 1.11. It has now found the Grand National in 6 of the last 9 runnings.
Distance of race different to last time (more or less than 1 furlong). 63 wins from  310 runs, profit 216 points, AE 1.46. 
Odds last time between 2/1 and 80/1. 117 wins from 661 runs, profit 237 points, AE 1.21.
10 runners or more in last race. 94 wins from 508 runs, profit 236 points, AE 1.23.
Consistency in the last 2 years factor between 0.59 and 0.39. 62 wins from 288 runs, profit 154 points, AE 1.45.
Going last time not Good or Heavy. 103 wins from 534 runs, profit 163 points, AE 1.23.

I'm still not as paranoid as @Zilzalian that the bookies are following us. If that was the case then I would have expected BETMGM to have shut me down by now as I have listed every bet made on the forum.
Having said all that my main bets are made on the exchanges so the more I bet the more commission they make.

Many Thanks for your hard work running these comps @MCLARKE it's  very much appreciated by us all.

As in previous years we will be running a tipsters competition for Aintree Thursday 11th to Saturday 13th April.
 
Rules:
1 selection per race throughout the competition Bets settled to £1 level stakes - WIN Only Bets settled at SP Highest accumulative total over the competition wins £100 cash (via PayPal) Runner Up wins £40 and the third place wins £20, all prizes via your PayPal account There will be a £10 prize each day for the highest profit for that day No edits allowed in selection posts Losses incurred for losers. Replacement selections for NRs can be posted but must be before the first race deadline All Bets must be posted prior to the first race each day (no exceptions) Not compulsory to enter every day or every race (so if you miss the first day or two you can still take part) Leader-board posted each evening A minimum of 14 bets is required to qualify for the total prizes Only bets on that day's thread will be included, bets posted elsewhere will not be included  
All welcome, good luck
A separate thread will be created the evening before each day for selections to be posted in.

I really enjoyed the whole festival. It was a lot of fun, including all the GAMES  at this site.

Thanks @AzertyuiopFan for taking the time and effort to put your thoughts to paper in such a comprehensive set of posts !
If we were to consider radical ideas for the Festival I'd be looking at dropping most of the handicaps. They could be spread out over Feb, March, April at the weekends at other tracks .... why not Sundays ?. Have a big top level handicap at Sunday meetings. Certainly I'd be dropping the novice and juvenile handicaps. 
The exception could be the Mares races, I agree with your thoughts on  making them handicaps. The fact that we tend to get horses who win the race 3, 4, 5 times in a row suggests something needs to be done to make them more competitive ,...... and to encourage top Mares into the Champion Hurdle
I quite like the idea of the penalty structure for the intermediate distances but if you make the races for specialists at those trips you might as well keep them as grade ones ?. I suppose the powers that be would argue that grade one races should be level weights though which might scupper the idea of keeping them as grade one races but with penalties related to distance. So making them Grade 2 races looks like a good compromise. 
Definitely dump the Cross Country ...... I never watch it anyway
The National Hunt Chase is, I guess, what Cheltenham used to be about ....... a gathering of the Country Folk and Landed Aristocracy and the main event would be their sons riding their horses against each other. 
I suppose the main factor though is 4 days ........ shame we can't go back to 3 days but obviously it's now impossible
 

I have come up with the following schedule for a revamped Cheltenham Festival programme.
When I set out on designing this, I wanted to follow these principles: 1) I’m taking it as given that it doesn’t make commercial sense to switch back to a three-day festival; and 2) I’m trying to avoid dropping current races, so if I can put up any kind of a compelling case in a race’s favour, it stays on the Festival programme.
The end result is a significantly altered programme (reduced from 28 races to 26 and from 14 Grade Ones to 10), but only three races were dropped (with one added). I don’t think it’s perfect – it can’t be when I would prefer a three-day festival) but I think my proposed schedule strongly tackles opportunities for trainers to allow their horses to ‘duck and dive’ from other top-class racehorses; increases average field sizes and competitiveness; and the while having minimal effect on the commercially successful four-day schedule.
Please note that novices would not be allowed to enter handicap races unless those races are geared specifically to novices.

Tuesday
1.30pm: Skybet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – NO CHANGE
2.10pm: My Pension Expert Arkle – NO CHANGE
2.50pm: Ultima Handicap Chase – NO CHANGE
3.30pm: Unibet Champion Hurdle – NO CHANGE
4.10pm: National Hunt Chase – CHANGE FROM NOVICE TO AN OPEN HANDICAP, GUARANTEE THE WINNER A PLACE AT THE GRAND NATIONAL, MOVE TO EARLIER IN THE SCHEDULE IN LIGHT OF REVAMP
4.50pm: Close Brothers’ Mares’ Hurdle – CHANGE FROM GRADE ONE TO A 0-150 HANDICAP, MOVE TO LATER IN THE SCHEDULE IN LIGHT OF REVAMPED NATIONAL HUNT CHASE
Dropped: Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle

Wednesday
1.30pm: Gallagher's Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle – CHANGE FROM GRADE ONE TO GRADE TWO, PENALTIES FOR HORSES WHO'VE WON/PLACED IN HURDLE RACES AT 2M/3M
2.10pm: Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase – NO CHANGE
2.50pm: Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle – NO CHANGE
3.30pm: Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase – NO CHANGE
4.10pm: Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase – NO CHANGE
4.50pm: Weatherby’s Champion Bumper – CHANGE TO A JUVENILE RACE
Dropped: Cross Country Chase

