Cheltenham Gold Cup Day

Well I don't believe in karma but if I did it shafted me right royally yesterday. Take Tuesday, sat in my own place, watching my own TV, drinking beer that I'd bought = huge profits!

Yesterday - In Channel 4's box on the finish line, flown there and back, free food and drink all day & great company = not ONE efffing winner, not one. I gave back a bit of my profit from Tuesday but just gotta take it on the chin, stick with what I know and it'll come good again.

My system let me down yesterday & some big stats breaking wins cost me dearly, But as the old saying goes "A bad day at the races is better than a good day at work"

Today is the main event but for me it's the worst day's racing with only four races of interest.

Ballymore Properties Nov Hurdle -

Paul Nicholls does well in this race and 5 or 6 year old who won last time out is what will get the nod for me.

13.05 - Breedsbreeze €50 win @ 10.5

Coral Cup -

A lightly raced last time out winner needed here, JP McManus owned horses have a very strong record.

13.40 - Song of Songs €50 win @ 8.2

Triumph Hurdle -

I have a good strike rate in this race and some key stats I follow. Alan King trained, previous winner on the flat, previous winner last time out, winner on the course and distance & winner of the Cleanevent Hurdle...one horses ticks all these boxes & if he doesn't win I'll want to know why!!!

14.15 - Franchoek €100 win @ 2.46

Gold Cup -

The race that's been billed as the biggest since Milhouse v Arkle back in the day. Two Paul Nicholls trained horses are the main talking points.....Reining champ Kauto Star and Lexus Chase, Hennessy & Arkle winner Denman.

One is a Maserati and the other is a tank & in this race on this ground I'd prefer a tank. Kauto Star has had it easy in my opinion this year, not once has he been pushed to the line and last years Gold Cup was run at an absolute crawl not testing his stamina.

Denman on the other hand carried top weight round Newbury in the mud to land the Hennessy plus lead from the front in the Lexus at Leopardstown......the other thing in Denman's favour is he'll dictate the race and ensure a good gallop, 2nd season novices have a great record in the Gold Cup and I reckon he'll grind Kauto Star down.

15.30 - Denman €100 win @ 2.98

Thanks and Good Luck

JB

Cheltenham Day 3

After the cancellation of yesterdays racing , I will stick with my original choices.

For Thursdays meeting , I fancy the following...

In the Jewson Novices Handicap chase, The Hairy Lemon €50 place

In the ryanair chase, Turko €40 win

In the World Hurdle, Lough Berg €25 place
My way de solzen €50 win

In the Racing Post Plate, Oedipe €25 e/w
Crozan €25 e/w
Patman Du Charmil €25 place
Good Luck everyone
JB

12/3 - Cheltenham Day 2

I write to you from the balcony in sunny Spain, the sun is going down, the red wine is being opened and the bookies stung....could life get any better, well yes it can & hopefully will from 2pm tomorrow.

The 2nd day of this marvelous sporting spectacle begins with the Ballymore Properties novice hurdle. The Tolworth hurdle is a good guide for this race, we need a last time winner and a horse that has been lightly raced, needs to be 6 years old, in the top four in the betting & won over 2 miles 4.

Well after sifting through the hopefulls I give you Breedsbreeze (a popular choice for one of my ground floor groupies in the office).

2.00 - Breedsbreeze €50 win @ 10.5 & €25 place @ 3.2

Royal Sunallicance Chase -

A race that has had some winners that have gone onto greatness....Florida Pearl, Trabolgan & Denman in the last 10 years. A last time out winning 7 year old is required & our friend Paul Nicholls is very well respected in this race saddling the last two winners & the Irish have a poor record except horses trained by Willy Mullins.

Silverburn comes out on top for me followed by the long shot Verasi

14.35 - Silverburn €40 win @ 9.2 & €25 place @ 3.05

Verasi €25 place @ 6.2

Queen Mother Champion Chase

Big race of the day and in previous years has been won by some of the greats. Voy Por Ustedes won well for me last year and lines up again, the reigning champion has a shocking record when defending his crown, but a yard in form and Choc Thorton on board who cant go wrong at Cheltenham so who knows.

I'm putting in the Tingle Creek winner Twist Magic also as it's a good reference going back.

3.15 - Voy Por Ustedes €50 win @ 4

Twist Magic €25 win @ 4

Coral Cup

This ones a bit of a lottery, a last time out winner over the distance gets the nod

4.00 - Song of Songs €40 win @ 10.5

Peter O'Sullevan Chase

The BBC's legendary commentator has a race named after him and I reckon they should let the old boy have the mike one last time....I remember him calling home Desert Orchid in the 1989 Gold Cup from my parents living like yesterday dubbed the race that stopped the nation, what joy he is and still rocking upto Cheltenham a week past his 90th birthday....bless him.

One for the older Irish horse is this race, Jonjo O'niel fares well as do horses owned by JP Mcmanus that finished in the frame last time out that wasn't favourite!

Long shot but the stats gods say it, so be it.

4.40 - Pass it on €25 place @ 8.4

The Bumper

A Willy Mullins trained 5 year old that won last time out over ground and distance will get my vote.

5.20 - Apt Approach €40 win @ 5.6

Good Luck folks

JB

Cheltenham Day 1 Results

All in all a great days racing & I was pleased with all of my selctions and only two being out of the frame.

2.00 - Captain Cee Bee €50 win @ 9.6, €25 place @ 3.9 - + €652
Sentry Duty €25 win @ 12.5, €25 place @ 3.95 - €50

Good start!

