Your Most Dissapointing Cheltenham Memory?

Foot n mouth

Annie Power tipping up at the last , cost me £40 million , took some getting over .

With no money involved , Pendil , Wayward Lad , One Man(twice) , Bula and Lanzarote killed in 77.

I was a huge fan of Comanche Court and backed him almost every week over winter e/w for the Gold Cup.
Had a good win , but when he misjudged the second last handing the race to Best Mate was a bitter blow.

2006 - pretty much all of it

It was absolutely baltic, Denman got beaten by Nicanor, Kauto Star fell in the Champion Chase and Moscow Flyer was past his best, Inglis Drever missed the festival and results generally stunk (well for me anyway) and my get out of jail bet on Golden Cross really should have won I felt.

Ah yes sixwosix Annie Power was the last of my multi that day as well, was there too, haven't been back since and not going this year either haha

Nothing worse than having a bad year, some times at least a bad day is sorted out later in the week, but a bad year and you're left waiting 12 months until you feel justice can be done

Sizing Europe cantering away coming down the hill in the Champion Hurdle then going wrong at the 2nd last.

Ending up in huntingdon the year all the tents got blown down

Three pound a can of tescos lager and they ran out

Peddlers cross losing his unbeaten record to The Fly, im a massive fan of McCain and this was MY horse. It was the first festival i went to and had been chipping away at him since he won the Neptune.

Ten Plus falling fatally three out in the Gold Cup.
While most found it the best race they'd ever seen, I found it the worst.

I had backed Whisper for the RSA at 80s off the top of my head on here which was pretty tough to take

Had a few, but one recently springs to mind......Cue Card falling in the Gold cup won by Don Cossack.
Always hate the not knowing what would have happened, and standing to win a nice wad of cash as well!!

Jakeybeany, you are a massive fan of McCain? Any particular reason, he's completely useless and has been on the way out for the last couple of years.

Punting wise - when Briar Hill came down in the Albert Bartlett - had a monster double on Faugheen in the Neptune and him in the AB at around 225/1 - laid a bit off but felt sick.  Champagne Fever getting chinned by Western Warhourse seriously hurt my pocket too, as did Annie falling - bloody Mullins

Worst non punting moment was when Kauto fell in Imperial Commander's Gold Cup in 2010.  Tipping with rain, freezing cold, wet feet, and a gang of muppets around me cheered when he came down that took all my energy not to lamp one of them - all in all a bad day all round.

maam8mandingo with me being a northerner he was a trainer ive always followed and he was sending out winners left right and center not so long ago. also its probably helped that hes given me some decent winners at the both the spring festivals over the years. He has had a couple of quiet years but has found his feet again and is on the up. Waterlord would interest me this weekend in the Betfair Hurdle and Testify looks a very good novice chaser

a couple of mine already mentioned - Nicanor beating Denman from a punting perspective and the year the winds led to racing being cancelled on the Wednesday (was going that day) resulting in a packed programme on the Thursday and the Friday (could n't go).

The other one would be Rhinestone Cowboy (sung the Neil Diamond song on the bus from the train station to the racecourse) - I was n't singing on the way back, too busy trying to work out how the sweet travelling soon to be superstar had been absolutely pulverised by the glorified handicapper (in my eyes) Rooster Booster.

Learnt a lot about the value of substance over style that day.

Pendil being chinned by The Dikler in 1973 Gold Cup.

@jakeybeany89 a few nice winners go a long way for creating a soft spot for trainers! He seems to have picked up abit recently! He was stuck in the doldrums for a while! I agree with testify, I think he will be put away for Aintree now, McCain has a habit of popping up at his local festival!

Two stand out for me.

The first is similar to Wellchief's. In 2014 I'd backed Mullins' novice hurdlers ante post, all at double-figure prices. The main bet was Vautour for the Supreme, but I also had various doubles and trebles combining him with Faugheen and Briars Hill. I was convinced that Faugheen was going for the the AB and Briars Hill for the Neptune, so stakes were geared that way, but I did have 'saver' bets on them running the other way around (as happened). I was a good few grand up by the time of the AB, but I had a small stakes treble involving Vautour (Supreme), Faugheen (Neptune) and running on to Briars Hill in the AB which would've netted £20K+. Needless to say, I spent most of Thursday shovelling funds into my BF account in efforts to hedge BH at about 2/1 for about £1500 profit on the bet.

