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With Cheltenham over, how did people’s week go?
I was there all 4 days – I only bet small stakes and it was a fairly typical week:
Tuesday: One winner (Champagne Fever) and a couple of places for a small loss.
Wednesday: Skinner. Only one place (P’tit Zig) for a big loss.
Thursday: Screamer with 4 winners (Benefficient, Solwhit, Cue Card and Same Difference) to get back all losses from the first two days and get a little bit in front. Also backed Captain Sunshine who could have made it an epic day.
Friday: 2 winners (Ted Veale and Bobs Worth) for a small profit. Had Oscar Delta/Salsify forecast
That for me is a typical Cheltenham. Always one skinner and usually one good day. The week usually hinges on whether the other two days are in the red or black…..
i didnt bet much i had hurricane fly the first day and a couple of small placed eachway bets i also bet back in focus and bobs worth was my other winner i only done one multiple bet and that was a 5 pound accum on hurricane fly, sprinter sacre, cue card, our connor ,and gevrey chambertin
I had a great week,
Tuesday – 3 winners – Champagne Fever, Simonsig & Quevega
Wednesday – 3 winners – Back in Focus, The New One & Sprinter Sacre
Thursday – No winners from 2 bets
Friday – 4 winners – Our Conor, At Fishers Cross, Bobs Worth & Salsify with 3 placed.
If only I was that sucessfully every Cheltenham
It was the inverse of my usual Cheltenham story. I tend to pride myself on solving one or two of the big handicaps to compensate my usual ineptness with Grade 1s. Only one handicap winner this time, but loads of big race winners.
I bet in cheeseburger stakes, so the satisfaction is more about finding winners than profit for me.Day 1 – Had the obvious ones. Annoyed to have changed my mind and jumped off Champagne Fever, but Simonsig, Hurricane Fly and ‘the bank of Quevega’ made up for it.
Day 2 – Solid but nothing spectacular. Back In Focus was my biggest bet of the day, had the exacta in the Champion Chase plus the Coral Sprinter Sacre offer. On the flip side, I lost a chunk of it on Hadrian’s Approach and was nowhere near in the handicaps.
Day 3 – Worst day of the week. Not a single winner and wiped out most of the profit. Divers, Sam Winner and Wonderful Charm were the biggest hits.
Day 4 – Rallied to come out quite well ahead with Bobs Worth, Alderwood, At Fishers Cross, Salsfify and Shadow Catcher.
I also won a little side-bet running through Nathan’s competition against a couple of friends, which obviously means much more in the banter stakes.
Absolute disaster – my worst Cheltenham in 40 years.
Over the four days I lost 61 points, and had only one winner, Same Difference.
I had a couple of seconds and thirds, but generally I was never near the mark.
My major bet, Overturn, ran a stinker on Day One and that kind of set me up for the week.
I thought the handicaps this year were particularly fiendish, and even my old friend Hugh Taylor went through all four days without returning a bean.
Enjoyed the racing, some cracking stuff! Some exciting finishes and some stupendous performances, those of Sprinter Sacre (best I’ve seen for donkey’s years) and Our Conor standing out.
Bettingwise started well enough with Champagne Fever at 8.6, but went downhill from there with consecutive seconds in Captain Sunshine at 20 and Celestial Halo at 50 summing things up… Thankfully made it back and some more on Lingfield and Uttoxeter today!
Roll on Aintree or, the way things have been going recently, the next Lingfield all-weather meeting
Rob
Really enjoyed it although I wasnt at the course even though i live there. Hid from the results during the day and just watched the replays after each day at work.
only had 25/50p’s just for a bit of fun although i did an antepost on The New One for bigger stakes
Flagged up to me as a machine after watching him closely – knowing what race he was going for and the preferred ground flagged it up to me earlier in the season. Im not a big Antepost fan but had some dabbles on Saintuaire Flemenstar Cape Trib and The Giant Bolster. Did the Coral 20 on SS – enough said 
The most fun I had was picking the horses for he comp – many thanks to nathan – without much money lost backing them. Maybe I have used up my luck with the 50-1 nap i had in the comp (only had 50p on it but had it in a forecast and the 2nd horse came nowhere – Venita has a good record in that race)
Also had Celestial Halo and the French horse that came 2nd to Quevega – never been so pleased to come second
Other winners in the RSA and Alderwood. Switched off Champagne Fever and it duly won – the never change your mind saying comes to mind
Deserted Cue Card – should have know better as his form with the Beast is well known.
