Cheltenham Past Reversals

Oh god Maljimar....think I've got a headache coming on

Refinement, last to first up the Cheltenham hill,took the lead last 50 yards.......and lost!!

ok I'll say it, hide your eyes bumper fans... in fact I can't write it down fully, it still hurts.... my brother and I still call that day Black Wednesday, long shots seemed to be getting in the way all day.

Rh...st.ne C....boy

I feel your pain Rog......

That was a sore Festival. I'd already had several bits of unbelievable bad luck that season, including Outlaw Pete @ 33's and bigger, who ran out at the last with the race run at Cork that winter.

In the lead up to the Festival, I had bet Katenko at huge odds on here to get 32k, and the way his odds were tumbling, I reckoned he was due to go to off 12's. He was around 20's on here when he got Colic less than a fortnight before the race...........that wasn't good and although I had laid off a few quid on him, I was waiting till nearer the day to lay off properly.

I consoled myself though with the £18 I had on Sunnyhill Boy @ 1000's, and going into the day before the race, I was very hopeful, and at the very least he was getting bet as well, he was as low as 16's, 18's. Then of course, Davy Russell got injured, leaving Sunnyhill Boy to get a convenient "knock", allowing AP to jump on to Russell's mount in The Gold Cup, Sir Des Champs. I hadn't laid off a single bean on Sunnyhill.

That Gold Cup just passed me by, I was gutted, but very keen on one in The Foxhunter, so brushed myself off, and had a good go at Oscar Delta in the next @ 28's. When he jumped the last clear, that bad luck was quickly forgotten, I was going mad, jumping about like a Kangaroo sh4gging a Spacehopper, what a feeling, and I felt I deserved a wee change of luck. What could possibly go wrong

Was very glad to see the back of that Festival.

After the Festival, I looked at a few future targets, and I had marked one down to follow who looked as if he had just been out for a stroll on The Tuesday in the Novices Hcap........not easy to spot one like this at The Festival, but Nataani looked one to keep on side of next time. Cue Taunton a week and a half later, and I piled in at 20's and 25's in the morning, he gets well gambled..............my lucks changed, and he's 10 length clear, and going further ahead at the last with the race in the bag. What Happened Next?

Was very glad to see the back of that Season.

Although painful stories, some great memories there. There truly is nothing like the Cheltenham festival, flat or jumps, nothing comes remotely close!

Too many from a punting perspective to mention! Many mentioned on this thread...

But it would have to be Catch Me in the Ballymore. As part owner, watching him come off the final bend to join the eventual winner Massini's Maguire.... My knees went to jelly and I honestly thought I was going to pass out. You could tell EoG was very confident pre race and for a man with his record at the Festival, you just had to believe... But I just couldn't imagine him winning. Until he came around that bend to virtually take it up!

Have never felt a feeling coming close to it on a racecourse. Still think he would have won the Supreme that year

Pressgang in the bumper about 10yrs ago. We were all on at 25/1. Looked all over the winner then veered across the width of the track to come stands side losing numerous lengths. Got chinned by a head.

Barely a word spoken in the car journey home.

Denman in the RSA Novices Hurdle as it was then would be my biggest losing bet. Foolishly dismissed Nicanor primarily on basis of trainer's poor Festival record hitherto. What makes it worse is that after following up in the Grade 1 novice hurdle over 2.5 miles at Punchestown, Nicanor won only one more race in his career.

With nine years' hindsight, the trip and hurdles were never going to play to Denman's strengths.

Have avoided the shorties in the novice events ever since and will continue to do so, the regret at missing out when they win is outweighed by the memory of the embarrassment of a big losing bet on a shortie in a 17 runner novice event!

Ouninpohja 2007 County Hurdle when somehow managed to get nailed by perdrobob jumped the last as if he'd only joined in (as was famously his want) only to down too (as was also his want) on the run in

not really unlucky just horses i thought were going to win,
impek ryanair went cantering to nothing in a stride
jair de cochet rsa french jock we,ll leave it at that
punchestown stayers purely because cattermole said drever was going nowhere before pishing up
refinement ,tough one to take as gutted as ap,
onthe plus side i was on ouninphoja and pedrobob both ew,had backed walsh antepost ans some irish lads the night before said they,d been wiped out but would have had a large bet on pedro

Attaglance last year when Hughes decided to go inside instead of outside which clearly cost him the race.

Can anyone remember the name of one ridden by Roger Loughran that was incredibly unlucky to lose?

Can't believe Roger the Butler is taking on RogertheButler

Thanks Rodger, the joys of the festival, I'll always remember watching TONER 4/5 furlongs out and thinking this is travelling so well, everytime I've watched the race still think he's going to win, suppose better to be hitting crossbars than getting nowhere near the goal

Backed keen leader to win Sun alliance hurdle,swinging off the steel coming to the 2nd last,then fell,never been so gutted,would have won a gold cup if it didn't fall that day !

Yes one of my real bad ones that as well...

Dunguib like so many before him and after him (douvan) talked up like the new pegasus in the supreme don't usually back ante post that much but had dabbled him all season before watching him being kept well wide all the way round and never really looked like winning in the end in all honesty! So not even a **** tease! Seeing these good things coming up short is tempting me to lay douvan this year! On a happier note backed our conor big time 2 years ago and couldn't believe my eyes :) and to top it off had a acca that day with him bobs worth and salsify major lucky day that day! That was easily my best festival that year all started with champagne fever in the supreme and carried on from there :)

He definitely did tucho. I was with connections that night, and he was not a popular man.

Just watched it again and with benefit of hindsight nobody can tell me Nick Dundee would have won.  In all probability I would say he would have been second but a real shame he had to come down.  Thankfully he survived.