The Cheltenham Festival Thread

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So I've got a 2,500 essay in for Friday, but I'm doing it today in order to free up Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for three days in the bookmakers.

Yep, it's the Cheltenham Festival, the best three days of horseracing in the calendar. I'm sure you've all been selling your kidneys and pimping your grannies in order to have the dollars to fund the week's betting, and here's a thread. Or maybe I'm the only one that cares.

So, obvious first question: can Best Mate, Rooster Booster, Moscow Flyer, and Barracouda all do the double? Bookies go 11/1 on the odds of this happening.

And... well, Arkle's tomorrow. Royaleety. 25/1. You heard it here first.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 15 March 2004 14:38 (twenty-two years ago)

i had to do some snazzy screens to advertise this for the bookies - they came out somewhat aviation style tho curiously

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 15 March 2004 14:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought this was going to be about the literary festival.

: (

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Monday, 15 March 2004 14:42 (twenty-two years ago)

The going will be good to soft, apparently. Which would hinder Best Mate, if it wasn't for the fact that he's actually got no competitors.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 15 March 2004 14:44 (twenty-two years ago)

i can't believe there's only 11 runners, it's a crap field, but then racing (and cheltenham in particular) likes its romantic moments...

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Monday, 15 March 2004 15:55 (twenty-two years ago)

by the way dom, i think this thread is likely to be you and me.

me saying "i've lost another bet" mainly...

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Monday, 15 March 2004 15:56 (twenty-two years ago)

A field of 11 where only one horse actually won its last race, don't forget.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 15 March 2004 15:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I guess you could be right Steve, but then again that cycling thread had about 50 responses, so who knows...

Who'd you fancy in the Champion Hurdle tomorrow, then? Rooster Booster (6/4), Rigmarole (7/2), Intersky Falcon (8/1), Specular (14/1), Limerick Boy (16/1), 22/1 bar.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 15 March 2004 16:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Thing is, its so hard to get excited about Best Mate this year, because a) only an idiot would bet on 1/2 and b) he's obviously going to win. Last year, 13/8, everyone and his dog had a big bet on him. Paid for a good night out he did last year. This year... well, unless Therealbandit makes McCoy not choke for once, it's not going to be pretty.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 15 March 2004 16:01 (twenty-two years ago)

ah, but it *is* going to be pretty, because best mate's going to come storming up the hill, with 100,000 cheering him on, and it'll go in the scrapbook next to dessie/arkle etcetc.

also as with istabraq three years ago, he might end up drifting out to at least evens, if everyone serious stops betting...

i had rooster booster last year i think, i won on the first four races somehow, unfortunately i only had a placepot on, never again...

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Monday, 15 March 2004 16:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm pretty sure that price will drift, because your punters won't take it. If it does go to... 4/5, maybe, then it will be a happy day for the fans. However, Desert Orchard always won over evens, didn't he?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 15 March 2004 16:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Intersky Falcon in the Champion hurdle

― chris (chris), Monday, 15 March 2004 18:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Can't wait to hit the bookies tomorrow perhaps. I have a good tip for Wednesday from my Dad, I'll let you all know once I check what it was again.

― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 15 March 2004 18:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Hasn't half of Ireland's population crossed the sea for the Festival anyway?

NUMBER OF WINNING HORSES TRAINED IN IRELAND (Ladbrookes)

Below four: evens
Over four: 11/8
Exactly four: 4/1

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 15 March 2004 19:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Champion hurdle won by Brother Eustace at 33's!!!!! my hoss came in third, so I'm glad I didn't put anything on it. Roosterbooster came in second at 11/8.

― chris (chris), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 15:35 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm waiting for some tips from usual sources before backing anything cos I'm on the breadline for Paddys Night tomorrow as things are.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 15:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Also I haven't had a decent winner since January.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 15:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Joy, I just had Forked lightning at 7:1, though I also did Kelami. And I did Rigmarole in the Champion. I'll have to wait till Thursday before deciding about Best Mate, because I like to see the horses close to the off. He should win, obviously, but isn't a price. I want him to win because it'll make him a ledge, and there are never many of those.

― Bunged Out (Jake Proudlock), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 16:33 (twenty-two years ago)

i haven't had a bet today as i am up to my eyes in course file and auditors :(

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 16:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I was on Brave Inca at 7/2, but it's all been downhill from there. £20 down.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 17:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Best Mate- best horse since Arkle?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 18 March 2004 16:09 (twenty-two years ago)

he won then?

i have not had a bet all festival for the first time in ten years...

there's no point if you can't see the races being run, in my 'umble hopinion :(

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Thursday, 18 March 2004 16:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Won by 3/4 length, but he didn't even break a sweat. I got a win on Iris' Gift as well, so I'm about £50 up on the festival. Happy days.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 18 March 2004 16:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I was in tears at Best Mate doing it. L E D G E N D! He's such a kind-eyed horse, so intelligent, ears pricked, loving the attention. You won't see a feat like that often in a lifetime - I don't remember a horse winning it twice, let alone three times. OK, people say he wouldn't beat Arkle, but that's not the point: he's the best of our era. The last great accomplishment like this was Dessie winning five King G's and a Gold Cup (he had no right to win the latter, being a right-handed horse. It's extraordinarily difficult to keep these animals fit and sound, let alone do these things again and again. Respect to the Hen.

Oh, what a beautiful day! With Iris's Gift and old Earthmover doing that Dessie thing of sticking their necks out, too. Nothing beats Cheltenham. Must go before I die..

― Bunged Out (Jake Proudlock), Thursday, 18 March 2004 17:50 (twenty-two years ago)

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