However, the one that REALLY sticks in my craw is lumping on Valiramix ante-post for the 2002 Champion Hurdle after he'd dotted-up in the Bula. He was going to absolutely HOSE UP in the big one when AP got too close to the horse in front and he tripped up ("slipped up" is the RP's generous interpretation). RIP Valiramix.

foot and mouth obviously and any getting killed but one that springs to mind and i had not had a bet in the race was long run coming to spoil the denman kauto finish many had wanted to see for a few strides we looked like it would be a fantastic duel.


well chief i had the two of them with vautor all around 8s.

Foot & Mouth as had a few nice vouchers on Best Mate at double figures for The Arkle. Also had double figure vouchers on Kauto for the Champion Chase the year he fell.... (but thankfully kept the faith and immediately got some big prices for him to win the Gold Cup the following year). Funnily enough the windy day when it was called off actually turned in to a great day.... the crack in town as everyone made the most of it was brilliant fun... and then the resulting cards for the next few days were fantastic.

It has to be said that although everyone has a hard-luck story or disappointing memory (financial or otherwise), the beauty & success of the Cheltenham Festival lies in its ability to generate more positive memories than negative. Financial gain isn't the be all & end all, there is great pleasure to be derived from the pure sporting thrill that the festival has to offer.

I've had a few too many Jamesons tonight, so forgive me, but two races stand out for me:

The first is Burrough Hill Lad's Gold Cup in '84 (An absolute class horse - he, Provideo & El Gran Senor are the principal reasons why I got involved in racing. Don't even get me started on the '84 King George - the best 3-runner race of all time. When was the last time you saw a horse wearing an oxygen mask? Combs Ditch we love you - RIP).

The other is the '94 Queen Mum when the ultra-likeable Deep Sensation (3rd, aka Tommy Hearns) somehow managed to finish behind Travado (2nd, aka Sugar Ray Leonard) and the hardest-horse-that-ever-set-foot-on-a-racecourse Viking Flagship (winner, aka Marvelous Marvin Hagler).

2008 - Watching Binocular come 2nd in the Supreme in only his 3rd start after having punted him AP for the Triumph following his debut at fancy prices. Binocular then slammed the Triumph Hurdle winner Celestial Halo by 7l at the Aintree Festival (and became Champion Hurdler subsequently)

AND:

Nick Dundee hacking along in the 1999 RSA when fell 3 out (Future GC winner Looks Like Trouble being the beneficiary). You could hear a big gasp and a pin drop followed by the bookies giving it large. Those were the days. My uncle was a flat racing fan and took to sulking under the stairs in the main stand for the remainder of the day; constantly reminding himself why he didn't 'touch the jumps.'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dVvVVkDGCw

Also when the whole place fell silent in shear disbelief when Annie fell at the last, think everybody on track had backed it in the mullins multiples. the  group i go with was stunned as we were all on it and remember some bloke moonwalking past us waving his slip in the air because he had a fiver on Glens Melody.

mystic wind

i think your jamesons made you get hagler and duran mixed up.

Yeah Bigfield, Boston Bob most recent. Festival been lucky for me really with plenty of well fancied winning. Mainly avoid big fields

Seem to remember being disappointed when Desert Orchid went backwards and tailed off in the Champion Hurdle

Wasn't it Browns Gazette who ran round in a circle at the start, 20 lengths down and only narrowly beaten?

see you thens first champion hurdle that was not sure brownes got that close ridden of course by db

Champagne Fever getting chinned by Western Warhorse without doubt. I was also on course for Annie Power falling at the last but that wasn’t disappointing as such, it was more just sheer disbelief

Psycho - County Hurdle

I wanted to strangle Carberry. Worse still he was beaten by a 50/1 shot.

^^^ Silver Jaro, my first ever festival winner

Well i'm glad somebody had back it. Congrats!!!

Bet Silver Jaro myself. Don't think it won a race after it :-0.

was three figures on here

Latalomne - Queen Mother 2002 & 2003.

Cima getting beaten by Dawn Run in the CH and Nina falling off Karanja (who was favourite for the bumper) at the start!

