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Having also backed Oath to win the 1999 Derby from stall one , I would suggest that Ryan Moore follows Keiren Fallon’s lead and more or less replicates the path he took on Henry Cecil’s colt .
Saxon Warrior all day long for me .
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Good riddance . Maybe , just maybe , as Matt Chapman said this afternoon , the leading bookmaker chains will start being bookmakers once again .
I have never played any of those machines but I have witnessed the human tragedy that can result from addiction to these machines .
Is it any wonder that no self respecting horse racing fans/punters have set foot in betting shops since the introduction of FOBTs .
Bookmakers are sounding the death knell of high street shops because of the newly set maximum stake : I would argue that they have been dying a slow death for many years now because of the FOBTs and the onset of internet gambling .
I think the correct step would have been to ban FOBTs completely from betting shops . The £2 maximum stake is a compromise that they will have to accept and adapt to , otherwise bring the shutters down and lock up the premises for good .
I , for one , won’t mourn their passing .
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
I think it’s all ground dependent . Footpad is among a select bunch I have backed NRNB , but he is by no means a good thing.
He has the beating of Petite Mouchir on their previous run , and on the evidence available , jumping ability .
But as we know , the Cheltenham hill is the greatest leveller of all , and bearing in mind that Petite Mouchir was a bit ring rusty last time out , and did out stay Footpad in last year’s Champion Hurdle , then it’s a tough one to call at this stage . It certainly looks like being a very intriguing contest indeed .
Hopefully the ground doesn’t get too soft , inhibiting Footpad’s chances , while enhancing Petite Mouchir’s .
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
There are certain trainers and jockeys I tend to avoid . Jonjo O’Neill is a trainer who doesn’t give a fig about punters and is very inconsistent . Jamie Spencer loathes punters : he’d rather win a seven horse Mickey Mouse race round Southwell on a 20/1 shot than a ride the short priced winner of stakes race at Ascot .
I never bet on those individuals’ horses .
When I asked a good friend of mine , a bookmaker of over 30 years , what his opinion of Jonjo O’Neill was , he replied , ” a wee fly man ! ” I’m sure others may disagree .
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
TOP NOTCH all day long for me . He is the speed horse in the race , a really fine jumper , gutsy , and has the added advantage of liking Ascot .
I am an admirer of Waiting Patiently and he should put up a good show . Although he won quite impressively in his previous race , I just felt that he ran in snatches during the race , and wasn’t as fluent over the fences as I’d hoped for . I expect Cheltenham in March will be more to his liking .
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Samcro : shades of Golden Cygnet the way he won there . This horse is earmarked to go jumping . I hope connections stick to hurdles for a little while yet . Potential superstar .
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Matt Chapman looking sheepish as he flogged a dead horse . Faugheen’s goose has been cooked . We have seen the very best of him . The race was his for the taking today but he didn’t have enough speed left over the minimum trip to Get the better of an out and out stayer
The Champion Hurdle is now a foregone conclusion .
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Probably a contentious choice , but my “under-rated ” horse has to be Best Mate .
Often berated by those self proclaimed students ( and professors ) of the form book , I think Henrietta Knight’s 3 times Cheltenham Gold Cup winner was not only a smashing looking horse but he had exceptional ability and would have held his own against most other Gold Cup winners , Arkle aside .
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Symptomatic of Mullins’ horses in the past few days . Faugheen never looked comfortable prior his pulling up . Any chance of re-capturing the Champion hurdle has now gone . I doubt he’d have beaten Buveur Dair in any case . Too early to write off Faugheen at this stage ; however , retirement would now seem a distinct possibility .
Nicky Henderson’s reigning Champion Hurdler will now go odds on . He won’t be beaten if completing the race .
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Horse : Enable – no contest .
Jockey : Ryan Moore – a class above the rest .
Trainer : Aiden O’Brien – ditto
Broadcaster : Mick Fitzgerald .
Poster of the year : Hmmm , its getting a bit like tv’s soap opera awards where it is becoming obvious that a select few construct their posts with the Xmas awards uppermost in their minds . For that reason , I’ve jettisoned the lot of them
However , one poster seems to have fended off the slings and arrows with a mixture of stoicism and rancour , and many of his opinions on certain subjects I find myself agreeing with .
So,take a bow , Steve Caution . You’ve got my vote .That said , I must put in a special word for my favourite poster , who like myself , doesn’t post as often as he should.
I can easily spot a fellow intellectual 5 furlongs away. This man is not only erudite and knowledgeable but but has a command of the English language and English grammar that is second to none on these pages – and he has A very dry sense of humour , which I love . My honorary Xmas present of 2017 goes to … drum roll … Drone .
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Another racing great departs this vale of tears . Sad .
A master trainer of the old school who struck up a very good partnership with Pat Eddery . Joe Mercer , of course , rode for him too .
We all know how good Grundy was but perhaps the easiest winner he ever trained was the 1970 1,000 Guineas winner , Humble Duty , who won that classic , ridden by Lester Piggott , in an absolute hack canter . Still the easiest winnerof that classic race I’ve seen . If you haven’t seen it , do yourself a favour and check it out on YouTube .
RIP Mr Walwyn OBE
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
1. No
2. Yes
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5. Yes
6. No
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8. Yes
9. No
10. Yes
11.Yes
12. Yes
13. Yes
14. No
15. Yes
16. YesGambling Only Pays When You're Winning
I see this year’s renewal as a straight shootout between Might Bite and Thistlecrack . I like both horses very much but I just favour Nicky Henderson’s horse , who looks to have real touch of class about him .
I can’t see Douvan turning up for this . I am a huge admirer of the giraffe legged flying machine , but truth be told , his jumping remains a concern . Mr. Mullins will , i’m sure , be trying to address that problem .
Unless Douvan comes back jumping fences like Tingle Creek , then he could very well turn into the modern day version of Carvill’s Hill .
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Well done the O’Briens . They have emulated another O’Brien father and son duo by taking first and second in a major race : David O’Brien , of course , trained Secreto to beat his father’s EL Gran Senor in the 1984 Derby .
Although I have attended The Melbourne Cup , it is not a race which gets me over excited . I suppose I can say the same thing about all handicap races on the flat . I put it down to the paucity of class among most of the runners . Rekindling was easily the best horse in this field , even though he could hardly win an argument in Europe all season – he finished 16th of 18 in our Derby , albeit he did improve by stepping up in trip . The same can be said of Johannes Vermeer . A wise decision to book Aussie jockeys for both horses.
Anyhow , congratulations to the backers of Rekindling . He was always travelling smoothly throughout the race and showed true grit and tenacity to get the better of Johannes Vermeer.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
I think Cue Card is quite capable of winning this – well , I hope he does as I cannot see him winning another competitive race this season .
Colin Tizzard should have him spot on for this .
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
As another who has followed Ribchester this season I am loathe to abandon him now – but abandon him I must , and bet against him I will , if so inclined .
I simply cannot envisage a horse who likes a good galloping track with a bit of cut handling or enjoying the firm surface and tight turns of Del Mar . Ribchester is one to lay , I reckon .
So , in keeping with the belief that the home contingent will be hard to beat in all but a couple of races , I have to side with the improving grey , World Approval , who handles the tight turns well and is tough as old boots .Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
