Sneezy steps in for Dopey, everybody Happy: Cheltenham 2021

[Simon G]

Have absolutely written off the 1:20 due to the price on Envoi Allen, so with the ?10 back as cash deal I've just thrown it on Fusil Raffles at 16/1.

Had a couple of other nibbles as well with yesterday's win including Spiritofthegames at 16/1 in the 1:55 and Paisley Park at 2/1 in the 3:05 both e/w. If Paisley Park comes in, my cousin stands to win ?3,900 following a group bet he and 5 of his mates put on. They each threw in a tenner on Appreciate It, Sir Gerhard, Bob Olinger and Paisley Park. The cash-out is at about ?10k, but they're letting it run. I would be having kittens.

Today's Acca - 25p e/w, pays ?18,449.12 (I told you to stop laughing at the back yesterday):

1:55 - Imperial Alcazar - 5/1
2:30 - Min - 4/1
3:05 - Sire Du Berlais - 5/1
3:40 - Farclas - 11/2
4:15 - Roseys Hollow - 61
4:50 - Deise Alba - 8/1

[Third rate Leszno]

Two unavoidable work calls mean I'm going to be watching the first three on my phone while trying to keep track of who's saying what about legal gateways and data sharing agreements. Let's hope I remember to stay on mute...

Have done the obvious double on Envoi Allen and Paisley Park, I fancy The Shunter in the 3:40 as well as doing some smaller stakes and e-w bets.

1:55 Milliner
2:30 Dashel Drasher
3:05 Flooring Porter
3:40 Coole Cody

[steveeeeeeeee]

Sky Bet must've earned a fortune from Envoi Allen's fall. I lost ?10 on that race and another ?3 on others, leaving me with a profit of ?1 going into the final day.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Hmm, Ruby Walsh's fall at the last on the nailed-on favourite 4th of 4, that half the fucking country was on, isn't it. What awfully bad luck.

[Logan Mountstuart]

Well, I'm doing very nicely, thank you. ?25 up this week. My original ?50 investment with William Hill has now survived 17 Cheltenhams and has been great value for money, entertainment wise.

Backing decent, non - favourite, Irish horses each way seems to work for me.

[jwdd27]

Yep. They're not machines. That's jump racing.
The bookies will certainly be raising a glass to Jack Kennedy (again, he saved them before on Apple's Jade). But he's not a good enough jockey to stage a fall like that, particularly one where the horse nearly falls on him and he's at risk of being trampled to death. They're brave but not so brave that they deliberately jump off.

Bits of each way kept me afloat for the final day, albeit in a low key way.

Rachael Blackmore was truly masterful today - making all and destroying a top class field on Allaho in the Ryanair, and then holding up Telmesomethinggirl and threading her through the gaps late on, just when it seemed those tactics were pretty much defunct at the festival. Bravo. I was strong on A Plus Tard for the big one, but I'm now worried that the odds will collapse, or that her bubble will finally burst and ruin the story.

[Third rate Leszno]

I'm about even after 3 days, Flooring Porter was a welcome winner and I also got bits back on Coole Cody and The Shunter. Not really sweet on anything tomorrow, will have a look in the morning and do a few for the interest though.

[jwdd27]

Day 4 - Gold Cup Day

For me it's the day when I start to think about going back to work next week, and my next week off isn't until July. I just need one good winner. Today, like yesterday, I stuck it on record and took myself off to the allotment and caught up when I got back. I get a bit revved up watching it live, god knows what I'd be like if I was betting proper amounts (I have colleagues on the same wage as me who are staking ?50 on races, winning and losing hundreds. No thanks.)

1.20 Triumph Hurdle
This race has been heartbreaking the past two years - hot favourite Sir Erec went fatally wrong on the flat in 2019, and then Goshen last year. But it's still one of my favourites, the top juvies and a good mix of Irish bred for jumping types, British ex flat hopefuls, and French and German unknowns who you know were jumping fences almost from being foaled.
They've only really raced against their own types, so they're difficult to quantify. Zanahiyr is a hot favourite from good performances in Ireland, but the hype is mainly based on sectional timings, and I like seeing the stopwatch boys proved wrong, so I'll go for home favourite Tritonic, very impressive in his prep and an Alan King horse. Quillixios is the only other real alternative to the fav, and has the advantage of Blackmore on board, although she's not ridden him before, he was an Elliott removal.

1.55 County Hurdle
Another 26 runner stramash, where you can make a case for most so you're just as well picking a name you like. The Skeltons have been successful in recent years, and Third Time Lucki carries their hopes, but they are never lucky, or lucki for me. I'm guessing at Cayd Boy, towards the top of the handicap but lightly raced, and Gowel Road, well handicapped and the Twiston-Davies partnership are better for me than the Skeltons.

2.30 Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle
I really like Alaphillipe, who has so far shown the same qualities of determination and will-to-win as the cyclist he is named for. And Feargal O'Brien's Twitter feed is always entertaining, be nice for him to win a big one. Torygraph hasa good chance for Sneezy Foster if Kennedy can stay on board.

3.05 Gold Cup
Al Boum Photo stands on the brink of history, but would go down as the least celebrated triple winner ever. Partly because he hardly ever runs, especially in the UK, also because he's a bit dull in racing style - solid jumper, stays, does enough. Also the pandemic's domination of last year and this year takes away some lustre. He's got a solid chance and deserves to be favourite, although he now shares the honour with A Plus Tard. Rachael Blackmore would be the first female Gold Cup winner, and De Bromhead would be the first trainer to take all three championships in the same year, but there's no reason why that shouldn't happen, and good ground should make it less of a test of APT's newly found staying credentials. Minella Indo loves Cheltenham and should hit the frame. Champ's jumping is not good enough and the rest are too slow, want mud, won't stay, or combinations of all three.

