Cheltenham 2023 Thoughts and Considerations

[Zilzalian]

Well it is almost here and i thought i would start a thread so members can post general thoughts and or observations.

Last year i watched quite a few stable tours mostly the usual suspects Mullins Henderson Nichols etc and was sat there my usual sarcastic self saying Bullshit, you got to be joking, your havin a larf etc when i happened across a stable tour from the beginning of the season given by Mullins My pencil began to quiver like a water diviner and notebook began screaming at me as i listened having previously listened to the pre festival podcast, It wasn't what Mullins was saying that caught my attention but what he hadn't said in the pre Cheltenham preview. In the pre season interview he mentioned a horse that had recently come into the yard from France. I clicked back to the Pre Cheltenham preview and not a mention of it so i noted it down and lo and behold the said GG was entered in the Martin Pipe handicap the favourite being you guessed it a Mullins horse Gentleman De Mee. Hey up! says i to mesen this isn't that odd is it a trainer keeping stum so i jumped on the said beast at 10/1. The horse duly obliged winning at 8/1 and  Gentle De Mee 4/1f fading away and beaten 21L. That horse in that handicap was Galopin Des Champs. The moral of the story is don't believe the Bullshit and listen to what they don't say rather than soaking up what they want you to think.

[Trotter]

I never listen to what any trainer says really ....... let's face it they only know about their horse

They don't know about the dozen other horses in the race

Now if a trainer was to go through a race card and give insightful opinions about every runner I might pay more attention than if he just says 'my horse is a nice horse and must have an ew chance' or other such clichés

[LEE-GRAYS]

Not so sleepy first 6 places ?

[Zilzalian]

57 minutes ago, LEE-GRAYS said:

Not so sleepy first 6 places ?

Being a Hughie follower i have made good money out of sleepy, its getting a bit long in the tooth now but i wont be able resist a shilling or two.

[LEE-GRAYS]

35 minutes ago, Zilzalian said:

Being a Hughie follower i have made good money out of sleepy, its getting a bit long in the tooth now but i wont be able resist a shilling or two.

I hope thay retire him after this my hart can’t take watching him in case of a fall my most favourite horse othe than desert orchid ?

[Trotter]

Anyone else a bit bored with hearing about Cheltenham before it even starts ?

Must say I avoid all mention of it on TV and radio, YouTube, all the podcasts and preview shows ........ I prefer not to think about it until tonight when I'll have a look at tomorrow's cards, as I do every day for all meetings

I'll watch the races OK ........ but just the races and I'll flick over or turn the telly off for half an hour between races. Again, something I do all the time anyway ..... I never watch the pre-race chat, the post-race chat, the in-between races chat, the interviews with trainers and jockeys have me scrambling for the mute button

To be fair I do the same with football ...... put the channel on only at kick off time, mute the sound during half time and turn over/off when the final whistle goes

I think I'm allergic to 'punditry' in all sport ......... just watch the action with your own eyes, you don't need someone else to tell you what you're about to watch or have just watched

[MinellaWorksop]

2 hours ago, Trotter said:

Anyone else a bit bored with hearing about Cheltenham before it even starts ?

Must say I avoid all mention of it on TV and radio, YouTube, all the podcasts and preview shows ........ I prefer not to think about it until tonight when I'll have a look at tomorrow's cards, as I do every day for all meetings

I'll watch the races OK ........ but just the races and I'll flick over or turn the telly off for half an hour between races. Again, something I do all the time anyway ..... I never watch the pre-race chat, the post-race chat, the in-between races chat, the interviews with trainers and jockeys have me scrambling for the mute button

To be fair I do the same with football ...... put the channel on only at kick off time, mute the sound during half time and turn over/off when the final whistle goes

I think I'm allergic to 'punditry' in all sport ......... just watch the action with your own eyes, you don't need someone else to tell you what you're about to watch or have just watched

You will have enjoyed this weekend's Match of the Day then! Lol

All joking aside, I actually agree with you on a lot what you say. And (i'm probably in the minority) enjoyed this weekend's MotD. Only thing they missed out on was not putting the lineups on before the highlights in my opinion.

Back to horse racing and I don't mind listening to the pre race chat, as I more view it from a comical viewpoint. Amount of times I hear contradictory statements from trainers, jockeys etc. is hilarious.

@LEE-GRAYS love Not So Sleepy. Proper warrior of a horse. Though if he doesn't get an uncontested lead it's going to be tough for thee old chap. I liked the horse 'For Pleasure' as well, I felt like he was on the Not So Sleepy Apprenticeship Scheme that was until connections decided to force a square peg into a round hole and persevere with running over fences. Ruined the horse's confidence and never been the same since.

[MCLARKE]

3 hours ago, Trotter said:

Anyone else a bit bored with hearing about Cheltenham before it even starts ?

Yep, it is always a bit over the top.

My main bets tomorrow will be on the AW at Southwell.

[LEE-GRAYS]

1 hour ago, MinellaWorksop said:

You will have enjoyed this weekend's Match of the Day then! Lol

All joking aside, I actually agree with you on a lot what you say. And (i'm probably in the minority) enjoyed this weekend's MotD. Only thing they missed out on was not putting the lineups on before the highlights in my opinion.

