IN OCTOBER this website began building a list of horses to keep on the right side of during the National Hunt season. I was thrilled that 10 of these talented beasts lined up at the Cheltenham Festival. I was even happier with how most of them ran and so was my bank balance. Here is …[Read More]
14
Mar 2013
Cheltenham Festival 2013: Day Four Preview
THIS has been a wonderful meeting so far but sadly tomorrow’s headlines will be dominated by the wellbeing of two jockeys. Our thoughts are with JT McNamara and Davy Russell. Cheltenham Gold Cup day is so special and I’ve previewed today’s big race in a separate horse-by-horse guide here. But the supporting card is truly …[Read More]
13
Mar 2013
Cheltenham Festival 2013: Day Three Preview
I’VE RARELY enjoyed a day’s racing as much as day two of the Cheltenham Festival. The spectacle of Sprinter Sacre’s demolition of Sizing Europe; the brilliant turn of foot of The New One and the desperate hard luck stories of Boston Bob and Tofino Bay. Allied to that was backing a 33/1 winner in the …[Read More]
12
Mar 2013
Cheltenham Festival 2013: Day Two Preview
DAY one wasn’t bad, was it? The highlights? The site of little Hurricane Fly tearing up the hill lifted the heart. The way Quevega cut through the pack like a knife through butter made the hairs on my neck spring to attention. And the maturity of young Brendan Powell’s ride on Golden Chieftain was incredible. …[Read More]
12
Mar 2013
Cheltenham Festival 2013: Day one
AT LAST it’s here. No more Cheltenham previews. No more posturing. Let’s get down to business and try to find some winners. The Cheltenham Festival will probably start with the most testing conditions for several years. That’s, of course, if it passes a 10.30am inspection although officials remain bullish that racing will go ahead. But …[Read More]
08
Mar 2013
Cheltenham Festival preview: World Hurdle and Gold Cup
by Jack Milner, of BetVictor. THE Ladbroke World Hurdle offers a different question this year through the absence of the all-conquering Big Buck’s, who has won the last four renewals. The previous question revolved around: “How do we get Big Buck’s beaten?” Instead it’s “Who is good enough to win?” He really did set the …[Read More]
08
Mar 2013
Cheltenham Festival Countdown: Latest news
FOUR days to go until that mighty roar… It’s hard to keep up with all the build-up, the countless preview evenings and column inches dedicated to the Cheltenham Festival. So here’s a bite-sized version of some of the latest news. John Ferguson has confirmed that COTTON MILL will run in the County Hurdle and not …[Read More]
06
Mar 2013
Cheltenham Festival Dark Horses
FORGET Sprinter Sacre, Simonsig and Quevega for a moment. The hunt for a big-priced winner at the Cheltenham Festival has begun in earnest. So here are five horses who may have slipped under the radar of punters… STONEMASTER: Watch a re-run of last year’s Coral Cup. Stonemaster flew up the hill to be sixth after …[Read More]
01
Mar 2013
Ante Post Focus: Smad about the boy
YOU could be forgiven for scratching your head at some of the horses left in the Ladbroke World Hurdle. Seasoned chasers like Grand Crus, novices such as Back In Focus and unexposed types like Whispering Gallery are among the 33 entries. It’s all because of the enforced absence of the beast that is Big Buck’s. …[Read More]
