Cheltenham Market Movers!!

99/100 horses shorten from this on as couch says, and the other one is either injured or dead. we dont agree on much, but thats one thing we do agree on

Boston Bob in the Albert Bartlett

Probably becuase Hobbs' said Fingal Bay would more than likely head to the Neptune

Owner said Grand Crus will likely go Gold Cup hence the bookies shortening everything else for the RSA. All prices will be cut now anyway as we get closer to the festival and especially as NRNB is introduced

Hurricane Fly a mover today after being friendless all season he now trades at 9-4 after drifting to around the 11-4 mark.

No-one loves the festival more than me but the increased/revised schedule has almost killed ante post punting.
In the good old days if you had a decent 2-2.5m novice chaser you went for the Arkle, these days there are almost half a dozen options, ante post punting is near impossible unless you have contacts and know what the target is.
This comes from someone who very rarely backs ante post and had bundles on Captain Chris last year............................to win the 'kin Arkle !

Agree 100% horse9.

I love the festival but 4 days is a joke.

3 was perfect.

Apologies, I had bundles on Captain Chris to win the Jewson

3 days was lovely, 4 days is just greedy.

3 days was tough on the liver, 4 days is almost suicidal...

More the merrier for me. The number of class horses justifies it.

Kind of justifies booking the whole week off too

Glossy - I shared that view when the extended festival was first talked about, since then I've ripped up many a ticket when my chosen horse has gone for an alternative engagement and the final straw for me was last year when I saw two races won by horses on the bridal, Carlito Brigante was literally tugged up the hill to prevent a wide margin success in one of the hottest handicaps in the calendar, and watching Quevega never come out of second gear and coasting home by 10 lengths was embarrassing, I know for a fact she had far tougher gallops at home with So Young.
This is the championship of NH racing, every race should be competetive IMO

horse 9 spot on,4 days just kicking the a**e out it,quality has been diluted and with Aintree and Puncheston so close its not what it was but its still the dogs 60 odd days only to go.

chelters16 - very strong rumours Cheltenham will announce the move to a Sat Gold Cup this year.
So many options for them, I can see the upside in marketing exposure but I dread to think what changes will come with this, will it be a 5 day festival ? Will Tue move to Wed and so on ? Will they dream up more races ?
I used to know where I was when the World Hurdle was called the Stayers and the festival ended with the County !

where are these rumours horse? Last I heard, they weren't even considering it until after the gransdtand redevlopment which will take about 5 years.

Horse
I have been a member since 1983 and didn't support the move to 4 days....not that members were consulted, this is Gillespie we are talking about. I no longer go all 4 days - Thursday is a cr*p card - and I leave on Gold Cup day after the Foxhunters because the place is indundated with pr*cks.

If this goes to 5 days, the quality must be further diminished, the cost of annual membership will go up and I'll knock it on the head. I'll buy tickets for the Tuesday and Wednesday and that will be it.

Gents - I'm sorry if I've depressed you.

I know a number of owners who have said that announcements could be made this year, I accept no changes can take place until developmemts are complete but I think as far as the course is concerned it could be ready for 2014.

festivalfanatic - I sympathise, my first festival was 1990 and haven't missed one since; I think the wuality is now dilluted and there's a danger it becomes similar to the Punchestown festival which has a handful of quality races and a bunch of average affairs.
My problem is I love the festival and whilst I may disagree with changes that are made I cannot fall out of love with the event, my wife knows that we'll divorce before I miss one !

Is the rumour a 4 day Festival moved back a day, or a 5 day Festival ending on the Sat?

When it goes to Saturday myself and mates wont be attending end off, but im sure we will be consulted after going for past 20 years plus!!!
Friday is bad enough overcrowded,and racing Thursday and Friday diluted,but im sure will still sell out especially Saturday just gangs of pissheads on benders no interest in horses!!

Horse9

I actually backed Carlito Brigante for that race it was the Coral Cup had a few e/w on it. It was a major plot and pulled off beautifully but . . .

Even tough I backed it, last years Coral was possibly the weakest Coral ever run I mean ORSIPPUS came third that about says it all!!

Nowadays I like to get involved in the Antepost side of things but its a pure nightmare the supremes, the neptune investments and the albert bartlett you don't even stand a chance.

This year my only antepost bet is Sprinter Sacre @ 6s because his trainer would have to be mad to run him in anything else. You have the Jewson and there thinking of introducing a graded race over 2m5f for novices aswell thats 3 options not withstanding the bloody Champion Chase which Al Ferof might run in this year.

