Cheltenham - Day 2 - Wednesday

1:30 - Teaforthree
2:05 - Monksland
2:40 - First Lieutenant
3:20 - SE
4:00 - Cape Dutch
4.40 - Gorgeous Sixty / Kazlian
5:15 - Village Vic

1:30 - Alfie Spinner
2:05 - Cotton Mill
2:40 - Join Together
3:20 - SE
4:00 - Abergavenny
4.40 - Ardlui
5:15 - Village Vic

Here's my selections for the day

2.05

MONKSLAND 11/2

I'm quite sweet on the chances of Noel Meade's 5 year old who has won on his 3 starts to date. On his 3rd and final start, Monksland fulfilled the promise connections knew he possessed when a very impressive winner on heavy ground when scooting clear of the field at ease in a Grade 2. The form of that race looks very strong with the 2nd Lyreen Legend winning a Grade 2 himself impressively in the interim period and I think this horse may be a little bit special. His trainer Noel Meade says he is certain to improve for the better ground and although current favourite Simonsig will be hard to beat, I'm confident Monksland can land this race under the guidance of Paul Carberry.


2.40

GRAND CRUS 11/8

Pretty surprised to see Grand Crus available at such a big price and with connections seriously considering entering this novice chaser into the Gold Cup until the last minute. David Pipe's 7 year old is unbeaten over fences in 3 starts, beating the 2nd favourite in this race Bobs Worth a shade cosily on his final start (although that rival has had a wind operation subsequently which should see him improve). He came 2nd to the amazing Big Bucks twice over hurdles last year and I'll be pretty surprised if he isn't good enough to win this.

3.20

SIZING EUROPE 10/11

All about the defending champion Sizing Europe for me here. Henry De Bromhead's 10 year old was an impressive winner of this race last year and seems to have improve again by slamming his opponents in the Tingle Creek back in December before easily beating what many believe to be his main rival Big Zeb at Punchestown last month. Although Big Zeb's connections believe the ground was too soft that day and Colm Murphy is fantastic at getting his horses ready for big races, I can't see the winner of this race in 2010 bettering his 2nd to Sizing Europe in this race last year. I'm not a fan of Finnian's Rainbow at all and I'll be very surprised if Sizing Europe isn't victorious for the 2nd consecutive year.

4.00

SON OF FLICKA NAP 40/1 & CARLITO BRIGANTE 16/1

SON OF FLICKA (NAP) is either going to go very close to winning or finish absolutely nowhere but I think that this could be a classic plot by Donald McCain. This 8 year old has been in absolutely terrible form this year but as a result he has become very well handicapped. 12 months ago Son of Flicka was seen finishing a narrowly beaten 2nd in the Martin Pipe Conditionals Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival off a 5lb higher mark when being beaten by the excellent Sir Des Champs. Sir Des Champs has since become an excellent chaser, winning his only 3 starts in that sphere to date which have included to Grade 2s. This, and previous efforts behind Russian War and Quartz De Thaix demonstrate that on his day he is a very talented horse and there was no fluke about his 2nd last year. I have a strong feeling that connections have had this race in their mind for quite a while and have tried to get his handicap mark down to a level that he looks thrown in on and it seems they have done that. With trainer Donald McCain in great form, with stable jockey Jason Maguire on for the first time since May 2010, with a record at Cheltenham of finishing beaten less than 1.5L on his 2 starts and with money coming I really think that he could be thrown in off his current mark and 40/1 could be made ridiculous at the end of the race tomorrow.

Another tough race with a massive 28 runners going to post. Not a race for big bets as there could easily be a horse in this race who is much better than his form figures. The second horse I'm siding with is CARLITO BRIGANTE, the winner of this race 12 months ago. This Gordon Elliot trained 6 year old was a very, very impressive winner of this race last year and despite having to carry a stone more in racing weight tomorrow under the welter burden of top weight, I am confident he is good enough to cope with this rise. In the 2 months after the festival last year Carlito Brigante demonstrated how classy an animal he truly is when posting an excellent 4th behind Big Bucks and Grand Crus at Aintree before bettering that result at the Punchestown Festival when finishing 3rd behind the extremely talented Quevega and Mourad and beating Voler La Vedette, who has won 2 Grade 2s and a Grade 1 subsequently. Although very poor in his only subsequent hurdles race back in October, I'm willing to overlook that latest effort. With a recent spin on the flat to get him race fit (ran very encouragingly), I'm confident he's been able to improve enough since last year now that he is a 6 year old and with Elliott's ability to get them ready for Cheltenham plus Carlito Brigante's affinity for the course he looks a very good e/w price.


