Tedthewolf

Cheltenham 1.30 Day two of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival kicks off with the 2M 5F Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle which has attracted a rather disappointing turnout of eight of which five are trained by Irish maestro Willie Mullins. His number one here is the six year old Ballyburn who will be hard to beat. He oozed class when winning at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown in February clocking a very fast time. Paul Townend was on board that day and has picked him here ahead of his stable mates and although he’s a skinny price will be very tough to beat if in the same mood. Mullins’ Ile Atlantique is maybe the one to chase him home but it may well be the case of Ballyburn coming home clear of his field. The home team only have three chances with The Grey Man a total no hoper and both Ben Pauling’s Handstands and Nicky Henderson’s Jingko Blue having a mountain to climb on form with the favourite. Stablemate El Fabiolo looks a similarly good thing later so maybe a win double is the bet.   BALLYBURN & EL FABIOLO (3.30) 2 points win double 1/2 & 8/15 bet365 @ 1.3/1   Cheltenham 2.10 The 3M 110 yard Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase has disappointedly only attracted six runners. We have another Willie Mullins favourite in Fact To File who it seems the trainer is very sweet on. There is however a horse in here who, in my opinion, has done as much if not more than him over fences. That horse is the Paul Nicholls trained Stay Away Fay who won the Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle last season, which is always a good guide to this novice chase the following year with six of the past 14 winners having contested the race the previous year. He’s made a good start to chasing winning twice at Exeter and Sandown (Giovinco back in second)and finishing a good third in open company to Capodanno in the Cotswolds Chase here on trials day on the new course. He can run a bit in snatches so Nicholls reaches for first time cheek pieces today which may help him if it comes to a battle. At the respective prices the value bet has to be Stay Away Fay.   STAY AWAY FAY 1 point win @ 10/3 bet365   Cheltenham 2.50  A near maximum field of twenty five assemble for the highly competitive Coral Cup run over 2M 5F. Last year’s winner Langer Dan is worth a close look now that he’s dropped to the exact same mark he won off last season with stomach ulcers the ‘excuse’ for his poor efforts this season. Expect him to run a lot better today. Willie Mullins saddles three with his handicap debutant Sa Majeste the most interesting. He could be chucked in but is priced accordingly. Nicky Henderson has three in this and all three have chances with Doddiethegreat just favoured over Lucky Place and First Street. He ran well in the Betfair Hurdle last time out, a race that was franked last weekend and with the step up in trip sure to suit, this lightly raced eight year old is the pick although I have to have a saver on his stable mate Lucky Place who is making his handicap debut and looks well treated on his runs behind smart novices Golden Ace and Gidleigh Park. The form of the Henderson’s stable has to be questioned though with his Tuesday runners (bar Champion Hurdle 3rd Lucia) running shockingly. Had they been been running better I would be splitting stakes on Doddiethegreat and Lucky Place but with the way the stable are running the bet is last year’s winner Langer Dan.   LANGER DAN 1 point each way @ 9/1 Unibet 1/5th 12345   Cheltenham 3.30 Just eight face the starter for the 2M Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase. Yet again we have a very warm Willie Mullins trained favourite in El Fabiolo. He’s six from six over fences including taking the Arkle Novices’ Chase at the meeting last year and the Simon Munir & Isaac Souede owned seven year old is hard to oppose. His chief rival is the Nicky Henderson trained Jonbon who was firmly put in his place by El Fabiolo in the Arkle last season going down by 5 1/2L and hardly boosted his chances for this when blundering his way around when beaten a neck by the re-opposing Elixir De Nutz here on trials day in the re-arranged Clarence House Stakes. Edwardstone employed new forcing tactics when blitzing his rivals at Newbury last time but is up against it in this company and this can and should go to the favourite bar any accidents.   Cheltenham 4.10 Six of the last 9 winners of this Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase have been won by Gigginstown Stud and they are once again well represented with two big chances in Punchestown banks winner Coko Beach and Delta Work who is the pick here having shown his liking for this unique course having won the last two renewals. Blinkers are added for the first time to Gordon Elliott’s eleven year old who teed up for his hat trick bid by running in a grade two hurdle at Navan in February. 2021 Gold Cup winner Minella Indo is not the force of old but should be competitive here and with heavy ground likely to be against Galvin and many others hard to fancy this may well be fought out by Coko Beach, Minella Indo and Delta Work with the latter the selection with Jack Kennedy on board.   DELTA WORK 1 point win @ 3/1 888sport.com   Cheltenham 4.50 A decent sized field of seventeen line up for the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase run over 2M. The race has an open look about and in a race that novice’s have a good record in it may be worth chancing Evan Williams’s Libberty Hunter. He’s won two of his three starts over fences (he fell 3 out on chase debut) including over course and distance on New Year’s Day by a length from Matata (who’s run well in defeat since). A 7lb rise for that victory may not be enough to stop him from running a big race in this open handicap. Last year’s winner Maskada (8lb higher today) and Dublin Racing Festival winner Madara are others likely to run well but with extra places it may be worth backing Libberty Hunter.   LIBBERTY HUNTER 1 point each way @ 7/1 bet365 1/5th 12345   Cheltenham 5.30 The finale of day two is the 2M 87 yard Champion Bumper which has fallen to Ireland on 24 of the last 31 runnings with that man Willie Mullins winning the race a staggering twelve times in that time span. He saddles nine of the 24 runners here and must have a solid chance of winning it again with the likes of the Souede & Munir owned Jasmin De Vaux, a 15L winner at Naas or possibly the Paul Townend ridden Cantico. There maybe some value with the latter who by all accounts works as well as anything at Closutton and it looks significant that Townend has picked him ahead of other promising types. He couldn’t have done anymore than win a six runner Navan bumper by 6L when last seen so to small stakes he’s the each way pick. Paul Nicholls saddles a brace of runners in Quebecois and Teeshan with the latter a very interesting runner. An easy Irish point winner he made an impressive British rules debut when winning by 7L at Exeter and although Britain have a poor record in this race can run well and be involved in the finish.   CANTICO 1 point each way @ 12/1 bet365 1/5th 12345