Back to horse racing and I don't mind listening to the pre race chat, as I more view it from a comical viewpoint. Amount of times I hear contradictory statements from trainers, jockeys etc. is hilarious.

@LEE-GRAYS love Not So Sleepy. Proper warrior of a horse. Though if he doesn't get an uncontested lead it's going to be tough for thee old chap. I liked the horse 'For Pleasure' as well, I felt like he was on the Not So Sleepy Apprenticeship Scheme that was until connections decided to force a square peg into a round hole and persevere with running over fences. Ruined the horse's confidence and never been the same since.

Yes agree with for pleasure still on my horses to watch though ?. Tell you the truth wouldn’t bother me if they pulled sleepy tomorrow just tempting fate now I think he’s earnt his crust time to put hooves up ??

[calva decoy]

25 minutes ago, MCLARKE said:

Yep, it is always a bot over the top.

My main bets tomorrow will be on the AW at Southwell.

Good shout , as well as any jump meetings this week where a top jockey tips up for 1 or 2 rides rather than being at Cheltenham is another thing to consider .

[Trotter]

1 hour ago, MinellaWorksop said:

You will have enjoyed this weekend's Match of the Day then! Lol

 

I don't think I've watched MotD since the 1980s ! ........ once I had Sky Sports and then BT Sports the idea of watching recorded highlights seemed a bit pointless

 

 

[MCLARKE]

36 minutes ago, MCLARKE said:

Yep, it is always a bit over the top.

My main bets tomorrow will be on the AW at Southwell.

Having said that, I'll be having a decent bet on the 2 big handicaps with 6 places available

[tschurchy]

Do we know if Cheltenham will still go ahead?

Someone told me the Met Office has forecast 55mph winds ?

[Zilzalian]

My Take on the festival is the one shared by many in that every race run throughout the year is a Cheltenham trial or to a very lesser degree the Aintree jobby. The handicaps are next to impossible to predict simply because they are targeted from day one of the season usually a lot more efficiently by the Irish. At least on the flat there are many options throughout the season. I do like the festival, better to go than to watch on tv btw but like others on this thread i think the BS punditry and the arse licking sycophantic clap trap is nauseating. Envoi Allen springs to mind, going further back Black Jack Ketchum was so over hyped then got murdered 10l by Detroit City and even with that evidence they doubled down at Aintree made it fav again and was again murdered 10L by Detroit City i could name a dozen or so more "unbeatable horses" that got beat at the festival. Betting on racing is hard enough without people being put away by BS spewed often on "he said she said" basis. What price would the Connell horse Marine National be without the rhetoric? The best way to enjoy the festival is to do your own research on the horses and not on the chatter, come up with a list of horses to back and don't be put off, if they win then its all your own work and you should be pleased with yourself, if you lose then there is always the 3:00 at Plumpton to bet on the next day. All this rhetoric before hand (and i do hear, watch and listen to a lot of it) i treat with a pinch of salt and amusement. The biggest problem for many punters is they very rarely look back a week later and say "well that was bullshit" they then take on board all the excuses offered and fall for it all over again, Black Jack Ketchum mentioned above being a brilliant example.

[Trotter]

I must be getting old or jaded or both but I just couldn't get enthusiastic for the Festival this year ...... I didn't bother watching the handicaps or the cross country or Hunters ....... basically I just tuned in for the grade one championship and top novice races and avoided all the pre, post and inter race chat

Which is what I do on a normal Saturday ............ 

Does anyone think that with all the handicaps, mares races, cross country, Hunters ....... it's just becoming a normal meeting with a few top races just like a regular weekend fixture at Ascot or Newbury

And I get very fed up with the marketing men, media and bookies trying to plug the Ireland v UK angle ...... does anyone care where the horses are trained ? ........... does anyone jump up and down when the Brits win  a handicap ? .......... I couldn't care less where the trainer is based

I'm definitely getting old (71 this year) .......... getting jaded in my old age as well

[calva decoy]

1 hour ago, Trotter said:

I must be getting old or jaded or both but I just couldn't get enthusiastic for the Festival this year ...... I didn't bother watching the handicaps or the cross country or Hunters ....... basically I just tuned in for the grade one championship and top novice races and avoided all the pre, post and inter race chat

Which is what I do on a normal Saturday ............ 

Does anyone think that with all the handicaps, mares races, cross country, Hunters ....... it's just becoming a normal meeting with a few top races just like a regular weekend fixture at Ascot or Newbury

And I get very fed up with the marketing men, media and bookies trying to plug the Ireland v UK angle ...... does anyone care where the horses are trained ? ........... does anyone jump up and down when the Brits win  a handicap ? .......... I couldn't care less where the trainer is based

I'm definitely getting old (71 this year) .......... getting jaded in my old age as well

 

Personally I thought day 1 was great & the rest pretty average & just tune in to watch the races & turn over immediately after they've finished it's becoming way over hyped moreso year on year & have already put in my digital calendar for next year to do a small each way lucky 15 on the 4 days & that's it , unless they make it a 5 day festival next year , god help us ?