When it was 3 days it was high octane stuff you didn't have time to pause for breath and the racing was insanely competitive it was brilliant. 
Now there is too many non events and waiting round for the grade 1 races.

Agree with all this - the executive simply do not care about ordinary punters and race goers, i have been going for yrs and yrs and yrs, they simply wanti to maximise revenues at all costs. Hence you can buy a drink everywhere (not necesarilly a bad thing, but totally at the expense of ease of movement). I cannot stop going to the festival but i absolutely feel cheated by the move to 4 days, the Thursday is moderate at best, and the idea of it finishing on a Saturday makes me feel ill. unfortunatley IMO the people running the show are not custodians of this treasure - its an old story but true, keep customers wanting more, instead they have diluted it to the point where it is in danger of losing its distinctiveness (as anyone who loved the 3 day affair will confirm).

Spot on R. Carver.

Some good comments - for what it's worth, I happen to know Edward Gillespie and I know he wants to get as much feedback as possible from racegoers.
The income stream from a Sat Gold Cup is significant as rights can be sold for far greater sums overseas, a 3.15pm Gold Cup works well with US and Australian and Far Eastern time zones which is why I'm interested to hear whether the plan will be shifting the 4 days back a day or whether they'll create a 5th day.
I think a vets race is the only race missing and Thursday already has just 6 compared to 7 for the other 3 days.
I don't mind the sport maximising it's revenue potential so long as money is poured back into racing

a 3.15pm Gold Cup works well with US and Australian and Far Eastern time zones

How do you work that one out

Race start time 11.15pm to 1.15am - more attractive than the majority of big Australian races that are run at 5am.

I thought Sydney Australia was 11 hours ahead of UK, so a 2pm race start time in UK = 1am Sydney? In that case, the Gold Cup itself would take place at about 2.20am in Australia.

Not sure the viewing figures would be that great.

East Asia +7/+8 hours, W Aus +8 hours, NSW/Queensland +10 hours.
Arguably Asia is a bigger market for advertising anyway but even so with the Triumph (if this is the first race) at 11.30pm for East Aus it would fit quite well on Sat nights with most Aussies I know !

NSW (Sydney etc) is 11 hours ahead of us at this time of year (and when the Festival happens) because they observe daylight saving time.

I know several people who travel over to Cheltenham in November, January and March. All have said if the festival goes to 5 days they won't set foot in the race course again

Interestingly Hills went evs that an announcement re. a saturday festival day would be made this year. Although there was no 8/11 that there would not be

Oscars Well been price-wised.

oscars well into 16s from 25s

Big punt now taking place on Bobs Worth into 5's now general in RSA...

Bobs worth, too short for me now, but I can see why the money.

What price do you think he will be if Grand Cruise doesn't turn up?

5/2 3/1 and he might beat him if he does turn up.  I would back at 5/1 on the day just not now.

Bobs worth will not be 5s on the day with or without crus imo! He will be made either 3/1-10/3 2nd fav or 2/1F depending on whether the crus runs or not. Which is totally 50/50!

^^^^ if Crus runs he will not be 2-1

If Crus runs crus will be more like 6/5 5/4 area making bobs a 4/1 poke but no more than that, i would give bobs a sp of 10/3 if crus runs. If crus does not run, i make bobs the 2/1 fav!

feck me he was 10s last week is all this money because Crus is going down the Gold Cup route. You'd think he got beat half a nose last time out.

I dont think your following me howdi, i am merely speculating as to what his price will be on the day. He is a 5/1 poke now. I am guessing also all the money for him now is due to the crus camp considering the gold cup. I was told that someone went into a stan james shop yesterday and placed a 2.5k e/w bet on him. I do trust this info as it came from a reliable source whom i know to work in one of these shops!

im with you stars but cant understand on the base of what he has achieved why he is so short. I'd want 8s-9s from what ive seen.

Well this is how I see it. I don't..

You cannot possibly judge the day of the race market now with still prep runs to come...

1 : If Grand Cruise is a runner it is because he disappoints in the Argento...imo

2: Bobs Worth will come in in price but only if he impresses in his prep run and then you have the irish horses which also need prep runs and the other british runners

3: the betting now is purely on what people perceive to be the best horse and value in the race...in their opinion

4: Grand Cruise has fuelled the gamble that is taking place..imo

Only after the prep runs will we be able to predict the day of the race market. Trying to predict now is like trying to predict the Guineas Market when we don't know what is running.imvho

I know I proposed the question. I just wanted to know what Shockster thought the price would be in regards to whether he thought the price would be shorter..

seathestars was this bet 2.5 k e.w for the gold cup or r.s/a  ?