Gemirande @ 33/1 Cheltenham 16:50 - Winner 5 - 1/ 5     Returns £0.00
Guard Your Dreams @ 25/1 Cheltenham 14:50 - Winner 6 - 1/ 5     Returns £0.00
Quebecois @ 28/1 Cheltenham 17:30 - Winner 5 - 1/ 5     Returns £0.00
Boothill @ 80/1 Cheltenham 15:30 - Winner   e/w bet 365

2.50 ch 1.5 pts e/w GUARD YOUR DREAM  bog 25/1 6places
2.50 ch ,5 ptse/w BENSON  80/1 bog 6paces
4.50 ch  1 pt e/w GEMIRANDE 40/1 5 places BOG
4.50 ch 1.5 e/w SOLNESS 16/1 bog 5place 
.5 e/w doubles  above ( Gemirande 33/1)
13pts Invested
 

2.50 ch 1.5 pts e/w GUARD YOUR DREAM  bog 25/1 6places
2.50 ch ,5 ptse/w BENSON  80/1 bog 6paces
4.50 ch  1 pt e/w GEMIRANDE 40/1 5 places BOG
4.50 ch 1.5 e/w SOLNESS 16/1 bog 5place 
.5 e/w doubles  above ( Gemirande 33/1)
13pts Invested
 

2.50 ch 1.5 pts e/w GUARD YOUR DREAM  bog 25/1 6places
2.50 ch ,5 ptse/w BENSON  80/1 bog 6paces
4.50 ch  1 pt e/w GEMIRANDE 40/1 5 places BOG
4.50 ch 1.5 e/w SOLNESS 16/1 bog 5place 
.5 e/w doubles  above ( Gemirande 33/1)
13pts Invested
 

2.50 ch 1.5 pts e/w GUARD YOUR DREAM  bog 25/1 6places
2.50 ch ,5 ptse/w BENSON  80/1 bog 6paces
4.50 ch  1 pt e/w GEMIRANDE 40/1 5 places BOG
4.50 ch 1.5 e/w SOLNESS 16/1 bog 5place 
.5 e/w doubles  above ( Gemirande 33/1)
13pts Invested
 

Gemirande @ 33/1 Cheltenham 16:50 - Winner 5 - 1/ 5     Returns £0.00
Guard Your Dreams @ 25/1 Cheltenham 14:50 - Winner 6 - 1/ 5     Returns £0.00
Quebecois @ 28/1 Cheltenham 17:30 - Winner 5 - 1/ 5     Returns £0.00
Boothill @ 80/1 Cheltenham 15:30 - Winner   e/w bet 365

Half of this one 10pew

So Cheltenham has become a bit of a joke to these eyes. I was looking at yesterday and today's racecards and i cant remember a previous Cheltenham festival that was so uncompetitive, 1:30 today 5 Mullins trained horses and 3 home trained, that is shocking, I also cant remember 5 odds on shots in the first 2 days or fields so small in previous festivals. If this is the best we can do then it doesn't bode well for the future of racing. I suspect looking at last years 2 year olds the flat is going to be of a similar vein. Even the handicaps have few runners compared to previous years. Well that's my bit of a rant for the day. what do others think?