2.35 - Nolan €50 win @ 3.25 - €50

3.15 - Osana €50 win antipost @ 14.6, €50 win @ 8.8 - €100 (well pissed off)

16.00 - Bob Hall €25 win @ 23 - €25

16.40 - Garde Champetre €50 win @ 6.6 + €380
Heads on the Ground €25 win @ 7.5 - €25

17.20 - Ashkazar €50 win @ 3.7 - €50

So I started the day with €1159 to play with and going into tomorrow I now have €1891, so €732 up for the day....cant knock that. I'll get over Osana by the time the football kicks off!

Catch you tomorrow

JB

11th March - Cheltenham Festival Day One

Hello racing fans....If I ever cared about Christmas I'd say the night before Cheltenham was like Christmas eve but as I don't I have to say that the night before the 1st day of Cheltenham is the longest of the year.

I come to you from Southern Spain, sun burnt and y back aching from this morning's golf but my excitement for tomorrow getting a little bit too much to bare. Since Xmas, sorry the King George many horses have been put through their paces over the courses of the UK & Ireland and the endless preps, supplements, tipsters and guides have been heard, run or read and it's now time to see who lives up and who slips up.

The dark evenings recently have been spent with my face in some sort of form book, horse racing being the only sport which history repeats itself time and time again my tactic is to stick to the trends that have served me so well in recent years.

Supreme Novice Hurdle -

The roar of the 1st race will go up when the horses of the 1st race of the day sets sail. A few strong trends to follow in this race. Solid flat form, winner last time out & only 2 runs over hurdles....Key races are the Royal Bond & Doilette hurdle.

I've gone for Captain Cee Bee and Sentry Duty - both have great flat form so have speed, both won last time out so they are in good nick and both are lightly raced over hurdles.

So it's -

2.00 - Captain Cee Bee €50 win @ 9.6, €25 place @ 3.9
Sentry Duty €25 win @ 12.5, €25 place @ 3.95

Arkle Chase -

The years premier novice chase, this has seen so many of the great so on to big things. Dominated by Alan King in the last two seasons but he has no runner this time out so I'm going for Nolan. The horse is in very goo form as his is yard. The Irish have a shocking record in this race and I can't really give any sort of chance to any of them in this race.

I know it's easy to tip a favourite but I don't care who wins it's all about profit!!!

2.35 - Nolan €50 win @ 3.25

Champion Hurdle -

One of my favourite races of the year and one of my more successfull looking back. The old guard have gone, no more Hardy Eustace, Brave Inca not involved and a few contenders to look at.

Two key trials to consider, the AIG hurdle @ Leapordstown (winner Sizing Europe) and the Boylesports (winner Osana) at Cheltenham, the latter is more relevant in my opinion.

Course form needed, a winner last time out required & be 6 or 7 years old....Folks I give you Osana trained by David Pipe. He was my only anti post bet @ 14.5, on the form he's shown it was worth the €50 punt, I've also backed him again today. He's won on the course and on the ground, the Irish have the form over the years but it's our turn I think so he get's my vote.

3.15 - Osana €50 win antipost @ 14.6, €50 win @ 8.8

William Hill Trophy Handicap

Interesting race where the favourites have a terrible record going back and the Irish have dominate.

Negatives for older horses and top weights...a previous Cheltenham place required.

I've gone for Bob Hall trained by Jonjo O'neil.

16.00 - Bob Hall €25 win @ 23

Cross Country -

This marathon run over the Country course has been dominated by Edna Bolger in recent running, the key trial being the PP Hogan Chase.

16.40 - Garde Champetre €50 win @ 6.6
Heads on the Ground €25 win @ 7.5

Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle -

Last race of the day and my selections would have been a feast or a famine. David Pipe has a good record in this race as do favourites.

17.20 - Ashkazar €50 win @ 3.7

Good luck folks

JB

23/2 Results

Decent day and the Paul Nicholls/Ruby Walsh partnership again comes up trumps.

2.40 KemptonOslot €30 place @ 2.84 + €85

3.15 Kempton
Gungadu €40 win @ 5.1 + €204
Ungaro €30 place @ 2.82 - €30
Bagan €30 place @ 3.5 - €30

3.35 Newcastle
Bannister Lane €30 win @ 9.3 - €30

End of Day Balance €1159

All good, would have wanted more going into Cheltenham but I'm confident for the Champion Hurdle & the Arkle on the 1st day so I'm hoping for a 5th winning Festival in a row.

Gonna head out to Spain for the week, play golf in the morning and watch Cheltenham in the afternoon then heading back to Dublin on the 12th to fly over to the Cotswolds for the World Hurlde day and see Inglis Drever retain his title and Hardy Eustace nick a place.

Cheers

JB

Racing Post Chase Kempton Today

I can't resist it....The Racing Post chase at Kempton today.

A handicap (not my favourite race) but again Paul Nicolls heads the market.

Gungadu is the top weight, unfairly so in my book but that's not stopped previous winners in recent years plus he'll like the good going at Kempton today.

I'm going to put the other two market leaders in for a place to cover (try to anyway) and unforseen mishaps.

Others I like on the day are Bannister lane in the Eider chase @ Newcastle & Oslot e/w in the 2.40 at Kempton.

So it's

2.40 Kempton

Oslot €30 place @ 2.84

3.15 Kempton

Gungadu €40 win @ 5.1
Ungaro €30 place @ 2.82
Bagan €30 place @ 3.5

3.35 Newcastle

Bannister Lane €30 win @ 9.3

Lifes been pretty quiet, just looking forward to Cheltenham....one less week to wait!!

Good Luck

JB