3.40 Hunters Chase
Formerly known as the Foxhunters, but now changed to reflect the times. Cheltenham is woke. These are the big, slow veterans who can jump a fence and stay. I think a quick course will benefit the younger ones, so both my selections are single figures age wise. Red Indian would be an awkwardly named winner for the renamed race, but has a good chance. Chameron should put in a performance under Cobden.

4.15 Mares Chase
New for 2021, another mares race. Yawn. Elimay is a hot favourite for Mullins, of course, but I prefer Shattered Love, who has performed well here before, and Cabaret Queen, who is 33/1 but is a Mullins horse with Blackmore on board so has a squeak.

4.50 Martin Pipe Conditional Handicap Hurdle
And finally, a huge field ridden by inexperienced jockeys - I like to pick a couple of Hail Marys at long odds to dig myself out, it's worked once in 30 years. Fire Attack is my "proper chance" and my final JP O'Brien dig, while I like Whatsupwithyou and And The New, both of which are currently 50/1.

I'm just glad it's nearly all over. But I can't wait for next March.

[Third rate Leszno]

Usually the day I look forward to the most, but the Gold Cup field is so underwhelming that it's taken the edge off for me. Will probably back Al Boum Photo as it looks like the safe choice and has done nothing to suggest it won't be as good as last year.

Otherwise, I'm also keen on Alaphilippe and Tritonic and got on You raised me up at 11s (backed down to 7/1 currently).

[Simon G]

Day 4 - Gold Cup Day

4.50 Martin Pipe Conditional Handicap Hurdle
And finally, a huge field ridden by inexperienced jockeys - I like to pick a couple of Hail Marys at long odds to dig myself out, it's worked once in 30 years. Fire Attack is my "proper chance" and my final JP O'Brien dig, while I like Whatsupwithyou and And The New, both of which are currently 50/1.

I'm just glad it's nearly all over. But I can't wait for next March.

Two years in a row Pacha Du Polder won this race for me and the fact I can name that horse tells you how good those wins were.

Anyway, I was ?15 down yesterday, which put me ?1 up on the week, so here's today's disaster waiting to happen:

1:20 - Tritonic - 7/2 - Single

Accumulator (E/W):
1:55 - Third Time Lucki - 7/1
2:30 - Torygraph - 6/1
3:40 - Billaway - 3/1
4:15 - Elimay - 4/5
5:50 - Commandingpresence - 22/1

And an each-way Lucky 15:
1:55 - Champagne Gold - 11/2
2:30 - Stattler - 9/2
3:40 - Mr Mantilla - 25/1
4:15 - Elimay - 4/5

For the Gold Cup I'll probably go Al Boum Photo - but I'm leaving that decision for later.

[Logan Mountstuart]

Blew my advantage completely today. Alaphilippe 5th. 2nd in the first. Had Frodon each way and went bigger than I normally do. To assuage my nerves I chucked a Euro on Native River to win becos of good memories.

Bastard crept up to pip Frodon for 4th.

Absolute mugs game, but I survive to fight another Cheltenham as always.

Next year I am finally determined to go. Would love to meet any other OTFers there for the dy.

[jwdd27]

I've crawled from the wreckage about ?70 down, but all my Cheltenham pot was the bookies money anyway that I'd gained from various bonuses, so I'm no worse off.

I was cheering on Minella even though APT would have won me a fair bit more, and the 50/1 e/w on Whatsupwithyou at least kept some money in my pot.

As it's Friday night I put together a couple of Dundalk L15s, and got 40/1 place, 16/1 win in the first two. Where's that been all week?

[johnr]

My money - albeit very small beer - was wiped out. As usual at Cheltenham, I can't pick my nose.

Still, Uttoxeter tomorrow!

[Simon G]

I think the less said about today the better. I've finished the week ?16 down, but such is life. I got a bit excited after Wednesday and came crashing back down yesterday and today.

Back to the 50p football accumulators from tomorrow.

It's been emotional.

[Third rate Leszno]

Bugger all from the first 4 races, didn't want to go out like that so had ten bob e-w on a 16/1 shot in the Hunters and.... the little beauty (Porlock Bay) went and won! Stuck some of the winnings on the next (Colreevy) and that came in too. Finished the week around 4 quid up, so that'll be a nice float for the next few weeks 'both teams to score' acca's.

[steveeeeeeeee]

I had ?1 profit to play with yesterday and stuck it on a Blackmore e/w treble, but her ride on Champagne Gold ruined that. So I leave with the ?30 pot I came in with, which ain't bad, I suppose.

Blackmore has made this a memorable festival, Envoi Allen's fall a forgettable one.

[jwdd27]

The almost total Irish domination was another talking point, summed up by Champ and Santini completely shitting the bed on the first circuit in the big one.

The horses that Mullins and De Bromhead had meant that they were always likely to do well, but I think the Irish Covid isolation in their "village" also contributed and made it more like an international competition with a team ethic and mutual support.

Plus the prize money is better in Ireland, making the racing more competitive than the dross in this country.

Not bothered where they come from myself, just want them to win me money, which they don't on the whole.