Nowt for me the only way is up!

Won. BSP 4.60
63 from 236, LSP 59.44

Cheltenham 1.30 The 2024 Cheltenham Festival kicks off with a dozen novice hurdlers facing the tape for the usual curtain raiser the 2M 87 yard Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Willie Mullins sets a poser by saddling six of the field and with stable jockey Paul Townend choosing Tullyhill, he looks sure to be thereabouts. It may be Mullins’s arch Irish rival Gordon Elliott though that takes first blood with his Firefox. He beat the very smart Ballyburn on his hurdling debut at this trip and although blowing out in the Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle in January, that was over 2M 4F and back to the minimum trip and with Jack Kennedy in the plate can get us off to a flyer. He’s worth backing each way with the firms who are paying an extra place.   FIREFOX 1 point each way @ 5/1 Betfred 1/5th 1234   Cheltenham 2.10 A fair sized field of ten line up for the My Pension Expert Arkle Challenge Novices’ Chase run over just short of two miles. Ireland have won six of the last 9 renewals and that can be extended here with the Gordon Elliott trained Found A Fifty. He went down by a neck to Il Etait Temps at the Dublin Racing Festival in February and there shouldn’t be much between them here today on identical terms. Willie Mullins runs three with Paul Townend on board Gaelic Warrior who’s been runner up at the Festival in the last two years. He does have questions to answer now though after a lack lustre effort at the Dublin Racing Festival with his tendency to jump out to the right a negative here. This looks one for the Irish with Found A Fifty just shading it.   FOUND A FIFTY 1 point each way @ 11/2 BetVictor 1/5th 123   Cheltenham 2.50 The first handicap of the week is the 23 runner Ultima Handicap run over 3M 1F. As always it’s an open race where you will need plenty of luck in running. Last year’s fourth The Goffer and Willie Mullin’s Meetingofthewaters both holding decent claims but this is a race that normally goes to the home team and it can go the way of Kim Bailey. Bailey has two in the race and although I have slight preference for Chianti Classico it’s also worth backing his other runner Trelawne. Both are novices with the former having only his fourth start over fences. He appears the pick of stable jockey David Bass who will be throwing the horse into the fences whilst Harry Cobden has the ride on the latter who’s novice form over fences stacks up well and he should relish a step up to today’s distance.   CHIANTI CLASSICO 1 point each way @ 15/2 bet365 1/5th 123456 TRELAWNE 1 point each way @ 8/1 bet365 1/5th 123456   Cheltenham 3.30 Despite the defection of reigning champion Constitution Hill we still have a field of eight for the Unibet Champion Hurdle run over 2M 87 yards. Willie Mullins has the very warm favourite in State Man who has won ten of his 12 completed starts under rules and was runner up last year. He is officially 10lb and upwards better than these and it will be a big shock were he not to win. I ca see him being very well backed and going off more a 1/4 shot at post time. He’s hard to oppose with second favourite Irish Point dropping a mile in trip having impressed at Leopardstown over 3M at Christmas. Nicky Henderson supplemented Iberico Lord last week and although on figures he has plenty to find he is an improver who loves soft good, has good form at the track and the form of his Betfair Hurdle victory at Newbury last time out was franked at the weekend in the Imperial Cup. He can make the frame but this is all about State Man who should win.   STATE MAN 2 points win @ 4/11 Unibet   Cheltenham 4.10 A field of eleven go to post for the 2M 4F Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle. A warm favourite here is the Willie Mullins trained Lossiemouth who was a winner at the Festival last season in the Triumph Hurdle. She looked good when re-appearing in the Unibet Hurdle here on trials day in January and if in the same form will be hard to beat. The one question mark against her mind is the fact that she has yet to race over today’s trip. She wasn’t stopping at the end of her victory last time over 3 furlongs shorter though and connections appear to have no fears of her not staying. However at around the 4/7 mark she is scant value and even though she should win I’m happy to back one against her each way who we know will love the ground, trip and track in the shape of Harry Fry’s Love Envoi. She won the Mares’ Novices Hurdle in 2022 and was runner up in this last year to Honeysuckle. She does have some distance to make up with Lossiemouth on Unibet Hurdle form but at a double figure price she is maybe the value.   LOVE ENVOI 1 point each way @ 16/1 William Hill 1/5th 123   Cheltenham 4.50 A maximum field of twenty two line up for the 2M 87 yard Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle. It has a wide open look about it with big priced winners amongst the roll of honour over the last decade. A chance can be given to many with French trainers Noel George & A Zetterholm holding every chance with one of two J P McMnaus owned runners in the shape of Milan Tino. He’s already got experience of the track having finished third to useful sorts Burdett Road and Sir Gino. At a much bigger price it maybe worth chancing Paul Nolan’s runner Palamon who has the look of one that’s been brought along with this race in mind. A 79 rated horse on the level for Richard Hannon he showed his best form so far over timber when third (beaten 3 3/4L) to the re-opposing Ndaawi and is now 13lb better off. The fourth from that race has won since to give it a boost and although Ndaawi won cosily that day the turn around in the weights may give the chestnut a chance of getting closer at a big price. Many others can be given chances but it’s Milan Tino and Palamon for me.   MILAN TINO 1 point each way @ 13/2 Unibet 1/5th 123456 PALAMON 1 point each way @ 20/1 bet365 1/5th 123456   Cheltenham 5.30 A small but select field of seven go to post for the 3M 6F Maureen Mullins National Hunt Challenge Cup for amateur riders. The two favourites surprisingly are both racing in a fist time hood and slight preference is for the Emmet Mullins trained Corbetts Cross who may well have won at this fixture last year but for crashing out at the last in the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle, which is a good guide to the likely winner of this contest. He does have to prove himself over this longer trip as like his biggest danger, the Willie Mullins trained Embassy Gardens but looks all about stamina and can give Derek O’Connor his third victory in the race. Some firms are paying three places on this seven runner contest so it may also be worth a small each way bet on the only horse who has raced beyond 3M in the Sara Bradstock trained Mr Vango who wears first time cheek pieces and was a 60L winner of a handicap over today’s trip at Exeter. He has officially 22lb to find but with some of these having stamina to prove could stay on into a place at a big price.   CORBETTS CROSS 1 point win @ 2/1 bet365 MR VANGO 1/2 point each way @ 20/1 bet365 1/5th 123