Some great new Stars to get our teeth into – bring on next year
A thread for aftertimers of the highest order but a decent bet on Champagne Fever at 9/1 then Golden Chieftain at 40/1 put me well up after 3 races. Rock on Ruby would have been the icing on the cake but not to be.
Wednesday was break even due to a decent good bet on The New One. The one that got away was the RSA as I had Boston Bob and Lyreen Legend but struck off Lord Windermere. Also 2nd & 3rd in the NH chase but win only.
Thursday was a loss with the only return being Berties Dream each way at 40/1 thanks to Bet365 paying first 5 places. Reve De Sivola was a disappointment as I went in pretty big at 6/1 in the morning. Super Duty getting done a nose summed the day up.
Friday started with Far West 2nd then a decent bet on Ted Veale. I did Far West with Hills so I had a free bet on Alderwood in the last which came in. My nap being Tatenen who ran well to be 6th at 50/1.
Yet again Cheltenham proved to look beyond the obvious, for every Hurricane Fly there’s a Dynaste and don’t be afraid to back up to 3/4 in a race, especially the handicaps, if the value is there to be had.
From a punting perspective my worse Cheltenham ever.
The absolute worse ones being:-
My Tent Or Yours, Zarkandar and Overturn on day one
Ponte Alexandre (I knew my fate in the parade ring with that one), Boston Bob and Unioniste on day two
Dynaste, First Lieutenant, Reve De Sivola (my betting "banker" of the meeting) and Sacree Tiepy on day three
Inish Island and Silviniaco Conti yesterday.
My only "salvation" was Our Conor yesterday.
Ironically, of the 13 races where I managed to get to see the runners in the parade ring, I managed to "paddock pick" eight winners but the only one I actually backed was Our Conor.
Despite it being a loser financially, I loved nearly all the racing and would have paid an arm an leg to watch the Quevega and Sprinter Sacre races.
Quevega’s win reminded me of Sea The Stars win in the Arc, coming from a seemingly impossible position to win the race. I must admit I did think she was too short a price before the race.
I also know Sprinter Sacre was "free money" but it was a race I just wanted to watch and enjoy as a spectacle, without any financial interest and I wasn’t disappointed.
I do a little Placepot each day and so pleased that I won £74.22 on Thursday. Cheltenham is so challenging! Quite a few placed but only one winner – that brave little stalker Bobs Worth!
Down a few quid until Drumshambo 25-1 in the last, just held on for 4th.Using local bookies offers helped a bit, eg, 5th the odds in the big hanicaps, and money back if 2nd to favourite.
But, as ever, a fantastic meeting, can’t wait till next yearMy worst Cheltenham in over 40 years.
Highlights
Backed Back In Focus,who I thought was a lucky winner
I place layed a few .
Lowlights
My biggest bet was on First Lieutenent,I could have backed it money back if second,so no excuses there I was stupid I backed Matuhi @ over 10/1 for a place but feel more sorry for connections.If you go to back a certainty always buy a return ticket.
It was also my worst Cheltenham as far as betting goes but I think that is because I very rarely back irish horses at the festival.
was doing badly first few days but then friday got me out of a hole. had double our conor/bobs worth. about a grand up overall.
Tuesday – super day ith 4 winners in a £1 lucky
Wednesday – The winner of the bumper helped make it profitable.
Thursday – Worst day with a couple of places
Friday – Gold cup winner helped but still made a loss
Overall about a 20% profit on stakes made, which is better than average but as usual thought the racing was super.
Back to work tomorrow
Had three sort of "free" winners.
Champagne Fever for risk-free £10 based on Betfairs offer to "refund your losses up to £10" – well they didn’t need to.
Celestial Halo £5 each way using a £10 free bet from Sky Bet for signing-up with them to view Sporting Life’s video replays. If only he’d won!!!
Sprinter Sacre found £20 on the street … well Corals evens offer was as good as
I bet in cheeseburger stakes, so the satisfaction is more about finding winners than profit for me.
I backed Matuhi @ over 10/1 for a place but feel more sorry for connections.
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