(18/03 15:20) 3:20 Cheltenham : Big Bucks Win @ 1.83

Horse Racing

Having tried to find another alternative to Big Bucks i just find it impossible! He is a standout in this race and while Karabak and Tiday Bay are sure to make a race out of it they should be fighting out for second place and i see no real evidence to suggest Big Bucks is going to be dethroned from his chair as the best staying hurdler in the world today.. Comes here undefeated over hurdles and 7 pounds clear of anything in the race.. I go maximum bet of 5 points WIN on Big Bucks and looks value at near EVENS!

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(18/03 14:40) 2:40 Cheltenham : Barbers Shop Win nap @ 7.08

Horse Racing

I think the Queens horse Barbers Shope could be the way to go in the Ryanair Chase this afternoon for Barry Geraghty and Nicky Hendersen.. On two runs this year behind Denman and Kauto Star i put him marginally ahead in what looks a very difficult race to solve..

In the Hennessy back in November when 4th behind Denman i was impressed with the way he stuck with Denman travelling so well till the second last and did well to finish 4th beaten only 6 lengths in the end.. Concidering he was giving 4 pounds to a subsequent Grade 1 winner in Ireland, What A Friend, i rate that high class form as he was only 3 lengths behind that one! And a short head behind the 3rd who was in receipt of 10 pounds! The shorter trip will suit im sure and it could be that this sort of trip is where we see the best of him as im convinced he has shown us yet! Impossible task latest when behind Kauto Star off levelk weights at Kempton but i can forgive him for that as he was otherwise a good third beaten only a length by Madison Du Berlais who is no slouch on a going day!

On closer examination of his winning form it could be worth noting that he has only won once on ground worse than good to soft and that was when winning a bumper in Wincanton.. His other 5 wins have been on a sounder surface which should leave him in with a big shout today!

In a race where there is real value to be had im sticking with a 2Pts WIN at 6/1 on the Queens Barber Shop who will love the ground and trip!

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(18/03 13:30) 1:30 Cheltenham : The Hollinwell EW @ 10.03

Horse Racing

People may find it strange that i have gone for my win bet on Jered even though my main fancy for the race is the Hollinwell who is 5 SPs shorter in the current market! I think Jereds a bet to nothing.. If he shows his hurdling form on this sounder surface he will pick them up and carry them, if he doesnt he could well be last, but The Hollinway is a banker Each Way and if the reports coming from the Murphy camp about how well this one is working, well then i find it hard to see it been out of the first 4 and could make for a nice chunky each way bet!

The Hollinway always promised to deliver more over fences than he did over hurdles and he has looked very promising in his 3 career starts over fences to date.. He is a winner of two of them and was only beaten in a muddling 4 runner affair at Hexham by Abbeybraney who is curently rated alot higher than the Hollinway who is currently rated 138 and was only beaten 3 lengths that day with a further 86 lengths back to third! Its hard to tell how good the novice form up north is but the reports are good and Ferdy has his team in good nick!

As i said The Hollinway looks a good each way bet and im going 3Pts Each Way in the opening Jewsons Novice Chase on this potential improver!

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(18/03 13:30) 1:30 Cheltenham : Jered Win @ 15.00

Horse Racing

In the opening race of the Cheltenham World Hurdle card im going to side with Jered at 14/1 for Noel Meade and Tony McCoy.. It would be great for Noel Meade to get a winner after Go Natives disappointment on Monday and Tony McCoy has really been at his best this week! I think Jered is much more effecive on a sounder surface and in his novice hurdling days he won two Graded races including a Grade 1 over 2 miles at the Punchestown festival on good ground.. He has yet to meet a good surface this year over fences and im sure there will be plenty of improvement to come this afternoon..

His races this season over fences have really worked out and he has already beaten Lenabane this year by 11 lengths off level weights at Punchestown and is getting 2 pounds off that rival today which gives you an idea of how well he looks treated.. 5 winners have come from his Beginners Chase win at Punchestown where he again beat Lenabane (by 4 this time) but beat a really nice type from the Jim Dreaper team in Telenor by 24 lengths.. That one has franked the form in a big way and concidering these runs were all on a heavy surface im excited to see what he can produce today!

The novice races in Ireland this season are looking a good bit better than the British ones, looking at the winner of the arkle and the RSA chase and i believe this will go the way of the Irish.. 1Pt win on Jered could be the way to go!

