Will there be anyone on here to post during the week? Looks like a lonely week 
I will be here Mac.
[quote=“The Dunph, post: 650840”]
Enjoy, Lambourn is a right posh area isn’t it?[/quote]
The gang I’m going with work in yards over there, they don’t sell the place. Swindon is nearest big town but I doubt I’ll venture over there. Meant to be a shithole.
confirmed,swindon is a shithole
I’ll be somewhat in the vicinity Mac, popping in and out but might not be posting during the races.
Nevertheless, clique members be on standby in case i have a monster.
Swindon is a hole. Got caught there due to a train crash 2 years ago. Reminds me of some rural backwater in offaly populated by inbred yokels.
Passed through it on the train once. I thought to myself, this place looks like a shit hole.
Are there parts of Offaly not populated by inbred yokels?
I think the Slough office is meant to be merging with the Swindon office shortly.
I caught the end of a news item on the radio this morning where they said somebody had given Colm Murray a share in a horse for the festival. Anyone know what horse it was?
One of Mullins ones. Possibly in the Coral Cup. Sweet my Lord I think?
Was that not the horse he already owned? Thought it was a different horse he was given a share in.
Only 6 in the Arkle. Smallest field ever.
Somersby doesn’t run in the Queen Mother. Disappointed with that. May go through the race again now.
Arkle Strategy,
Probably have to do this in shops as PP have max refund of 100 per customer.
Place following with PP
100 Al Ferof 5/2
50 Cue Card 6/1
40 Menorah 9/1
20 Blackstairs 16/1
5 Foill Dubh 80/1
All guaranteed prices
Put 125 on Sprinter Sacre with Boylesports at 4/5 (refund if finishes second max €200).
So basically minimum €100 profit if Sprinter finishes first or second and possible small profits with other winners.
I know it’s probably a lot of hassle. Am I missing something?
Tally Em Up is the horse. Nice piece from the man himself here.
I have covered Cheltenham for RTÉ since 1990 with one or two notable exceptions. I missed it because of foot-and-mouth in 2001 and the other was 2009, when RTÉ cutbacks dictated that I had to stay at home. My last festival was in March 2010, about two weeks before I was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease.
The only winner I backed in the very first year was Dermot Weld’s Rare Holiday, which was ridden by Brendan Sheridan. Rare Holiday is still the only Weld festival winner and he was a 33/1 outsider that day, but paid about 50/1 on the tote. I had a fiver sterling each-way on the latter to win about £350 and that one bet meant I got out of Prestbury Park just ahead!
Hopefully I will be able to help you find one or two winners on day one this year.
The Stan James Champion Hurdle is one of the great centre-pieces of the festival and is the highlight of the opening day and here we will see Hurricane Fly attempting to make it back-to-back wins. He ranks up there among the very best I have ever seen, alongside Istabraq and any of the other great Champion Hurdlers before him.
The key to him is his speed. He has the ability to take off like an aeroplane and can put so much daylight between himself and the rest of the field at the crucial stage in a race.
If he were to be campaigned on the flat, I could see him earning his place in the line-up for the Prix De L’Arc de Triomphe. I know for a fact that Willie Mullins believes he is the best horse he has ever trained and reckons he may never look upon his likes again. He is that good.
He will be one of my bankers having backed him months ago at 7/2 when there was a huge amount of doubt about whether or not he would run. At the currently available short odds, I would only look to back him in doubles, trebles or Lucky 15s.
Zarkandar could be the one to chase him home with Binocular also running a big race, but I hope I am right in saying that there is no danger to the Fly.
The Mullins stable can get in the winner’s enclosure immediately after the Champion Hurdle as they have a very strong hand in the Cross Country Chase with both Scotsirish and Uncle Junior set to run.
Last year’s winner Sizing Australia could also run a big race but if I had to pick one, I would take Scotsirish with Uncle Junior rated a huge danger. It will be interesting to see which one Patrick Mullins rides.
A horse I have an interest in, Sweet My Lord, was unfortunately ruled out of the Festival recently but my colours will be seen in this race as they are set to be carried by Tally Em Up from the Phillip Rothwell stable.
The Supreme Novices Hurdle is a very open race, and I think the Irish horses will have a tough job on their hands. The two I like are Darlan and Montbazon. Owner JP McManus says that Darlan is his best chance of a winner this year at the festival while Alan King’s Montbazon has - I hear on good report - been burning it up on the gallops at home and both are worthy of a close look.
The Arkle Trophy is a fascinating contest. I got a big tip around Christmas for Nicky Henderson’s Sprinter Sacre and backed him ante-post at that stage. He is a very exciting recruit to steeplechasing and Barry Geraghty says he could be the best horse he has ever ridden. That is some statement from the rider of Moscow Flyer and all going well, I would expect one of the performances of the meeting from him in this race.
Mullins can make it winner number three on the opening day with Quevaga, the hot odds-on favourite for the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle. She is a bit moody and temperamental, but she is an incredible mare. She has not been seen on track since winning last year but is in great form at home and the race looks to be at her mercy if she turns up in the right frame of mind.
How would she go in a Champion Hurdle? I think she would run very well, but she would have no business taking on Hurricane Fly.
The last two races of the day - the Novices’ Handicap Chase and the National Hunt Challenge Cup - can go to Triolo D’Alene and Allee Garde. I hear from a good English source that Triolo D’Alene is the Nicky Henderson stable’s value bet for the meeting and they really fancy this horse while a huge run is also expected from Allez Garde, another Willie Mullins inmate.
Could Mullins possibly make it four winners on day one?! Incredible - But it could just happen!
That is a lovely touch from the owners 
It is indeed a lovely touch. Pity Mac had led everyone astray with his guesswork in his first response. I hate seeing lads on this thread who know nothing about the sport guessing at answers in the hope they may earn some kudos from the likes of me and Fenners.
Is it any surprise that one of the owners if from Enniscorthy?
Typical that you’d focus on the negative rather than praise a lad for spending an hour looking for the correct answer. I don’t know why I even bother anymore.