quevega

kildareman09

backed her at evns today nothing will get near her has many people backed her yet

Mr.Conners

Ya, Sparky May looked impressive enough in her last run but I still think Quevega is the best mare out of the lot. I'm expecting her to canter up the hill and fill my pockets

kildareman09

same as and is good news that our girl sally is out

mjp

Just after having what willl be my biggest bet of the week on the mare @ 11/10 with william hill. Am mad at myself for not backing him with boyles @ 10/11 who offer moneyback if he finishes second.......... Anyone looking to back him should be going to boyles as it is a great insurance to get moneyback for 2nd. Vibes coming from the Mullins stable is that he is a s good as he ever was and Willie will have him finely tuned up for tuesday and will take a serious horse to get the better of him.

Cant see the 10/11 last long tomorrow once the morning paper have the official announcement on Our Girl Salley's withdrawl

Nulty

Sparky May's Cheltenham Festival bid


By Gary Nutting 6/03/2011

It's the rags-to-riches story of the season, and it could have a fairytale ending when Sparky May bids to dethrone reigning Mares' Hurdle champion Quevega at Cheltenham.

Sparky, born, raised and trained on a Somerset farm, takes on a champion representing one of Europe's most powerful stables at the Festival next week.
Sparky May, so named because she was foaled in the spring close to an electric fence, is Pat Rodford's only Grade-class winner in a training career stretching back over 20 years and averaging just a handful of winners each season.
What's more, she's likely to be his last significant runner, because, aged 70, he's planning to hand over the reins at his Martock stable to his assistant, jockey Keiran Burke, in two months' time.
"It's a dream come true to have a horse like this, but every now and then in racing you get one that defies all logic and she's definitely something special," said Rodford.

"It's an amazing story because her owner Bill Muddyman bought her dam, Glassy Appeal, with the aim of breeding showjumpers.
"Bill was in America at the time, bought a few mares and it was pure chance that he sent them to me.
"He was the chairman of Fulham FC before Al Fayed bought the club, my son Neil was chief executive, and they got talking about horses one day. Neil mentioned that I might be interested in taking on the mares and the rest, as they say, is history.

"Glassy Appeal was the only one we thought might breed a racehorse, but her first foal, Morning Starlight, showed nothing in three outings and was quickly retired.

"But then Sparky May came along and she showed ability right from the start, finishing second at 66-1 on her debut in a bumper."
Rodford, whose only previous Festival runner Oats N Barley fell at the first hurdle, recalls with a smile that fateful night six years ago when he found the newborn Sparky May in one of his fields.

"It was pouring with rain and I wanted to check on the mare because I knew she was due to give birth any time," he said. "What I found when I got there was that the foal had rolled down a slope and was lying the other side of an electric fence. I pulled her back towards the mare and because it was wet, I got an electric shock - hence the name."
So rapidly has Sparky May improved over the last few months that her most recent win, at Ascot in January, saw her elevated to clear second favourite for the Mares' Hurdle.

The horse who finished second, Carole's Legacy, was runner-up to the Willie Mullins-trained Quevega at Cheltenham last year, and Sparky May beat her just as easily, in receipt of 5lb.
That performance prompted an immediate offer of £150,000 to buy Sparky May - "We could probably get even more for her" - but says, Rodford, this fairytale is not for sale.

Just watched her last race again aswell as the DN Mares Hurdle from last year....I wouldn't be betting heavily against her.

mdwexford

mjp wrote: »

Just after having what willl be my biggest bet of the week on the mare @ 11/10 with william hill. Am mad at myself for not backing him with boyles @ 10/11 who offer moneyback if he finishes second.......... Anyone looking to back him should be going to boyles as it is a great insurance to get moneyback for 2nd. Vibes coming from the Mullins stable is that he is a s good as he ever was and Willie will have him finely tuned up for tuesday and will take a serious horse to get the better of him.

Cant see the 10/11 last long tomorrow once the morning paper have the official announcement on Our Girl Salley's withdrawl

Mare means female.

minty16

What price Sparky May?

Johner

Best price 9/2.

UrbanSea

mdwexford wrote: »

Mare means female.

Was just about to say that.

Sparky May reminds me of Grands Cru.

itsnotmyfault

mjp wrote: »

Just after having what willl be my biggest bet of the week on the mare @ 11/10 with william hill. Am mad at myself for not backing him with boyles @ 10/11 who offer moneyback if he finishes second.......... Anyone looking to back him should be going to boyles as it is a great insurance to get moneyback for 2nd. Vibes coming from the Mullins stable is that he is a s good as he ever was and Willie will have him finely tuned up for tuesday and will take a serious horse to get the better of him.

Cant see the 10/11 last long tomorrow once the morning paper have the official announcement on Our Girl Salley's withdrawl

Boylesports offer of refunding 2nd place only applies to the first 4 races on the day 1 card. Mares(female) race is race 6th on the card so this offer does not apply.

minty16

I'm thinking that at 9/2 Sparky May is a fantastic e/w bet to nothing. Quevega is a worthy favourite but mares are known for going off the boil very quickly and Sparky May looks it will keep improving if nothing else.

