Gold cup day

Friday, 19th March 2010

The final day of the Cheltenham Festival and we have had a beautiful week. Today is balmy, sunny with some light cloud and promises to be perfect to round off a fabulous 4 days. I have been in Broadway this morning, collecting a cat from the Vet and my café for coffee was packed with racegoers. Never listen to café tips, they are probably worse than mine, just listen to the stories. My favourite from this morning. Two Irishmen, so we must call them Pat and Mike.

Pat. It was a life changing bet. A life changing bet.
Mike. Ah. So how did he change his life then?
Mike. Oh he didn`t. It lost.

Let’s hope that isn`t my story by the end of today. If you have been following me, which I doubt, you will be up thanks to one or two large priced winners, which is how you always hope it will work out. And keep an eye on the comments section because if I have any last-minute thoughts I`ll put them up there – and two of those have won this week. Off we go.

THE JCB TRIUMPH HURDLE.
Not quite the race it was, I don`t know why, with some from very minor yards represented and only one Nicky Henderson horse. So let us look at three, two to win including one Irish and one a big-priced each way bet from the excellent trainer Alan King.

My nap is CARLITO BRIGANTE, the Irish horse and their best horse. Alaivan is the favourite in the betting as I write but to me he is a tad overrated so I`m lumping on Carlito.

Henderson’s runner is SOLDATINO and my next best. Never underestimate Henderson here. The big priced outsider is Alan King’s GILDED AGE with Choc Thornton up. This horse has a lot to do today but he is a terrific improver and if you’re clever you can get 40-1 about him e/w, which I just did.

VINCENT O`BRIEN COUNTY HANDICAP HURDLE
This always used to be the last race of the Festival when tears were shed and everyone started to look forward to next year but it has been moved.

28 go to post and anything can happen and many have a case to be made for them. To small stakes I am staying with two top English trainers, Philip Hobbs and of course Nicky Henderson who runs BELLVANO. Ruby Walsh is likely to be the top jockey of the Festival and he rides TITO BUSTILLO for Hobbs. But as soon as I go over it again I see others. Not a race for the mortgage money.

ALBERT BARTLETT NOVICE HURDLE
There would be a dream come true for small Stratford on Avon trainer Robin Dickin if his best horse for years RESTLESS HARRY were to win this. I don`t think he will but I might have a tenner on him for luck and he certainly can`t be written off but Cheltenham finds them all out. He is a front runner too which may make him an easy target.

The two Irish horses to be on are SHINROCK PADDY and ENTERPRISE PARK of Willie Mullins. I will be on the former. If you follow the stats, then the winners of this race are always from among the first five in the betting, so all three of these qualify.

THE GOLD CUP
I will watch. KAUTO STAR is going for his 3rd win, he is shaping to be one of the very great NH horses and I think he is unbeatable. It will be, as ever, a fantastic race but not one to carry my money.

FOXHUNTER CHASE
Another no-bet race for me, The French horse Roulez Cool may well win but in such a big field and at 3-1 or less, I can’t justify putting money on him. If you must have a small each way on a bigger priced horse then go for DUN DOIRE who, with Nina Carbery up, should be 14-1.

MARTIN PIPE HANDICAP HURDLE
Only in its second year, David Pipe would clearly want to win this but I am going for another Henderson Horse BALTHAZAE KING and with the stable in such great form, Philip Hobbs’s PEVERIL. An Irish horse gets a small e/way wager, ON BORROWED WINGS.

JOHNNY HENDERSON GRAND ANNUAL CHASE
And Nicky will want to win this, named for his father. I am going for two of his, YOU’RE THE TOP with PEPSYROCK for an each way. If he were to do the 1-2 it would bring the roof off on this final day of a magnificent week.

I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed myself and I hope we bring home some winnings today too.

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SUSAN HILL

March 19th, 2010 1:50pm Report this comment

And a great start with SOLDATINO a good winner in the Triumph Hurdle though a surprise that Carlito Brigante didn`t even maage a place. As I said, never underestimate Henderson. So onwards and hopefully upwards,

HFC

March 19th, 2010 5:29pm Report this comment

Delighted to tell you I backed Imperial Commander to win the Gold Cup and Baby Run EW in the Foxhunters. They repaid with interest the losses of the past three days.

SUSAN HILL

March 19th, 2010 6:56pm Report this comment

Very pleased for you. And what a day for Nigel Twiston Davies. The only one I am furious with myself for missing was Baby Run, but I had a last minute (too last to put it up here) bet on Emma Lavelle's horse Pause and Clause in the Martin Pipe which also made up for the rest of my losses. Well done on Imperial Commander, and what a race to watch, real heart-in-mouth stuff. If I`d had any sense I`d have had an e/way on Mon Mome who did, after all, win last year's Grand National.
A great week's racing. I got several right in first races of the day and downhill after that - you'd think I`d run out of steam except that I put them all up together.

Adrian Sells

March 22nd, 2010 9:23am Report this comment

What a wonderful day for Tiston Davies - I can't imagine it gets much better. Funnily enough, the Foxhunters was also a good race for me even though I didn't back the winner - I had an each-way on third placed "Reach for the Top" @ 66/1. Saved the day!

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