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(18/03 14:05) 2:05 Cheltenham : Time Electric EW @ 21.00

Horse Racing

After a miserable days handicapping yesterday im back for another crack and one of my stronger fancies of the day comes in the Pertemps Final where im expecting a massive run from Time Electric this afternoon for the Tom Mullins team who saddled Tavern Times to be a very game fourth in yesterdays extremely competiitve bumper..

Time Electric has plenty of form in Irelan that would give him a good shout, but for me, his last run at Cheltenham in November entitles him to be alot shorter than 20/1 and it is a race that is working out very well.. The selection finished 5th (beaten only by 5 lengths) behind the well handicapped at the time Lie Forrit who was running that day off a mark of 132.. That one has followed up impressively subsequent to that run and in now rated 155 and concidering my selection was giving him 9 pounds that day and is only rated 138 i think hes on a very fair mark.. 3 runners in that Cheltenham race went on to win there next start which also adds a bit of substance to the form.. His form n Ireland looks rock solid aswell and i was very taking with him in this years Galway hurdle when 5th behind Bahrain Storm out of 20 and im not sure things went his way that day and he could have been alot closer on another day! Although there are probably safer, more unexposed rivals in this race for the WIN bet, in my opinion that Galway form is enough to see him sneak a place at the least today!

The selection as i mentioned hasnt been seen since that Cheltenham run in November but i expect Tom Mullins has him in very good order.. He has yet to race ver todays trip off 3 miles but looked to stay every yard off 3m2f on his last start o that is a positive if anything 3 miles will be ideal! The better ground will be a big plus for me as the most impressive i have seen him was when winning his bumper in devastating fashion on a decent surface.. At 20/1 i make him my 1Pt Each Way in the Pertemps Final in another tricky handicap..

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(17/03 15:20) 3:20 Cheltenham : Kalahari King Win @ 6.13

Horse Racing

Having already done Twist Magic each way in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham this afternoon im willing to side with Kalahari King to get the job done as my WIN selection and i thnk at around the 5/1 mark hes good value for Murphy and Graham Lee too overturn teh Champion Master Minded!

Kalahari King put in a real top effort when winning a handicap at Doncaster earlier in the new year and concidering he wasnt 100% right for that race you cant help but be impressed with the way he jumped and gallped right to the line for Graham Lee on the day beating a nice field off top weight! Master Minded and Big Zeb arent the most reliable for me this year and im willing to take them on..

My suggestion is to go 1Pt WIN on Kalahari King to upset the favorite!

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(17/03 17:15) 5:15 Cheltenham : Tavern Times EW @ 11.00

Horse Racing

The champion Bumper looks a particularly tricky race to solve this year with little separating the first 7 or 8 in the betting.. At the prices im going to side with the Tom Mullins trained Tavern Times who looks certain to run his race this afternoon at decent odds and he is one of the only few runners in the race with good form on good ground..

The selection has raced only once and that was at Fairyhouse on good ground over 2 miles last October.. The race has worked out extremly well and the second that day Old McDonald has won on his only start to date since that bumper as too have 6 of the other runners from the 16 runner field which for me is an impressive stat and is arguebly the best form on offer concidering how easily the selection won the race for Paddy Mullins..

There are others in the race with similar profiles and plenty of these bring winning form into the race which is always important but there are too many negatives surrounding a few of those at the top of the market! If Dermot Weld thought either Hidden Universe or Elegant Concorde was better than the other he wouldnt be racing the two and for me thats a fact.. There both clearly talented horses judging on there wins this season but i dont think either have that little bit extra needed to win a tough gruelling bumper at the festival.. Shot From The Hip is clearly well thought of but im willing o scrap him on the basis his jockey is the worst ive seen in a finish and doesnt have a great action.. Al Ferof has come from Ireland to Paul Nichols stable but i dont think his form is all that good and he is very beatable and i dont think he will be changing trainer Paull Nicholls luck in the race.. He is a potential star over fences in teh future for teh Hales team however!

My suggestion is keep it safe and go for a lumpy 2pts Each Way bet on Tavern Times at the prices!