UrbanSea

So couldn't you say Sparky May go off the boil as well? Can't apply it to Quevega without anything to show that she would,without applying it to others.

jimjackson

UrbanSea wrote: »

So couldn't you say Sparky May go off the boil as well? Can't apply it to Quevega without anything to show that she would,without applying it to others.

do she go in the mares hurdle or world hurdle?

UrbanSea

Mares

jimjackson

UrbanSea wrote: »

Mares

still entered in the Ladbrokes world hurdle at 170/1 so yes the mares:),Good luck

UrbanSea

She isn't still entered in it

jimjackson

showing on sporting life cards,probably not updated

http://horses.sportinglife.com/Racecards/0,12495,415465,00.html

UrbanSea

Sorry I thought we were on about Sparky May

jimjackson

Rumours going round That Quevega not doing very well at home and slight drift on betfair 21/20

kildareman09

the rumours are shes flying

Long Term Louth

jimjackson wrote: »

Rumours going round That Quevega not doing very well at home and slight drift on betfair 21/20

She was 6/5 & 11-10 last week with William Hills, so 21-20 is not drifting, Rumours are just rumours, can you produce evidence?

premierstone

jimjackson wrote: »

Rumours going round That Quevega not doing very well at home and slight drift on betfair 21/20

Same rumours surfaced last year and made her a great price, lightening seldom strikes twice, so take advantage and fill yer boots

klairondavis

Quevega did a sparkling piece of work at the Curragh last week.

Harry Angstrom

I remember on the morning of the Mares race last year, Quevega was drifting like a barge pole with Ladbrokes. They'd pushed her out to 9/4 if I remember rightly and they slashed the price of Voler La Vedette, but by racetime Quevega was very strong in the market again. Just goes to show how false rumours can get around. She looks a good thing to me, her form is way ahead of anything else in the race.

Does anybody know if bookmakers will be making a deduction from bets placed on Quevega last weekend when Our Girl Sally was still in the betting? I'm talking about from the time when they started to go "non runner / no bet".

jimjackson

premierstone wrote: »

Same rumours surfaced last year and made her a great price, lightening seldom strikes twice, so take advantage and fill yer boots

I know mate,all adds the build up.The price is short though dont you think

premierstone

jimjackson wrote: »

I know mate,all adds the build up.The price is short though dont you think

Double her up with Big Bucks, its an early Christmass present

jimjackson

premierstone wrote: »

Double her up with Big Bucks, its an early Christmass present

yeah,some firms were offering 5s

jimjackson

What injury did Quevega have back in May?? anyone know

Mr.Conners

jimjackson wrote: »

What injury did Quevega have back in May?? anyone know

I think that injury was in May 2009.

I heard Quevega did a lovely piece of work about 10 days ago, only a rumour but I still think she will take all the beating here, very good mare.

kildareman09

she had a leg

UrbanSea

I thought she had 4.

kildareman09

UrbanSea wrote: »

I thought she had 4.

good 1 !!! ya know what i mean

UrbanSea

PP go 6/5 on Quevega today only. Not sure if it's just shops or what.

TheMilkyPirate

UrbanSea wrote: »

PP go 6/5 on Quevega today only. Not sure if it's just shops or what.

Do you know if it's single only?

mailburner

just seen that in the shop a few mins ago also
dunno if it's singles only though

amazing price if you ask me
I expect her to win just as easily as last year
in a different league to the rest of this field imo

UrbanSea

Not sure baraca,I tried to look but couldn't quite see and was in a rush.

TheMilkyPirate

Oh well, Was in the shop and forgot to check didn't have enough cash to justify a single today shame really that's a great price.

UrbanSea

You can get 11/10 with Coral anyway and that's all the time so double or whatever .

Shane732

So how heavy are we all going in lads?!!

What doubles are you lads going for? I suppose Quevega and Big Bucks in the obvious one.

Johner

Quevega/Big Bucks nice sized double for me!

mailburner

Johner wrote: »

Quevega/Big Bucks nice sized double for me!

same here
got evens + 11/8

Johner

I got 11/10 for both a couple of weeks ago. Didn't think BB would drift any more!

TheMilkyPirate

Not sure what to do now, Quevega is going to be my get out clause if the rest of my bets during the day don't go to plan i'm just gonna stick whatever is in my wallet on her. Just don't know whether to do it when i go in in the morning and get the evens or wait and see how the day pans out.. Hmmmm...

UrbanSea

I won 2.50 on free games stuck her in a treble with BB and CC. Millions to be won. :cool:

mailburner

another one that might interest some quevega followers
in paddy
if quevega is in front jumping the last and wins 6/4

Nulty

Nothing lost in defeat for Sparky May. Hardly went smoothly.

Quevega :eek:

UrbanSea

Was she good Nulty???

mailburner

i can breathe again

what a good thing
if only they all won like that

cson

Hard to know what she's beaten but at the same time you would love to see how she'd do in the big one.

I don't think she's come off the bridle in any of her 3 wins?

Shane732

Now that's a quality animal. The horse could and should have that race for the next 2 - 3 years easy.

Amazing day....

UrbanSea

She hasn't anything to prove,beat the boys last year at Punchestown.