4 weeks tonight......

It's getting close now bankit...cannot wait to see the colours up for Day One. Best sporting week of the year for me. Opinions formed over the year, bets placed, dreams dashed within about two minutes!

plenty of dreams dashed especially when you have backed some antepost and got good prices but not much in betting can beat that feeling when you get one right

In some aspects the Monday is best day of week, butterfly's in stomach like a kid at xmas, the dreams of glory not yet smashed.... Although I've left the course with just shrapnel in my pocket on more than one occasion, ive never had a bad week at Cheltenham!!!

I love the Monday night. I've seen it compared to Christmas Eve as a kid on here so many times that it's almost a cliche, but it's a pretty accurate metaphor for what that evening is like, with the pre-festival excitement and anticipation. Seeing the final fields, tackling the handicaps where I haven't yet concluded where my money will be going and seeing the daily markets start to take shape makes it all become real.

There's no beating when they're at the start for the Supreme however - except those occasions where they cross the line in the right order!

Its like been in the eye of the storm at the moment !!!! .... antepost markets are tightened right up and there is only the odd bit of form to come in before the Festival begins.

By Monday my plans are all set and that includes any ground alterations..... The only thing to do on Monday is get lashed up around Cheltenham

Agreed Ming they have sapped all the value out of the ante post markets....waiting for the handicap entries and bookies to go NRNB. A lot of the races this year have red hot favs so will be looking for the value in the handicaps with the bookmakers on course!!

Any specific places in Chelters for the Monday/Tues night that anyone recommends for a few ciders??

Lucky - Montpellier wine bar is a good shout, and there's a few good pubs within steps of it, later on the Tuesday nite the queens hotel, although I was in last year and it didn't seem as busy as past years, but you get the odd trainer having a pint in there.

lucky22 - 'Moon Under the Water' is a Witherspoons .... its a bit quieter in Chelts Monday and you can use it as a springboard to town centre pubs (Apres might have some music on)...  we make a pilgramage to an Irish pub at the other side of town with the curry house behind it... O'Neils I think.... by that time the night gets hazy lol as we start at 4pm or there abouts.

Tuesday you need to find a bolt hole as the hour after racing is insane. Centaur they will be partying til 7 tho!

I thought the town was deserted last year.

Feb 17, 2016 -- 4:03PM, johnn wrote:

I thought the town was deserted last year.

Certainly not as busy as years gone by,

Do it every year never learn on the train from London set the rules not too many pints & no punting at Stratford

Well that is like selling tea to a China man ....after the placepot goes down in the 1st if becomes a pint frenzy & after either the 6th pint of lager of the 9th pint of Guinness dependent on what drinking mood I am in it is all down hill ending with large G&Ts wake up with the muzzy head & wonder why why then by the time we've had the 3rd pint at the track straightened up in time for the Supreme ...off for a another Rolla Coaster week

Never learn but love it all the same ..... As most years I say to myself go easy Mon lad to be fair last few the punting has been controlled Monday's but the drinking well that's a different story......bring it on

cheers for these lads. Will give the Centaur a look after racing and maybe even the final Flight Bar. Cannot come soon enough!