Native Dara 2000 Coral Cup Got beat a neck by Whats Up Boys who jumped the last in about 14th place at least a dozen lenghts behind Native who was 4 clear halfway up the run in
That was bad enough but still struggle to talk about Merchants Friend in the 2004 Kim Muir

Direct Route getting caught by Edredon Bleu.

Foot and Mouth is the worst memory! Don't EVER EVER want that to happen again, we'll all be queuing at the Firing Squad practice session if that happens :-) Horsewise, Rhinestone Cowboy getting robbed by that cheating bar.steward Jamie Spencer in the Bumper! I STILL haven't got over it :-D

worst

Fidway unseating rider at the 2nd last when cruising in the 1990 Champion Hurdle

Sybillin losing the Arkle when odds on. Passed my driving test that day though.

Ryde Again letting me down for a yankee on the first day in 1989 i think.



best

Forpaddydeplasterer winning the Arkle

War of Attrition's gold cup win

Klairon Davies Queen Mum win when he appeared out of the blue because the cameraman was con centrating on the first 2.

Oiseau De Nuit at 40s in the Grand Annual

Two worst moments were Brown Gazzete facing the wrong way in the Champion Hurdle when the tape went up and No More Heroes suffering a fatal injury after taking it up 2 out - the latter would have been an able and ideal successor to Don Cossack and probably a cash cow for me.

Best moments were the amazing run of the Dickinson Five and the triumphs of Desert Orchid and Burrough Hill Lad.

getting so pissed on tuesday night  i never made the wednesday .. pathetic

1. Foot and mouth 2001 - especially as BlueSQ were a standout bet that the meeting would go ahead on the Sunday night which unfortunately I got involved in only to find out on Monday the meeting was cancelled as sheep had been allowed to graze on racetrack.  Worse still it transpired the racecourse had been sent a fax to this effect a few days before and I felt totally mugged by BlueSQ, never touched the rancid BSq since.

2. Beau - 2000 - £50ew @ 25/1 ante-post to win RSA Chase (9 runners won by Lord Noelie) when inexplicitly Nigel Twiston-Davies switched it to the National Hunt handicap chase (worth half as much) so AP bet lost and then lost again when backing at 6/1 finished 2nd to Marlborough. Did back it in the Whitbread when it won by half the fecking track but in my eyes that sort of confirmed it would have won the Sun Alliance.  Around about that time I realised that NTD is not a trainer I want my money riding on.

3. Annie Power - Guest in the PaddyPower box opposite the last hurdle where Annie Power slivered to the ground after over jumping the last hurdle when going clear.  Like many I had a Willy Mullins multiple bet in my case a £450 Lucky15 Douvan, Un De Sceaux, Faugheen & Annie Power and stood to win me approx 4.5k I ended up with approx 1.4k.  I actually thought the screens had gone up around her but it turned out to be another mare who had fallen independently.  To make matters worse the friend I was with had placed a huge ante post-bet on Polly Peachum.  The deafening roar as Annie Power sprinted into the lead in an instant snuffed out to utter silence and then a distant sound of punters cheering on Glens Melody and Polly Peachem as they fought out a phone finish.  Looking back we both agree it was once of the great Cheltenham festival days to be there never experiecned anything like that before at any sporting event.

There have been many others especially when Adam Kondrat threw the 1992 Gold Cup away by steadying The Fellow at the last (was going to meet it on a perfect stride) and lost at least 2 lengths and got beat a short head.

Agree with Mystic Wind many more brilliant memories over the years.  Time for another thread about those?

Karanja in the 2005 Bumper - Backed it at Windsor on its second run when it won under a penalty. Then backed it at 110 for Cheltenham bumper on here, after which it won the bumper at Newbury on Betfair Hurdle day. From then on I kept having bits and pieces on it until the day, when it was backed down to 5/1 second fav. Nina Carberry had it on the outside of the field as they lined up, but as the tapes went up, it spooked, reared up and left her on the deck. Who knows whether it would have won, but to not get a run for my money was soul destroying and still rankles.

My other biggest feeling of disappointment and almost isolation, was backing Maljimar in the 2009 William Hill Chase @ 33/1. Can still see those bright orange colours just lobbing around behind the pace and that growing feeling that he was going to win until I could see from jumping the last that McCoy was going to catch it on Wichita Lineman. Failing by a neck was awful, especially as it felt as though I was the only person on the track not to have backed the winner and since then, nearly every year the race gets replayed somewhere on TV so I can suffer it all again.