Simonsig has come in from 35s on here to 22 for the albert bartlett....any news

Think this is just a correction SS. 25/1 with WH but much shorter with all the others.

cant be it does not work that way on here....the punters dictate the price with whoever is backing whatever horse

Don't know if this is common knowledge, but apparently Bob's Worth has had a wind op since Kempton. The moves could be confidence from the stable now that a problem has been solved.

As i understand it foyles, the bet was on Bob's Worth for the RSA! Hope this helps

Dtamutants- Is that gospel about the wind op????Where did you here that then??

Interested to know?

Found it...

At the weekend, the most significant move came for the Nicky Henderson-trained Bobs Worth, who shortened to 5-1 (from
6-1) for the RSA Chase, even though he had been beaten five and a quarter lengths by Grands Crus in the Feltham Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day. And there was a reason.

Henderson explained:“Barry [Geraghty] was suspicious of his breathing at Kempton.

“We scoped him but found nothing. We made a small adjustment to his soft palate and he is back cantering.”

What price does Bobs Worth bomb to if/when Grand Crus is a confirmed Gold Cup runner ?
Who else in the race has any sort of form on the level of Bobs Worth ?
I'm guessing 7/4 on the day especially if that run behind Grand Crus could have been improved upon with the breathing adjustment

Yes agree I think that is why he is getting batted off the boards...Silviniaco Conti has better form but not sure he is a runner and maybe he might be an early season type not sure or Jewson maybe don't know with him, lots of ifs and ands pots and pans...his price can only contract I would say. And rightly so he is a smashing horse...Persian Punch of the jumps game this horse..

sorry thought we was talking bout grans crus ! ill get my coat!

whats wrong with the irish form?

dont think nothing wrong with the irish form budd, in fact fancy mouses one strongly .

Expect Binocular to shorten, confirmation the horse has also had a wind op, whether anyone thinks he's good enough to regain his crown is debatable but any procedure to improve the horses breathing can only be a positive...

Bobs Worth now joint Favourite for RSA at 5.8 on here...its just relentless cash

^^^^Bobs Worth now FAVOURITE on here!!!!

I can't get over that badbrokes are just 6/4 Grand Crus for the RSA without even being nrnb in the race, utter madness and to think they will be laying it every now and again!

i loved Bobs Worth last year but his jumping has career has only been solid to date 10s to 5s ive seen looks bonkers imo

Just slightly disagree howdi..

I think punters have seen a nice edge in the market and have capitalized howdi and fair play to them...

Grand Cru doesn't look a runner and with silv conti and doubts with the irish runners they have spotted an edge and I think its a good gamble myself.. Bobs I don't think liked the track the last day and Cue Card has since franked his form and he looks tough as teek to me which is ideal for an RSA runner...Fair play to me...

If Grand Cru isn't a runner what price would you be pal??

id happily lay 5s grand crus could easily turn up yet and i like last installment and nichools other one.

I'm far from convinced Grands Crus is a good thing for the RSA if he does show up there. The more I watch teh Feltham the less impressed I am. He won well. However, he jumped competently but not brilliantly, didn't quicken (though that may have been because of the strong gallop) and didn't appear to find much off the bridle. In the end he only beat Silvianco Conti by 2 l and was being closed down (though he was eased for perhaps the last 50 yards and his persuers were hard ridden). But overall, I don't see it as a commanding performance. He'd be the worthy favourite for the RSA but far from unbeatable imo if something like Bobs Worth, Join Together or Last Installment steps up.

kentford grey lady, d.n.mares race, been nibbled at by the shrewdies if it wins at ascot on sat, will get smashed in.

kentford grey lady, d.n.mares race, been nibbled at by the shrewdies if it wins at ascot on sat, will get smashed in.

kentford grey lady, d.n.mares race, been nibbled at by the shrewdies if it wins at ascot on sat, will get smashed in.

Mount Benbulben getting backed in everywhere for the Albert Bartlett

Yes not a bad looking punt on the mount that...

Is Champion Chase pricewise tomorrow?

If so is Wishful Thinking the pick?

Yes it is Colonel. As for the pick, it's what Oddschekcer would suggest, but big Zeb, Finians and Gauvain are also shortening all over the place.