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(17/03 14:05) 2:05 Cheltenham : Finians Rainbow Win @ 7.50

Horse Racing

In the Neptune Hurdle i have already sided with Some Present at 33/1 Each Way but as i mentioned in that blog, for the winner i see this going only one of three ways and Rite Of Passage, Quel Espirit and Finians Rainbow are definitly the ones to be looking at for the win.. I have sided with Finians Rainbow on the basis that he has alot less negatives about him than the other two and reports coming from the Hendersen camp are that this one is pretty decent..

Rite Of Passage is a concern for me as he is clearly the most talented horse in the race but connections will be sending him flat racing in the summer regardless of how he runs in this race and i just worry if he is as good over hurdles as he is on the flat.. He has won two ordinary races here on bad ground over hurdles and those races arent exactly working out to be all that strong.. Quel Espirit is clearly well thought off but Willie Mullins has said that this one will be better on a softer surface and i feel that could cost him today as Finians Rainbow has been crying out for this type of ground..

The selection has to turn around form with Reve De Sivola on there meeting at Newbury earlier on the year.. The ground was blamed that day and Barry feels that on this better ground he will turn around that form and that is good enough for me.. Apart from that run hes unbeaten in three other starts including when winning his bumper last year at Kempton by 6 lengths beating a horse called Stoneys Treasure impressively.. On his first start over hurdles this season he continued his progression when beating Sereth cosily by 15 lengths at Newbury on good to soft ground.. He was then beaten in a Grade 1 as i mentioned by Reve De Sivola but looked as good as ever when meeting better ground on his next and last start at Ascot when easily beating a 7 runner field in impressive fashion..

He hasnt beaten much in his races but he has so much of improvemnet left in him and the better ground and trip should be ideal this afternoon.. Hes extremly well thought of by Barry Gerathy and he should give the top 2 in the market something serious to think about! My suggestion in the Neptune Hurdle is go 1Pt Each Way on Some Present and go 2Pts WIN on the progressive Finians Rainbow at a nice price..

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(17/03 14:40) 2:40 Cheltenham : Punchestowns Win @ 4.00

Horse Racing

In the big race of the day for me, The RSA Chase, i had a hard time splitting the Hendersen pair of Long Run and Punchestown who are both high class chasers but i just sided marginally for Punchestowns on the basis he has the proven Grade 1 form in the book against the very best opposition over hurdles and he has started really well over fences so far.. I dont buy into this crack about Punchestown not been a fluent jumper! Kauto Star was prone too making mistakes in his younger years and it didnt make him any less of a good jumper and i believe Sandown is a track thats fences really tests a Novice and i believe that mistake may have been the kick he needed as he jumped superbly from there on in!

On hurdles form from last year he is the clear best of these and because of his size and scope he was always going to make into an even better chaser.. He has very good form at Cheltenham and was runner up to Big Bucks there twice last season when giving him weight in the Cleeve Hurdle and in the World Hurdle at last years festival.. He has done what was required off him in two starts to date over fences at Newbury and Sandown without having to impress to much to get the job done on both occasions.. He travelled extremly well however the last day at Sandown and was given an extremly confident ride by Barry who didnt even have to extend him fully to ease past Tchico Polos to win by 8 lengths..

We simply havent seen near the best of either Punchestowns or Long Run over fences this year but i have sided with the safer and better value of the two in Punchestowns and make him a 3Pt WIN in the RSA Chase and will be sticking with Diamond Harry Each Way off course aswell..

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(17/03 13:30) 1:30 Cheltenham : Pettifour EW @ 13.00

Horse Racing

Nigel Twiston avies always does well with his runners in these races and Petit Four on hurdles form could of picked this lot up and carried them around for 4 miles.. Sadly things have yet to go his way over fences but off level weights at this sort of grade i can see him running a bg race for an in form team who saddled stable star Kyber Kim to be a very good second in yesterdays Champion Hurdle..

Over hurdles the selection was as high as 160 on the ratings with a Grade 1 win as novice over 3 miles at Aintree to his name and even on chase ratings, though he has disappointed, he is still rated third best at 138 behind the Paul Nicholls trained Massasoit who tops this field at 141.. Very lightly raced and has won around Cheltenham over fences albeit in a weak 3 runner affair!

The conditions of this race should really suit my selection and he will stay the 4 miles well which is always the key to this race at Cheltenham.. At 12/1 he looks very good value for a place at least and my suggestion for the Challenge Cup is 1Pt Each Way on Petit Four at 12/1 with the 1Pt win on Any Currency!

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