Highland Hunter, sad news.

The 'experts 'writing off gaelic warrior, so guess he's a banker now, lol

Off the mark.....+90.00

just looked on bet365
and if you think state man going to win champion hurdle with their super boost they will give you evens to win as far as i know
they have not restricted your stake could be wrong

Very  quiet here for Cheltenham!
2.50 CH 1.5 e/w on  both  & .25 RFC  VICTTORINO 16/1  LORD DU MESNIL 25/1 both BOG 6 places

C'mon the big outsiders ....Stuff the favourites & short ones!!!

Les Loyautes @ 33/1 Cheltenham 16:50 - Winner
Lord Du Mesnil @ 40/1 Cheltenham 14:50 - Winner
Favour And Fortune @ 33/1 Cheltenham 13:30 - Winner
Maries Rock @ 16/1 Cheltenham 16:10 -    E/w with Corals

C'mon the big outsiders ....Stuff the favourites & short ones!!!

Les Loyautes @ 33/1 Cheltenham 16:50 - Winner
Lord Du Mesnil @ 40/1 Cheltenham 14:50 - Winner
Favour And Fortune @ 33/1 Cheltenham 13:30 - Winner
Maries Rock @ 16/1 Cheltenham 16:10 -    E/w with Corals

Luccia                                                         3 30 Che/           1/40th of a pt ew        50/1       - 3rd
Cornel Mustard                                        3 30 Che/           1/40th of a pt ew        90/1
Excello                                                        2 50 Che/           1/40th of a pt ew        60/1 
Mordor                                                       4 50 Che/           1/40th of a pt ew        70/1
Pedrito                                                       12 55 S-Cld         1/40th of a pt ew        12/1   { France} 
Busselton                                                   2 50 Che/           1/40th of a pt ew         80/1
Palamon                                                     4 50 Che/           1/40 th of a pt ew        25/1

C'mon the big outsiders ....Stuff the favourites & short ones!!!

Les Loyautes @ 33/1 Cheltenham 16:50 - Winner
Lord Du Mesnil @ 40/1 Cheltenham 14:50 - Winner
Favour And Fortune @ 33/1 Cheltenham 13:30 - Winner
Maries Rock @ 16/1 Cheltenham 16:10 -    E/w with Corals

C'mon the big outsiders ....Stuff the favourites & short ones!!!