Preview Meetings - Anything useful or just the usual hogwash?

it starts on the 11th hth

on a serious note I think the early season form on the better ground will be more helpful betting wise than the heavy ground trials/winter ground that we have had

@alleged22 -- if that is the case, I'd advise buying the spread of how many races are described on the main forum as rancid.

@OP -- yes, there is, or can be, useful information, though I'd agree they tend to devote too much time to stating the bleeding obvious about the championship races.

For instance, trainers and stable jockeys can help clarify what runs where. Jockeys can sometimes have strong views about the abilities and incompetencies of horses. Some pundits, too: for instance, a few years back (and it might still be on Youtube if I could be bothered to look, which I can't) John Francome upset Ted Walsh but saved me a packet by insisting that odds-on favourite for the Supreme Novices, Dunguib, could not actually jump.

I think that is the main value. Not the tips, which you can get from any newspaper, but those snippets of information and opinion that make you look at races in a new light.

At John Morris' preview night a couple of years ago I had a chat with a journo from the RP who convincd me that Pipe's Salut Flo was the bet of the meeting in the Byrne Group Plate. It was a race I hadn't looked at yet and when I did I got on at 7/1. It went off at about 4/1 and hosed up.

I would tell you the journo's name if I could remember it, he seemed a good bloke.

So has anyone picked up anything useful this year?

So has anyone picked up anything useful this year?

Well, it's rumoured that Nicky Henderson gave a big shout out (is that what the young people say now?) to Our Conor. If you were planning to put the rent money on My Tent Or Yours, you might want to carefully review the evidence before you end up living in a tent.

http://www.fatjockey.com/forum/showthread.php?2053-2014-Cheltenham-Festival-...

Or do twitter search for Cheltenham previews. There are some on Youtube. Toals.co.uk (no, I'd never heard of them either) have on their home page a video link to an edited recording of theirs in Ireland.

But 99 per cent is not very useful.

Also, I think there is a law in Ireland that Tony Martin has to be on the panel.

You have a point, but it depends on the panel. We are holding one on Wednesday and we have a well connected panel and a real expert in Lydia Hislop....

A link for the London Preview Evening taking place at the Radisson Bloomsbury on Wednesday (5th)

http://bit.ly/cfipreview

Rishi Persad MC
Lydia Hislop
Dan Skelton
Andrew Tinkler
Tony Calvin
Rory Jiwani

All profits to be split between The Injured Jockeys Fund, CRUK and Cure Leukaemia.

Raffle has some amazing racing prizes....You can buy raffle tickets if you are not attending the event.

- Philip Hobbs invites you & 3 friends to his gallops, followed by a good breakfast and day at local races
- Nicky Henderson invites you & a friend for a morning on the gallops followed by breakfast
- Channel 4 race day where you will join the Morning Line broadcast, have breakfast with the team & day at races
- Two tickets for the Champion Hurdle courtesy of Stan James
- Dinner, Bed & Breakfast for two courtesy of Radisson Bloomsbury
- Darren Birdie print of Sprinter Sacre signed by panel
- Bottle of Veuve Cliquot courtesy of OLBG
- Sea the Stars Memorabilia courtesy of The Injured Jockeys fund
- Cheltenham Tickets
- 20 x £20 betting gift vouchers from Paddy Power

Was it David Carr, Mary Chain?

Yes that's the fella. Seemed like a decent bloke, and knew his stuff. Was the one person on the panel worth listening to, AND gave me a winner. It's a shame he's not at it this year because I'm just about to leave to listen to John Parrott bang on about how Hurricane Fly cannot be beaten for three hours (probably) .

There's some really smart people on this forum. Way smarter than anything to be found at a Cheltenham preview evening I would suggest.

Just look at the breadth and depth of discussions on this forum, some of which have extended back over the full NH season and beyond that even. Okay there's the occasional headbanger but by and large theres way more to be learned following a thread through from start to finish than you'll ever get from one of these evenings.

Jockeys want to keep their rides so will say nothing. Trainers think over-rate their own animals. Most of the sessions will focus on the Championship races and will tell you stuff you know already.

'Ah but it's all about the atmosphere'. Really? You're that desperate?