[Alley Cat Glover]

Having never been before  I had a great day yesterday. The atmosphere and racing really is top quality. Having known since last Oct/Nov I was going on the Friday I did something I have never really done before and went heavy on the Antepost. Doing research and watching podcasts and trying to find some value which is near impossible. You end up taking risks which either give you big rewards or no run for your money. I did a fair few singles or 10p E/W Lucky 15’s mainly with Bet365. Maybe 1 a week or so (one less pint to drink or 3 instead of a Guinness at Cheltenham) It’s so difficult because you have the Irish big owners and trainers and you are guessing where they are going to turn up. 

I lost a couple on the way RIP Three Strip Life and Eric Bloodaxe. I picked the wrong races for Innthepocket, Jazzy Matty and Ramires to name a few. I got chinned with Gerri Columbe. Anyway the aim was to roll up for the Friday when I was going to be there. Did not place a bet at the course other than trying a few forecasts for fun.

Anyway Tuesday and Wednesday were not great days with only places to count, but it all turned around with Good Boy Jonny at  33’s and Stage Star at 20’s rolling into Friday where to Start I had Lossiemouth at 10’s and Gala at 20’s, I managed to get Favoir at 66’s with Paddy Power and 33’s with Bet 365 and rolled in with Stay Away Fay which I had antepost 25/1 and took 20’s Thursday night with 365. That was put up on a Megan Nicholls you tube when Nicholls assistant trainer was on.

Best Lucky 15 I had was 4 placed horses Gaelic Warrior, Gala Marceau, Salvador Ziggy and Conflated, had 3 come in with 2 winners and a place. All in all a great day to remember and to watch Galopin Des Champs was marvellous. The best 2 rides of the week were to me both by Harry Cobden with Stage Star and Stay away Faye, to beat the Irish in those 2 races from the front  was an amazing feet.

Roll on to Aintree and then the build up to Cheltenham 2024. I think I maybe hooked to go again.

 

 

[SirRavenous]

The highlight for Cheltenham that I enjoyed the most was seeing Honeysuckle win the Mares Hurdle. Even though I didn’t back the horse, it was still delightful seeing her career end on a high. Better still was Rachael Blackmore taking aim at one or two critics (whose names I’ll refrain from mentioning) after saying that Honeysuckle was better suited for the Champion Hurdle. Something I disagreed with given the star potential surrounding Constitution Hill. 
 

 

[MCLARKE]

The wife's been away this week so I was able to chill out with just me and the dog to watch it

I do enjoy the challenge of the big handicaps and had a 20/1 winner and a 100/1 place (6th) so came out on top which probably makes all the difference

Enjoyed watching the champion hurdle and gold cup but the rest seemed very average

Definitely over hyped

Roll on the Grand National and hopefully the BET365 £250 offer !

[calva decoy]

6 hours ago, MCLARKE said:

The wife's been away this week so I was able to chill out with just me and the dog to watch it

I do enjoy the challenge of the big handicaps and had a 20/1 winner and a 100/1 place (6th) so came out on top which probably makes all the difference

Enjoyed watching the champion hurdle and gold cup but the rest seemed very average

Definitely over hyped

Roll on the Grand National and hopefully the BET365 £250 offer !

I did ok with bet365's each way extras paying up to 10 places in the handicaps backing literally everything Gordon Elliott saddled with Gevrey just a regular 6 places at 125/1 probably best shout with Death Duty at 50's another nice priced each way jobby .

[Fist2k8]

I had my best Cheltenham ever due to i'd been backing Constitution Hill and Galopin Des Champs in singles and doubles consistantly since last season.

I of course got a huge buzz out of it apart from the money but they were expected whereas Honeysuckle was tense and it was very much more hope that confidence.

Best hours racing ever when she stormed up that hill it would have brought tears to a glass eye.

As for the rest I saw nothing that would worry me if Constitution Hill goes chasing. If he does he'll need to please Nicky and Nico first

but make no mistake if he does take the leap successfuly he won't be wasting his time running in the Arkle.

Right now Energymene and El Fabiolo share favouritism and on a line through Jonbon Constutution Hill has an absolute ton in hand of the latter.

He was so convincing in his novice hurdles if Nicky had known what he knows now would have have gone for the Supreme? I think not

If all goes well in a chase campaign with 2 or  3 by 15 lengthh wins in the bag like he did as a novice hurdler, armed with that  knowledge  the QMCC has to be on the cards.

 

 

 

Edited March 31, 2023 by Fist2k8

[Zilzalian]

Didnt do as well this cheltenham as the last one. my £200 @7/1 Siskin went down so that hurt, Honeysuckle winning covered most of that one, that boost on constitutional hill to 1/1 was a bit of a gift. My saviour was Venetia Williams who had a moderate cheltenham I managed to get 50/1 greenbook ew coupled it with pink legend 50/1 and added Heros at 10/1 (doncaster) and Royale Pagaille (up 2nd yr running) so 3 from 4 placed returning over 500/1 meant i finished the week well in profit.