So sts, in your opinion Darlan was flattered by the Xmas hurdle as the conditions were in his favour?

So he won't be as suited in normal festival conditions?

Especially if the weather does pick up this next 4-5 weeks, which it just might do and we have an as usual good ground festival!

See what your saying now, do i think he was flattered. That, i am not sure about. Sorry it has been a long day and i am full of man flu at moment!
The only thing we do not though is what i have already stated as being my opinions on this years bunch. Do i think Darlan deserves his position at the head of the market in the champ, yes i suppose i did, having taken the 9/2 about him just after the xmas hdl, but i am now starting to come to the belief that maybe that was a bad judgement call on my part and maybe i should have waited at least a week or two before playing that percentage of that book. Though it was before HF's run and so before we all new whether the fly potentially was back or not.


As far as the supreme is concerned this year, there is a good chance we have not yet seen the winner yet. He could be lurking somewhere waiting for better ground before making his debut. Though i am aware of the chances of that happening being rather slim. I do think, of the novices from last year, and this year, we need to be taking the form of all races very carefully with a touch of salt!

In fact 11-8 lay for a place is up there with bet of the festival.

This is a race i like, love this game, all about opinions and the banter you have on this very forum at this time of year is second to none!

The anticipation as the horses mill around the start, for the first race of the Cheltenham festival. It's 1:30 on that Tuesday afternoon, where ever you maybe, lucky enough to be there, or even luckier to be at home in front of the tv if your like me and dont like it too busy, the roar from the crowd as the starter announces them onto the track and then the big roar as their sent on their way makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end and thats in front of the tv in my living room!

Love the Supreme Even better if you plucked the winner

JEZKI 8/1, DB 14/1, MTOY 10/1 + 20/1 so far for me all each way of course

Great post STS

agree with stars that there no other event bar maybe the start of grand national that makes the hair stand on end in any sport in the world,just the most amazing feeling makes you glad to be alive a other year.just to feel that alone, unfortunatly all you can try to do is get your cheltenham  bets running well at least  as every race is difficult if your betting over 3/1.
the novices are hard to work out in general , but so are the handicapps so whats easy about it nothing, stars is right its the fun of it.for what its worthnever really got stuck in to any races as far to early but agree 100% what star saying the ground will make it possible compleatly irrelivant what they have done so far on very soft going.on the big races the two horses i like at this minute are
GOLD CUP long run and CHAMPION HURDLE zarkandar.
every one keeps saying long run  cant win the gold cup again because the stats say he cant as not many regain it, i think this is the biggest mistake everyone is making in along time, i honestly beleive he should be 7/4  not 7/1 as i dont know if ever a horse like him has tried to regain it after winning a king george at only 7,in fact go back to 1950 and beyond all the greats who won the king george at 7 kauto star, best mate,firstgold,see more business,barton bank,the fellow,desert orchid,wayward lad, silver buck, gay spartan, bachellors hall,captain christy,titas oats. even the great arkle never won the king george at 7 before gold cup.and a few of the mentioned here didnt win the gold cup till 2 years later.so long run is  a one of stat here  there is no stat saying he wont win.infact get on i have convinced my self even more.

Whats with the thread on the antepost forum saying that DB does not qualify for the supreme Apparently some random bloke called THE CAT has muted that he wont qualify because the race is for first season novices 4 years and older I am aware it is for novices of 4 years and older and that only the triumph is restricted to one age group (4yrs) and so first season novices but as the supreme is for older horses, don't that mean it wouldn't matter if a 2nd season novice or not

Of course he can run, don't listen to clueless people like that. He hadn't won a race by the time the new season started in April. So he retains his novice status.

New Years Eve has been drifting for this all week, anyone know whats happened there?