Cheltenham Festival Part IV – Championship Chases

2017-07-15T12:00:13+01:00February 12th, 2016|

In this part we have looked at the Championship Chase races of the Queen Mother Champion Chase, The Ryanair Chase and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Champion Chase

Un De Sceaux is a short priced odds on favourite and probably wins this race if he gets round however 2 falls on CV are the concern.

Un De Sceaux won the Arkle Chase last year at the Cheltenham Festival and ended his season winning the Ryanair Chase at Punchestown over 2 miles. He returned this season with the Champion Chase in mind and ran in the Grade 1 Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown but ran a bit keenly and fell at the 2nd last. Many […]

Cheltenham Festival Part III – Championship Hurdles

2017-07-15T12:00:15+01:00February 11th, 2016|

In this part we look at the Championship Hurdle races. All 3 look to have favourites that could be very hard to beat.

Champion Hurdle

This race revolves all around Faugheen and he has been priced up accordingly with all of his rivals looking to be aimed at placing behind him.

Faugheen is the reigning champion having won this race last year having previously won the Neptune Novices Hurdle the year before. Having been unbeaten at the beginning of the season it was a huge shock when he was turned over by his stablemate Nichols Canyon at Punchestown in the Morgiana Hurdle in a race in which Nichols Canyon was allowed to make […]

Cheltenham Festival Preview Part II – Novice Chasers

2017-07-15T12:00:16+01:00February 10th, 2016|

In part 2 of our Cheltenham Preview we look at the Novice Chases at the Cheltenham Festival and hope we have identified a few decent bets.

Arkle

Douvan who the Supreme Novices hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival heads the market for this race and his form can hardly be knocked having had 3 runs over fences and the closest any horse has got was when Rogue Trader finished 9 ½ lengths behind in 2nd with Douvan not coming out of 2nd gear. He then easily won the Grade 1 Novice Chase beating Sizing John who had previously won twice over fences and 2nd in the Supreme Novices at Cheltenham. Douvan then scared […]

Cheltenham Festival Preview Part I – Novice Hurdles

2017-07-15T12:00:17+01:00February 5th, 2016|

With just over a month to go, it’s time we went through the feature races in depth analysing which horses are probably going to have a say in the finishes of these races. In the first part we are going to look at the Novice Hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival.

Supreme Novices Hurdle

The Supreme Novices Hurdle currently has a short priced favourite in Min for Willie Mullins and Mr Rich Ricci. Having won this race for the last 3 years with Champagne Fever, Vautour and Douvan anything that proved to be their number 1 for this race was going to be a short priced however his form has looked very strong.

Coming […]

Weekend Racing 23rd and 24th January – Cheltenham Clues?

2017-07-15T12:00:18+01:00January 23rd, 2016|

This weekend there is some great racing and plenty of potential Cheltenham clues as well as runs for horses to help connections decide where there horses are running at Cheltenham.

Willie Mullins sends out some of his Cheltenham Festival hopes including Douvan and Faugheen whilst Un De Sceaux and Vroum Vroum Mag make forays across the water to race here in England at Ascot. Ruby Walsh has come over to ride and with the former they hope for a clear round of jumping whilst the latter is finding out whether she can put herself in the World Hurdle frame if she stays this far against her own sex.

Vroum Vroum Mag who […]

December Statistics

2017-03-13T09:34:43+00:00December 5th, 2015|

Trainers and Owners have horses that peak at certain times of the year. Here we have a look at a few of the leading owners and trainers for the month of December:

December Owners (since 2010)

Mr Simon Munir and Mr Isaac Soude: 13/30 (43.3%) – best month by far and this follows 0% in October and 18% in November

Gigginstown House Stud: 74/388 (19.1%) – not a great month compared to 30.8% in October and 21.9% in November

JP McManus: 108/757 (14.3%) – no real difference from previous months. October 14.7% and November 13.2%.

Mrs S Ricci: 36/94 (38.3%) – November would be their best month 45.6% but still a high strike rate. October […]

The Arkle – Cheltenham 2016

2017-07-15T12:00:19+01:00November 26th, 2015|

The betting currently suggests this race is all about Douvan despite him only having the 1 run over fences. After winning the Supreme Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham and the Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown he was instantly made the 2/1 favourite for this race as connections already had a Champion Hurdler in Faugheen and they wouldn’t be taking each other on.

Until Sunday 22nd November he had never jumped a fence in public but any initial question marks about his jumping were put to bed as he put in a fine display with only a slight overreach at the last which he was clever over. The field wasn’t the strongest however […]

Ascot 13:00 Geotech Soil Stabilisation ‘National Hunt’ Maiden Hurdle Preview

2017-03-13T09:39:38+00:00November 19th, 2015|

This race has been won in the last 3 years by Many Clouds (subsequent Hennessy and Grand National winner), Beat That (subsequent dual Grade 1 hurdler) and Arpege D’Alene who is a hopeful this year for the RSA Chase. All 3 winners were statistically going to better over fences being out of Cloudings, Milan and Dom Alco respectively. It could be that these Sires generally have stronger progeny at an earlier age and this course and distance requires a horse with stamina.

Looking at this years field:

He’s A Charmer by Mahler

He’s A Charmer has had 2 runs in bumpers so far including when 2nd to Cultivator (trained by Nicky Henderson) at […]

Betfair Fixed Brush Hurdle and Betfair Chase

2017-07-15T12:00:20+01:00November 19th, 2015|

Betfair Fixed Brush Hurdle

This was won last year by Aubusson which was the 2nd winner for Nick Williams in the last 6 years, David Pipe had won 3 in this time whilst Tim Easterby had also won once. Tim Easterby doesn’t have a representative this year whilst David Pipe has 2 in Batavir and Low Key and Nick Williams has 1 with last years Lanzarote Hurdle winner Tea For Two.

Batavir was backed into 8/1 favourite for the Listed handicap hurdle at Cheltenham last week but despite travelling well for most of the race he failed to pick up like a lot of David Pipe’s horses at Cheltenham last week […]

Shantou Village – Cheltenham Festival Contender?

2017-03-13T09:40:28+00:00November 17th, 2015|

Shantou Village won the Neptune Novices Investment Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday, winning by 15 lengths from Champers On Ice and Penglai Pavilion. Whilst excuses could have been made for both (Yard Fitness – Champers on Ice, Going – Penglai Pavilion) we can’t help but have been impressed for this unbeaten gelding trained by Neil Mulholland. He has now won a 3 mile point to point, a 2m NHF, a 2m4f hurdle and now a 2m5f hurdle in impressive fashion.

He is by Shantou and out of Village Queen (King’s Theatre) and therefore he has the breeding to suggest that a step up to 3 miles for the Albert Bartlett […]