Less of a 'what could have been' moment, as the winnings would have been far less, was being on Harchibald in that Champion Hurdle. I would still have preferred Carberry to have let him go and try to win the race, rather than taking a pull again after the last. If he'd stuck his head in the air and not gone through with it so be it, and I could have blamed myself for backing it, but even with hindsight of knowing Harchibald's quirks a bit more, it's still the element of not knowing what would have happened that makes it a disappointing moment for me

Very similar for me Arsene. I was told by other owners in the yard that Karanja was the best that Victor had ever trained and duly backed it first time at Sandown. I watched it in the Tote Credit at Wincanton and we made rather a noise! Backed on here as soon as I could get a price and after it won at Newbury, I stood at £770 to win and £1 loss after laying some off as I remember. These things happen but what really upset me was when Nina was interviewed afterwards she thought it was hilarious-no sympathy for connections or punters. Karanja had beaten the horse that finished a close second at Cheltenham out of sight at Newbury.

I was on Maljimar as well Storm Alert

I put on another thread that my first festival was 2007 and I backed Juvigneur in the William Hill, only to get beat a short head by 50/1 shot Joes Edge, with another short head back to co fav Distant Thunder!

Wasn't in my 'most disappointing' list because only put about £2.50 on the race, and actually have happy memories of it because I was so excited jumping the last and seeing all three cross the line almost as one was fantastic - I assumed all Festival races would end like this .  If I'd had more than £2.50 then it might have been a different story, but still one of the greatest Cheltenham finishes I can remember.

Can't find a video link for it unfortunately.

Miltonfield. 50s to 33s 1999 Coral Cup. We were there and all on. Conor O'Dwyer came up the hill and went in out, in out, shake it all about. Beaten a hd by Khayrawani.  Miltonfield in front two strides after the line. Never the same horse again.  We called Conor some names that day. Then came those rides on Hardy Eustace.  Several years later in a Sunday Times article, Conor, a lovely man, referred to Miltonfield as 'the one that got away'.  Felt a bit embarrassed then.

Twas the 14th of March, 2017. All was calm in Prestbury park. The online bets had been placed, days and weeks earlier, and the customary on course cash top up was also down.
At a Cheltenham preview night I have pulled Adrien Heskin to one side to discuss how the Ultima Handicap race was going to be won on day one of this glorious festival.....I was convinced about this animal, told everyone I knew to back it...

The horse in question was Singlefarmpayment. He was ridden exactly as we had discussed, quietly, saving ground on the inside, and delivered perfectly AT THE LAST....."here we go" I thought, almost counting what would have been a huge payout for me....only for the top weight Un Tempts pour Tout to nab him by a nostril....:(

Carvill's Hill 10/1 antepost.

Stalking horse Golden Freeze run purely to hassle him upsides at his fences causing him to plough through the first ... game over.

Will always be Nick Dundee for me in the 1999 RSA. Still makes me wince thinking about!

It was my first serious bet. My Dad had a horse in the yard at that time and the buzz around this horse was palpable. They thought he could have been the best they ever had and defeat was out of the question. Only backed him a couple of weeks prior to the race but still got 6/1 and all prices down to 3/1 then went in again on the day at 2/1 and 6/4.

I must have watched the race back 50 times. What was Norman thinking asking for a big one there Hard to believe how well he was travelling against a top class horse with the pair so far clear.

Was a miracle he came back to win another race after such a serious injury but his career was effectively over that day. Who knows how good he could have been.

Fidway has mentioned Sybillin before me.
Went off 11/8 on in the 1993 Arkle but I've just read this "This had been billed as a head- to-head between Wonder Man and Sybillin, but the latter's chances waned the previous evening when Jimmy FitzGerald, his trainer, received poor results to a blood test." I'm disappointed again now as I can't remember hearing that news on the day and Jimmy Fitzgerald wasn't normally one for keeping his cards close to his chest

Same as someone else...valiramix...mccoy was showboating...coulda cried

Sybillin for me too, got it back in that years Tingle Creek!