4.40

ULCK DU LIN 12/1

Ulck Du Lin is a French recruit for the excellent Paul Nicholls stable who will be making his debut for this yard at the festival. With a handicap mark of 130 achieved in France, I'm convinced Nicholls has yet to run him in England to protect his mark specifically for this race and with the natural improvement he gets from similar recruits I think that a mark of 130 should be well within his capabilities and fancy him to go very close. Although Ruby Walsh has chosen Willie Mullins' Gorgeous Sixty Instead, Daryl Jacob is a more than capable jockey and Ruby may have decided to go with a horse who has form in the book.

5.15

COOL GEORGE 28/1

I have already backed the two horses battling for favouritism in this race in the shape of MOSCOW MANNON and NEW YEARS EVE at 16/1 and 25/1 respectively and although I think they will both take all the beating, I think the value in both horses no longer remains. One at a bigger price is unfancied trainer Miss Jackie Du Plessis' Cool George who was successful on his only start to date back in January. That day, Cool George never broke sweat as he came home a very facile winner by 9L and the form of that race looks pretty strong. The 2nd Umdachar won on his next start before coming a narrowly beaten 2nd in a Listed bumper at the weekend. Considering how easy a winner he was that day and with natural improvement, its really difficult to say how good this horse really is but if he was with one of the top trainers I think he's be at least half the price in the betting. This is a very open race but I couldn't help but be very impressed with him on his debut and it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if he goes very close to winning this at a big price.

This post has been deleted.

Drummerboy2 wrote: »

SON OF FLICKA NAP 40/1

Now 25/1 with Paddy Power

22/1 now , I stuck a small wager on horse based on Rossom's comments earlier , but reading his form over the last few races it is hard to see him in contention here , but lets see !

Tough day today... I can find valid reasons why Grand Crus and Sizing Europe won't win but then again there are just as many reasons as to why they will!

These are my picks anyway, I’m not overly happy with them all (haven’t picked any favs) so will probably wait until late on to decide what to do, possible Lucky 15 is in bold:

1.30 Teaforthree

2.05 Battonier
Cotton Mill (this is trained by one of Goldophins cheif men who took this horse from them to go jumping with I backed it last time out)

2.40 Bobs Worth
Cannington Brook (40/1 shot each way)

3.20 €1 Combined Tricast
Sizing/Finian Rainbow/Big Zeb
I reckon Finian will win

4.00 Megastar
Knight Pass
Silverhand
*depending on how I’m doing – small e/w bets on these

4.40 Edeymi
Kapga De Cerisy
Son of Flika
*again will make a call depending on how I’m doing

5.15 Many Clouds
Jezki
*fancy both of these so will prob have a fiver on each

My picks for today, not even a place yesterday so things can only get better.

Lucky 63:
Teaforthree 6/1
Sous Les Cieux 6/1
First Lieutenant 5/1
Finians Rainbow 5/1
Carlito Brigante 16/1
New Years Eve 6/1

Win (free bet from yesterday):
Harry the Viking 13/2

Treble ew:
Bobs Worth 4/1
Realt Dubh 20/1
Megastar 18/1

newuser89 wrote: »

I was going to back battonier
Now he's out I've looked at his stablemate who beat him by 5 lengths last time
He was receiving 5 pounds off battonier that day and today he receives 9 pounds from the field
@ 33/1 it's gd e/w value

Totally agree stuck a small bit e/w on last night at 50/1. Bennificent e/w might be worth a small bet also.

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Some of us are ladies:D

Byhookor orbycrook.Umh