Cheltenham Festival 2023 Day 2 – Looking away from the favourites

2023-01-10T14:16:31+00:00January 10th, 2023|

Cheltenham Day 2 – Wednesday

In this post, we will identify the top contenders that pose the greatest threat to the favourites in the Day 2 races at the Cheltenham Festival. By analysing various factors such as form, distance, and more, we aim to find reasons why the favourites may not be as strong as their odds suggest and could potentially be beaten by another horse. Our goal is to uncover potential upsets and let’s hope we have a few here!

Ballymore Novices Hurdle

Champ Kiely bounced back to form when winning the Grade 1 over 2m3f and although he clearly settled better over this trip and going […]

Cheltenham Festival 2023 Day 1 – Looking away from the favourites

2023-01-09T18:33:41+00:00January 9th, 2023|

Cheltenham Day 1 – Tuesday

In this post, we will identify the top contenders that pose the greatest threat to the favourites in the Day 1 races at the Cheltenham Festival. By analysing various factors such as form, distance, and more, we aim to find reasons why the favourites may not be as strong as their odds suggest and could potentially be beaten by another horse. Our goal is to uncover potential upsets and let’s hope we have a few here!

Supreme Novices Hurdle

Marine Nationale won the Royal Bond Grade 1 Hurdle at Fairyhouse and the second and fourth place finishers in that race have since performed […]

Some Early 2023 Targets for Eyecatchers

2023-01-02T18:48:58+00:00January 2nd, 2023|

New Years Day targets

Minella Indo won at Tramore beating Stattler and is arguably no longer the ‘forgotten horse’ of the Gold Cup. Form at the Cheltenham Festival read 1212 and he was a whopping 40/1 for the Gold Cup before yesterday. I highlighted that a 50/1 double winning at Tramore and the Gold Cup was a good bet and we now have 50/1 about a 20/1 shot who is likely to go straight for the Gold Cup.

From the last email we sent

How we’ve go 50/1 about a 20/1 shot in the Cheltenham Gold Cup

It sounds like they are going straight to the […]

3 for the Welsh National

2022-12-18T15:51:10+00:00December 18th, 2022|

A trio for the Welsh National

Truckers Lodge – Paul Nicholls

Truckers Lodge has already competed in 3 Welsh Nationals finishing 2nd in 2019 (off effective 136), 7th in 2020 (off effective 152) and 3rd in 2021 (off effective 150). This year I fully expect Freddie Gingell to ride and take 10lb off in a race named after his late mother AND the horse is only rated 141 now. That would see him running off an effective 131. Remember he was 2nd beaten just 1 1/4 lengths off 136 in 2019. I’m sure they left plenty of work in him when he ran in the handicap at Haydock […]

When targets look obvious

2022-12-14T14:48:02+00:00December 14th, 2022|

I can never understand some trainers plans

Looking at some of the recent handicap marks and some of the upcoming fixtures, there are some that stand out so clearly. Let’s have a look at one of these!

Rouge Vif

Rouge Vif got dropped 5lb over hurdles to 130 and 4lb to 140 over fences after disappointing over hurdles at Cheltenham recently.

Target:

Well handicapped?

Is Rouge Vif well handicapped over fences even though he’s higher rated over fences than hurdles? Absolutely. He’s run in 2 Handicap chases in his career, he was going to finish 2nd off 149 when falling at the last over 2 1/2 mile and […]

She would be great in a Coral Cup!

2022-12-10T12:39:27+00:00December 10th, 2022|

Cheltenham

Unfortunately, Doncaster, Cheltenham, Navan and Hereford are all abandoned and the racing review is limited this week. I did notice a horse yesterday however that should definitely be aimed at the Coral Cup.

Indefatigable finished 8th of 8 yesterday at Cheltenham over 3m having been held up and not picking up when they got racing on the flat (last 2 hurdles were omitted due to low sun). Her last 2 efforts now over 3m have seen her finish last of 8 and last 6 and hopefully connections realise she doesn’t stay 3m as well as she does over the 2 1/2 mile trip. She was beaten yesterday […]

What tactics will they go with?

2022-12-09T14:18:18+00:00December 9th, 2022|

Cheltenham

12:40 Monmiral wins this surely. It should be easy against 2 other rivals who are not as classy. His effort behind Jonbon was probably a very good effort!

1:15 I’m going to side with Gumball here who I think could be going for it. He’s had a run back over fences and actually turned into the straight at Ascot going as well as Thyme White, Before Midnight and Frero Banbou but appeared to get tired late on. Before that his previous start over fences over 2m came in the Grand Annual when sent off just 14/1 off a mark of 140. He disappointed when fading quickly coming to the […]

A winner for later this month & 2 for March!

2022-12-07T11:09:17+00:00December 7th, 2022|

A December winner & 2 for the Cheltenham Festival

Looking through the handicap marks this week, there are less horses this week that catch my eye having dropped in the handicap. I did have a look at a few such as Snow Leopardess and Hill Sixteen from the Becher Chase but feel the former is still feeling the affects of the National whilst the latter is still too high in the handicap.

Gunsight Ridge -1 to 136 – Target: Grand Annual at Cheltenham Festival

Olly Murphy stepped Gunsight Ridge back up in trip again and again it failed to work. I really hope Olly gives up with […]

Have the Skelton’s got a Grand National horse?

2022-12-05T16:48:22+00:00December 3rd, 2022|

Saturday 3rd December Review

Another great day for the Ratings!

We started in great style with Minella Crooner beating RTR 2 I Am Maximus and in total we had 16 TOP RATED winners from 43 races at a strike rate of 37.21%. These included the impressive Jonbon, Landrake in Ireland, Quick Wave in the London National and Ashtown Lad in the Becher Chase Saturday 3rd December Ratings – FULLY UNLOCKED

Crooner beats Maximus – JUST

The Ratings got off to a flyer with TOP RATED Minella Crooner beating RTR 2 I Am Maximus in the first race of the day (remember the ratings for the first race are […]

There are some crazily well handicapped horses!

2022-11-29T20:03:25+00:00November 29th, 2022|

These are so well handicapped!

Fiddlerontheroof -5 to 150

There’s no denying Fiddlerontheroof was disappointing this year in the Coral Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Newbury having finished 2nd last year. He had been given a fitness run over hurdles and came to Newbury looking like he had a great chance off a 5lb higher mark than last year. Pulling up was disappointing for connections and the handicapper has reacted by dropping him 5lb in one go. That’s quite a drop for a horse who just 3 runs ago was finishing 5th in a Grand National after being sent off just 12/1. I would argue last season he didn’t […]