So did i duffy. And had it in a double with Land Afar in the big hurdle race on the same card

Sybillin great memories and same story with me, lost at Cheltenham but won a small fortune in the Tingle Creek; it was 10/1 in the morning.  P Niven rode it that day and I was told on track on Friday he would use the whip which certainly antagonised the owner (Mark Dwyer never used the whip on the horse for fear of losing the ride).

eric_morris that Gold Cup with Carvills Hill was some race.

Carvill's Hill and The Fellow's demise against Cool Ground Gold Cup 1992.  For me the race had everything...

I had invested a tidy sum ante post on Carvill’s Hill after the Welsh National demolition job.  A good friend of mine had invested £50 e/w ante post @ 12/1 on The Fellow.  I had an open house that year and quite a few of us watched the race on BBC and as there were only eight runners, most of us were on Carvill's Hill or The Fellow.

All the talk beforehand was about Jenny Pitman using Golden Freeze as a stalking horse to get Carvill's Hill on the floor.  Peter Scudamore seemed to lose his head at the start and dashed frantically to the first and Carvill’s Hill crashed through it.  In hindsight he lost the race there and then, the horse incurring chest and tendon injuries and was brave even to continue.  For the next mile I was enraged with Michael Bowlby reining in Golden Freeze between fences to let Carvill's Hill catch up so he could comprehensively out jump him again.

Eventually I realised it was hopeless for Carvill's Hill and switched my attention to The Fellow as at least some of my friends were on that.  Coming down to the last The Fellow was in the lead and was going to meet the last on a perfect stride.  Then inexplicably for a horse that jumped so well, Adam Kondrat slowed right down to pop the fence and allowed Docklands Express and Cool Ground to gain lengths jumping the last.  That along with the owner not allowing the whip to be used on The Fellow enabled Adrian Maguire to conjure up a spectacular winning run from Cool Ground.

I remember absolute silence in my living room in stark contrast to the shouting during the finish; we were all in a state of shock.  The sight of Carvill's Hill staggering home with Scudamore on his back in last place was quite shocking even eclipsing a lame Toby Tobias.  In my anger I though Jenny Pitman got what she deserved with Golden Freeze pulled up and Toby Tobias going lame.  I went through quite a few emotions during and just after that race.  Then David Elworth's (whom I greatly respect) made a ridiculous statement that Carvill's Hill lacked moral fibre.  Maybe he expected it to make some cheese sandwiches for the Cheltenham homeless after the race.

My friend, who missed out on the win part of his ante post bet on The Fellow, took it all in his stride and showed pure class by buying the beers with his place returns later in the evening.  Poor Carvill's Hill suffered the most and never ran again, a sad outcome for a brilliant but flawed chaser.

Storm Alert yes Carvill's Hill was an exciting horse in an eventful race. Pipey put loads of effort into sorting his jumping out think it was Scobie Breasley putting him right for him.

You could tell by Pipey's remarks that he had some horse on his hands I had never heard him eulogise like that about a horse before.

Had my biggest bet after uni with £500 at 3/1 or 4/1 (cant remember exactly) in a Lads shop on the Welsh National the week before and watched the best performance I had seen by a staying chaser in the short time I had followed racing so far. £100 at 10/1 the Gold Cup before the Welsh Nat as well, anticipating a big run.

Actually if you watch the race back on youtube Golden Freeze was rushed up to join Carvills at the first fence distracting his jumping ... job done right at the first fence, disgraceful! In fact if you look closely, Golden Freeze slightly crosses in front of Carvills as they jump.

Went to the Festival the 3 days as was then in 1992 and remember walking off the course immediately after they crossed the line disgusted at the brutally bad sportsmanship from Pitman which ended Carvill's racing career. He had an engine as big as if not bigger than Denman's.

Actually now remember took the 10s the Gold Cup before the Rehearsal Chase backing him at 7/4 for that.

the first time I went all in
BANNOW RAMBLER anybody remember him
sweet dreams
Ronnie.

3 john edwards horses in a £2.50 ew trixie on different days
Dixton house 10-1. ritz club ch
Observer corps 50-1. cathcart
Yahoo 25-1 2nd beat by Dessie GC

Hi Ronnie, I remember Bannow Rambler turning over the Irish good thing of the week Brown Lad in the sun alliance novice hurdle or whatever it was called in those days.

Ribero
if I remember it remounted to give me a bit of hope,
regards
Ronnie.

