Is it me or are there a few races at Fez liking real depth?

Did you mean lacking real depth??

It's probably just one of those years where the old champions pass the crown to new champions.
Maybe we'll look back fondly at 2015 as the year that Peace and Co won the first of his 5 successive
Cheltenham Festival races; Lord Windermere won his 2nd of 3 Gold Cups; Un de Sceaux etc. etc.

You never know.

Fair point  (yes, lacking). RSA looks a good un though. I'd back kINGS pALACE i CAN SEE cONEYGREE AND pOLI MISSING IT FOR OTHER RACES.

You think Poli will go for the 4-miler?

Betfair markets starting to suggest it , pete.

True that. I have a few pounds on King's Palace, but I've also done Wounded Warrior, so, wherever Poli
goes he's a threat to my wealth

#stopthatcuntpoliatthefezcampaign

There are a few beasts I could add to that hash tag

I think many of the top races are fascinating this year. I'd say the strength in depth is there but there don't yet appear stand out performers. Perhaps the likes of Faugheen and others will provide them. I'm sure they will come as I don't recall ever thinking at the end of the festival that one was poor.

^^ fair point. I think some of the markets have not caught fire yet, I recall them been more mature, at this stage, in previous years.

I wonder whether a lot of people have come to the conclusion that there isn't as much juice in the ante post game as there used to be? There was a time and not that long ago you could back an opinion to a fair amount of money at a fair price. Now if you aren't guessing there are far less opportunities and often post Christmas you don't get any better a price than you can on the day with all the attending pitfalls of backing ante post.

I meant to add that from an ante post perspective the plethora of additional options following the move to four days has also hurt backers. Bookies now seem to often price up races with the same horses to the fore in the market for two or three races whereas in the past you usually had a pretty good idea of each horses targets.

^^^ GREAT POINT.

What Ee said in spades.

Reduced my ante-post bets to peanuts this year (and those I have done have all probably gone west already Gilgamboa, Uxizandre, Alvisio Ville).

I know this is largely an ante-post group and the dream is to get on at 40/1 in October and watch it hose up in MArch at odds-on but for all the reasons Ee pointed out, plus the fact that connections do everything in their power to avoid each other, it really is too much of a guessing game nowadays.

There are still opportunities though, as example UDS pushed out to 7/1 or bigger on here for plenty after he fell on debut, those that stuck with him on at a huge price now. Same with Faugheen not that I am on, if you thought he would mop up alot of the races on route. The novice hurdles I agree have been harder to guage due to the WM issue but still opportunities out there if you have a view

Just gone through my ante post book and totalled it all up and have more invested this year than ever before.  This is mainly down to using all free bets from bookies concessions (fallers, 2nd place finishers etc) since the Hennessy in December to have a real go at the festival.  I have actually placed bets to the tune of £750 but the net spend in terms of real cash is just £236 (this includes laying a few against potential wins on here). As I write I have another £25 of free bets to spend.  Not too many gone by the wayside yet but inevitably that will increase.  Anyway spending on the actual week will be reduced as will have these bets already placed. We will see how it all ends in just over 4 weeks but this was my way of doing it this year.

Just to add.  I've backed 32 horses and 6 so far are out and 4 have little chance.  22 to go to war with says I have a chance although all can't win as some races I have multiple cover.