And we're up!

Tuesday, 16th March 2010

Just about. As ever, Cheltenham produced one or two weird results but I was delighted that if any trainer was going to produce a horse to turn over the Irish favourite DUNGUIB in the opening race, it would be Philip Hobbs. His Menora was drifting at the off and nobody was paying him very much attention but he won well. I didn`t have or recommend a bet on the race.

SOMERSBY could only manage a place in the Arkle, which went to the Irish raider SIZING EUROPE, to produce the belated roar from the stands which had expected Ireland to take home the first.

Another Irish horse took the William Hill Chase, and a rank outsider at that. CHIEF DAN GEORGE was 33-1 SP so if you were on him, good luck. I wasn`t.

I was, as you know, on BINOCULAR big time for the Champion Hurdle. I just knew that horse had come good, and his win paid for all my losses on the day and a chunk over.

A friend said the cross country handicap chase was like a camp Grand National and he was right, it’s a bit of a comedy race but I still expected GARDE CHAMPETRE to take it again and he didn`t. The winner was yet another Irish outsider.

I was both right and wrong on the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle – I thought QUEVEGA and VOLER LA VEDETTE would come in 1 and 2, so I did a reverse forecast, but of course horses always make fools of you and Voler only managed 3rd. But I had a nice chunk on each of them to win as well, so altogether, if you followed me – which I suggested you did not – you’d be well UP ON THE DAY.

By the total absence of comments to today’s first Cheltenham post I suppose no one is interested in the races. But I`m going to keep plugging away all week. It’s been a wonderful start to the Festival, fabulous weather, perfect ground, huge crowds and the Irish eyes are smiling.

Back tomorrow morning with a look at tomorrow’s very difficult card.