Backing Master Smudge each way in 1980...while beaten well by Tied Cottage the later disqualification of latter meant I have a 14/1 winner of the gold cup in the record books but no cigar

Venalmar getting touched off in the Neptune by fiveforthree. This was the year they lost the Wednesday due to high winds and so the race was run on the new course instead of the sharper old course.
But for that, I'm certain Venalmar would have won fairly easily and I had him at 33/1 and in a double at that price with Captain Cee Bee @ 25/1.

Also Trablogan getting chinned by Liberman in the Bumper. Had backed Trabolgan on here at 100/1+ and he was due to be ridden by Toby Dobbin, but he got injured and they jocked up Seamus Durak
Even so but for McCoy beating the living daylights out of the favourite I would have collected.

Annie Power 10 March 2015 at roughly 4.05pm..............loved the mare and would have been a historic Cheltenham moment if she had followed Douvan, UDS and Faugheen in to the winners enclosure..............and a lot of us would have been quids in !!!!! Still haunts me.

Not my most disappointing (far from it), but one of my regular companions's, for sure.
About 15 years ago, he drunkenly snares some local sort in Montpellier and has a good night out of it. She wasn't the best, is as kind as I can be.
They exchange numbers and have regular contact for the following 12 months ahead of the next festival. Every time he hears from her, he's telling us what a belter she is and how much he can't wait to see her again. We try and temper his enthusiasm by mentioning that she's perhaps not as he sees her in his minds eye, but he's having none of it.
Anyway, like an excited puppy he's arranged to meet her the Monday night before the start, we all go along and as we walk into the bar he can't see her. We point her out, but apparently he doesn't think that's her. Then she catches his eye and waves. Without a word, he turns on his heel and is gone. We catch up with him outside and he's gutted, instantly christened himself Shallow Hal and had a good sulk for the next couple of hours.
He still doesn't really believe it now.

Foot and mouth would defo be the worst !

From a punting point of view it wouldbe a toss up between Annie Power, Denman getting beat by Nicanor and Red Blazer getting chinned in the bumper by Dato Star. It was a very sad day when Forgive n Forget was killed in the Gold Cup also

Deffo foot and mouth with the added pain thrown in as it was mooted that the festival could take place sometime in April which gave that slim thread of hope that you gladly clung on to although you secretly knew it was a no chance really.

Today's article on the ATR website reminded me of the day the festival was cancelled due to wind. If I remember right it would have been alright to race if it wasn't for the shanty town tented village being blown around the course during the night. Walking up to the pump room in the morning it was a pleasant day and we thought we were having our leg pulled when someone told us racing was off. We had to head back to work on Thursday so missed the fun of the extended card. All Gillespie can think about was how well he and his team had worked to put things right.
"To overcome adversity with a sort of calmness and a bit of panache. No one got hurt, everybody was inconvenienced, but, in a strange way, seemed to enjoy it. It was an unprecedented challenge, but everyone was up for it. People now have happy memories of something which was so inconvenient - it's like being delayed for a flight for 24 hours - and it was such fun. All people talked about at the end of the week was how much fun they'd had. The sense of achievement afterwards was immense."
Inconsiderate b@stard.

Can I add the ride by Patrick Mullins on Mall Dini today - would have been the cherry on top of the whipped cream on top of the icing of my 2018 Cheltenham cake, so even though I am well ahead I feel like I have lost.

Losing unclepuncle to twitter

Nick Dundee - a classic case of what might have been. He was a monster

Valiramix - McCoy taking the time to take his helmet off, slam it in the ground whilst Valiramix is stood on three legs was an awful sight. Looked very petulant whilst his horse was in obvious pain

Two setbacks from my days as an owner with Jim Old before Collier Bay made amends. Firstly Cima was beaten in the Triumph by Shiny Copper, a rank outsider from France, that had been hurdling since the previous May which is within the rules. Then 2 years later he was beaten half a length by Dawn Run in the first season when mares got a 5lb allowance.

Just to be clear, I did not own those 2, I just backed them. I am not Wally Sturt

The last fling cantering all over them in the rsa when he did what he usually did and landed on its tits I had it in doubles,trebled and yankees with make a stand and a couple of others at long odds .

Backing four horses singly in the bumper, they finished first, second, third and fifth, forecast three grand

Maljimar 33/1
Direct Route 6/1.
Both done by McCoy.