Thursday
1.30pm: Turners Novices’ Chase – CHANGE FROM GRADE ONE TO GRADE TWO, PENALTIES FOR HORSES WHO'VE WON/PLACED IN CHASES AT 2M/3M
2.10pm: Pertemps Handicap Hurdle – SCRAP QUALIFICATION SYSTEM, OTHERWISE KEEP IT AS IT IS
2.50pm: Ryanair Chase – CHANGE FROM GRADE ONE TO GRADE TWO, PENALTIES FOR HORSES WHO'VE WON/PLACED AT 2M/3M THAT SEASON OR PREVIOUS SEASON, MORE SEVERE PENALTIES FOR THOSE WHO'VE DONE EITHER OUTSIDE OF NOVICE COMPANY 
3.30pm: Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle – NO CHANGE
4.10pm: Festival Plate Handicap Chase – NO CHANGE
4.50pm: Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle – CHANGE FROM GRADE TWO TO 0-150 HANDICAP
5.30pm: Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase – NO CHANGE

Friday
1.30pm: JCB Triumph Hurdle – FIELD LIMITED THE FIELD TO 24 RUNNERS IN LIGHT OF FRED WINTER BEING DROPPED
2.10pm: ‘Ryanair Hurdle’ (NEW) – OPEN 2M 4F RACE, GRADE TWO. PENALTIES FOR HORSES WHO'VE WON/PLACED AT 2M/3M THAT SEASON OR PREVIOUS SEASON, MORE SEVERE PENALTIES FOR THOSE WHO'VE DONE EITHER OUTSIDE OF NOVICE COMPANY
2.50pm: Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle – NO CHANGE
3.30pm: Boodles Gold Cup – NO CHANGE
4.10pm: St James’s Place Hunters’ Chase – NO CHANGE
4.50pm: Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase – CHANGE FROM GRADE TWO TO 0-150 HANDICAP
5.30pm: County Handicap Hurdle – NO CHANGE, MOVED TO BECOME FESTIVAL’S CLOSING RACE
Dropped: Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle

@sirspread is one of the five players to select 33/1 Stellar Story. It enables him to take the daily prize.
@Old codger holds on to win the overall competition, sirspread is second and first day winner @Bathtime For Rupert takes third place.
Well done to all 3.
Could the prize winners please PM pay-pal details.
Allow 28 days for payment.

No big priced winners today. @Bathtime For Rupert is the only player to select the 2 biggest winners, 9/1 Lark In The Mornin and 6/1 Chianti Classico along with State Man to take the early lead.




 

Thanks for running this, Michael, it's appreciated.
1.30 Slade Steel
2.10 Gaelic Warrior
2.50 Stumptown
4.50 Milan Tino
5.30 Corbett's Cross

After looking at the first day decs i can see W.Mullins bagging 4 or 5 winners with 6 of the 12 in the Supreme , hope I'm wrong , he had a lot of odds on favourites turned over at the Dublin Festival but his 2nd & 3rd string those days were most probably their seasonal pinnacle races .
I fancy G.Elliotts NDAAWI 17/2 in 4.50 , he's won 3 of last 6 renewals of this race . 3rd 12/1 , missed out on b.o.g. but risk you take going early .
 
Sky Bet are giving all cash back on the Supreme maximum bet £5 in which I did MYSTICAL POWER 7/2 .
Galileo out of Annie Power , some breeding , quirky type , still green but very talented & best of all , if it comes last , I get my cash back 👍 2nd , got cash back & good run for my money .

Hi all,
The Punters Lounge Cheltenham Festival 2024 Day 1 Tips Preview  Podcast has officially been released. Check out the thoughts of @Darran and @The Brigadier as they run through which horses to watch across the seven races taking place on the first day of racing ahead of the 48-hour declarations.
Do you agree with their views? Or do you have a different opinion? We are keen to hear your thoughts. 
Special shout out to our very own @Fader for his editing and production work! 

It's a really good Podcast, this. There's some real in-depth stuff through the 4 days that will surely help with your bets. Top work from the lads.

Do remember guys that we have our very own @Darran presenting the daily podcast show alongside our Horse Racing expert @The Brigadier
I've created a playlist that includes all four of our podcasts, for the Cheltenham Festival 🏇
Let's get some winners 💰
 

As in previous years we will be running a tipsters competition for Cheltenham, Tuesday 12th to Friday 15th March.
 
Rules:
1 selection per race throughout the competition Bets settled to £1 level stakes - WIN Only Bets settled at SP Highest accumulative total over the competition wins £100 cash (via PayPal) Runner Up wins £40 and the third place wins £20, all prizes via your PayPal account There will be a £10 prize each day for the highest profit for that day No edits allowed in selection posts Losses incurred for losers. Replacement selections for NRs can be posted but must be before the first race deadline All Bets must be posted prior to the first race each day (no exceptions) Not compulsory to enter every day or every race (so if you miss the first day or two you can still take part) Leader-board posted each evening A minimum of 14 bets is required to qualify for the total prizes Only bets on that day's thread will be included, bets posted elsewhere will not be included  
All welcome, good luck
A separate thread will be created the evening before each day for selections to be posted in.