Far be it for me to tell you how to get your jollies. Go with your bad self - but get your bad self to pay for your entry and buy your beers all evening though

There's no denying there's a lot of informed debate and knowledge on this forum, but every now and again you need a change of environment, a few cold beers with friends and the opportunity to meet like minded people in person.... Plus, it gives your mum a chance to change your sheets ;-)

In all seriousness, each to their own. We are raising money for charity and having a racing focused evening in s a smart hotel with mates and fellow race fans over a some cold beers. If you fancy it, great - if you don't, no problem. Take a look at the raffle prizes though, a better way to donate a fiver or tenner to three excellent charities: you might win something special!

The preview night seemed a bit more serious this time, with none of the banter of previous years, and no sign of any invasion from the fat club. Here's a summary of the info given.

Venue – Old Railway Club, Melling Road, Aintree

Panel:


JM=John Morris (Chair)
JP=John Parrott
CL=Charlie Longsdon
BP=Ben Pauling (rookie trainer who was with Nicky Henderson’s yard)
AH=Andy Holding (Will Hill Radio who complies his own ratings based on sectional times)

Will Hill Supreme Novices

AH - very keen on Wicklow Brave, his top rated in race
JP – Irving
BP – thinks Splash of Ginge will be there turning for home and hard to pass
CL – cant see past Vautour

Arkle

CL – Champagne Fever
BP – Champagne Fever
JP – Trifolium
AH – Trifolium
None of the panel could have Dodging Bullets at all

Champion Hurdle
All the panel said this was the race they were most looking forward to
CL – The New One
BP – The New One
JP – MTOY and against Our Conor
AH – MTOY

Neptune
All the panel said Red Sherlock

RSA
CL- O’Faolin’s Boy & Smad Place
JP – Smad Place
AH – likes Morning Assembly but best British are Sam Winner & Le Bec
JM – O’Faolin’s Boy

Champion Chase
BP – Sire de Grugy
AH – Hinterland

Ryanair
CL- Al Ferof/Beneficient
BP – First Lieutenant
JP – Al Ferof/Dynaste
AH – Beneficient/Dynaste

World Hurdle
BP- At Fisher’s Cross
JP – Big Buck’s
AH – Rule the World

Gold Cup
Everyone – Bob’s Worth

Triumph
AH – Rutherglen (he’s the owner) or Calipto
BP asked AH whether Ferguson yard prefer Pearl Castle or Rutherglen and the answer was Rutherglen definitely runs, Pearl Castle only if the going is good or it goes to Aintree

Albert Bartlett
CL – Captain Cutter/Briar Hill
BP – Captain Cutter
JP – Briar Hill
AH – King’s Palace & Champagne West e/w
JM – Briar Hill

Other Races & Strong Fancies
JM & AH – Sirene d’ainay (Mares) with Betfred concession of Money back if Quevega wins
CL – shouted out his Pendra in the Novice Chase
AH - talked up Firth of Clyde and The Romford Pele in the same race
AH – well up on the Juvenile form because of Rutherglen and two he likes in the Fred Winter are Seabeat and Powder Hound
AH – says Killultagh Vic is the best horse in the bumper. CL also reckons his Our Kaempfer is worthy of a second look in that, rates it amongst the best of the English and a place possible.

Charity Bets
CL – Briar Hill & O’Faolins Boy (ew)
BP – Red Sherlock & Smad Place
JP – Bob’s Worth & Montbazon
AH – Red Sherlock & Killultagh Vic

Charlie Longsdon is a top bloke, he seems really sound, which makes him not the ideal man for a preview night panel as he often doesn't have a strong opinion, or want to give it if he does. His analysis of the Champion Chase was "I have no opinion". AH was good to listen to and had some strong fancies, but it was all based around his time ratings. I didn't follow the line of thinking for example that said that MTOY should win the Champion Hurdle because last season's Supreme Novices was run at a faster pace than the Champion Hurdle. He was the only one that seemed to have much of an angle into the Irish form. Ben Paulings offered a couple of useful angles, and his opinions certainly coincided with my own most often (probably a bad thing). Overall, it whetted the appetite without adding much you couldn't find out by looking on the RP site. The Rutherglen/Pearl Castle info was interesting, especially as the former has been PW'd in tomorrow's RP.

Thanks Mary for putting that up.