Cheltenham Festival
What does the festival mean to you ?
|
By:
To be honest it means very little to me. The Gold Cup is important , very important this year, but on the whole I think the meeting is over rated.
|
|
By:
It means everything
|
|
By:
it makes youre life so much better than.heres why.
1)whilst the rest of the country are all having xmas blues,a dry jan,a failed diet/gym membership,we are all busy study,planning,buzzing.so it gets you from winter to spring. 2)its a safe excuse to have a few days from wife/family(i.e no birds involved,well thats what they think),its a feckless blow out,a bit of me time. 3)its top class sport,full of drama,fun,passion. 4)the build up is very long,also so is the meeting 5)but the best thing is when you ve had a bad day or a good day,and after the last race each day,you know you got another chance to do it all over again,its the gift that keeps on giving. 6)football has the same passion,but youre team plays twice a week,this is once a year so its so much more exciting. in conclusion youre lifes so much more fulfilling if you get into cheltenham. i ve been since 1985 every year- every day bar 2days (mums funeral,lack of money for all 3days ,so went 2 one year- that didnt happen again). ive slept in a car 7 years 85-92 ,cheltenham swimming baths car park ,shower in morning,i still rekon this is the best way to do it.then hotels in chelt ,then gloucester,then rented houses,then ross on wye.worcester last few years. i lost every year for first 15 years,then ive won 12 out of last 15,last 8 not lost.biggest loss 1k biggest win 6k.(needed campeador for 22k last year,it fell at last going best. my best tip to anyone - take twice as much money as you are prepared to loose,make sure you survive the tuesday at least even ,dont try and win big first day,budget the next 3 days ,only increase bets in had winners. if you loose the lot you ve still got the same amount to go home with cos you took twice the money you were prepared to loose, e.g if you take 2k and loose 1k its nice going home with 1k even though you were never going to risk it. for first 15 years i went home skint,couldnt even afford a macdonalds on way home. back 2 in each race,one main another a saver. last 3 years ive had 12,8 and 10 winners and none of them were the mullins shorties.it gets easier with experience. |
|
By:
The minutes before the start of the Supreme and the Grade 1 races are the most eagerly anticipated of the racing year.
|
|
By:
Amongst the difference of opinions on here, the anti Mullins/Ricci contingent, the heartbreaking losses of this season reading this thread puts a real smile on my face. Here is to the latest instalment of highs, lows, winners, losers and lasting memories.
|
|
By:
Adult Christmas. Look forward to it from one year to the next. Save up for the week, go in Ante Post when opportunities spotted, and attend Chelters from Nov to January for the build up meetings. Nothing on earth like this meeting, we are blessed.
|
|
By:
I love chelt, carnt wait.
go for 3 days/nights, weds-fri would stay 4 but becomes v expensive (esp if doing your coconuts), and don't think liver could take 4 nights. look forward to it all year Last 2 years been going for all 4 days, and same again this year. Though a bit disappointing so many of the top horses wont be there this year. |
|
By:
|
|
By:
Just looking at dates only a few months back you put this up!
|
|
By:
Just wanted to bump this thread back to the top. For me, reading this is the equivalent of watching Home Alone before Christmas. Quite brilliant.
I made a video a couple of weeks ago when I was bursting with excitement. Check it out - https://youtu.be/eMcqUlbastA |
|
By:
Home Alone? Wizard of Oz/Chitty Chitty Bang Bang/Willy Wonkas Chocolate Factory are the Christmas Trifecta.
 Nice video by the way. |
|
By:
"I made a video a couple of weeks ago when I was bursting with excitement. Check it out - https://youtu.be/eMcqUlbastA"
I love your video, Joel!  |
|
By:
I don't start as early as some as you, but in the lull period between Christmas and New Year I dust down last years spreadsheet and start the form and trends collation all over again.
After the King George on Boxing Day it's like greeting an old friend who you know you're going to have a great time with over the next few months. Right now, the jigsaw is slowly coming together and the excitement continues to build. Come the start, I will have about 15 - 20 Lucky 15's planned meticulously to win 10-20k off each. A few will be designed to take the max off Laddies and Hills. It's my one big chance of the year where I can use my own brain power to influence a retirement lottery bet, instead of relying solely on luck. Monday night I feel sick, Tuesday morning I beam from ear to ear, last year I watched Woody Allen's Manhattan after The Morning Show. The music seemed to fit the morning of Cheltenham Tuesday somehow. Actually, I think I watched The Morning Show on +1 too. I've done my years at Cheltenham, it's too busy for me nowadays, but Desert Orchid, Garrison Savannah, Istabraq, Best Mate, Kauto Star, Denman and Royal Gait never leave the memory and the ones that are personal just to me (and maybe a few others) like Ruling, Celtic Giant and Double Silk. I remember the Sea Pigeon, Monksfield, Night Nurse and Birds Nest battles from when I was a child, thinking 'Wow' when 100/1 Norton's Coin won the Gold Cup and feeling pissed off with Jenny Pitman for the tactics employed against Carvill's Hill in'92. So, what does Cheltenham mean to me? It means the same as many as you. And whilst the internet and messageboards get a bad press at times, it's good to know there are many grown up men and women out there who feel the same. In an adult world that's pretty darn tough, we are indeed like kids at Christmas and that's a bloody good feeling to have.I feel privileged to have the Festival in my life. Good luck to all, relish every minute from now until the Grand Annual! |
|
By:
it means a trip to england ...not so good
no london, manchester ,birmingham , liverpool ,( trump's uk sh1tholes) its a bit of countryside where a load of people with a common interest meet it means annual friends,laughing, drinking and singing it means horses , sensitive souls that will give you everything it means ruby, davy and willie . mighty craic . life ! |
|
By:
All booked and raring to go again
 More and more difficult to get reasonable accommodation though. Last year in the centre paid £1200 for 4 nights for a 2 bedroom flat. This year the guy wanted £3.5k but said we can have it for £3k as we looked after the place last year. Errmmm no thanks.(bit saucy of him) So staying in Bishops Cleeve, 10 min walk from the course just north though, so not sure how easy for taxis of an evening into the centre. Might have to give it all up if it carries on to be so hard to get decent accomm. Also ticket prices are rocketing up. Will prob be cheaper to scrap it and do say the Arc staying in Paris instead. |
|
By:
Maleuk01 - some friends a few years ago were paying best part off £300 per night to stay in a travel inn or similar, they said it was there last..... Monday of festival week is magic, racing post & couple cans of beer on train from Scotland, arrive chelts go for another couple, town is full of buzz & anticipation.... racing wise Tuesday is beyond compare, Wednesday is great, Thursday & Friday are quite average compared to the what's been on offer 1st half of week..!!
|
|
By:
Getting up early buy RP make wife's breakfast,watch her read/pick her horse's from my paper then drive her to work,wash Windows make a pot of stew/soup for when she gets home.2nd day make breakfast pay for her bets,drive's herself to work so I can have a cr@p study more etc;have another day in bar takeaway for dinner repeat 1st 2 morning's then suggest after 3rd day go for a meal for after racing no takeaway is fine (sure you're as full as a bingo bus)she would say,he know I always had enough to cover her bets the last day.
|
|
By:
Dec
You speaking in the past tense/  |
|
By:
Can't read any other pal
|