((((HANDICAP ENTRIES))))

The WEIGHTS for all 10 handicaps will be revealed on Wednesday 27th February

Good work Sir.

Initial check and no DOLOS for the Grand Annual.

WHICH one of ELLIOTTS ?

Tracker reminders...

TUESDAY
Vyta Du Roc entered at Cheltenham 12th Mar 2.50
Moon Over Germany & King Of Realms & Duc Des Genievres entered at Cheltenham 12th Mar 4.50

WEDNESDAY
Tombstone entered at Cheltenham 13th Mar 2.50

THURSDAY
Rooster Byron entered at Cheltenham 14th Mar 2.10
Moon Over Germany & Value At Risk & Ballybolley entered at Cheltenham 14th Mar 4.10
Vyta Du Roc & Theatre Territory entered at Cheltenham 14th Mar 5.30

FRIDAY
Tombstone & Western Ryder & Brelade entered at Cheltenham 15th Mar 2.10
Moon Over Germany & Avenir D'Une Vie & Camelia De Cotte & Tycoon Prince entered at Cheltenham 15th Mar 4.50
King Of Realms & Honeysuckle & Cracking Smart entered at Cheltenham 15th Mar 5.30

The opening handicap of The Festival, the £110,000 G3 Ultima Handicap Chase (2.50pm) over three miles and a furlong, has attracted 105 entries. They include ante-post favourite Give Me A Copper (Paul Nicholls), who is part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson and Jeremy Kyle, impressive Listed Sky Bet Chase victor Go Conquer (Nigel Twiston-Davies), owned by Paul and Clare Rooney, and Coo Star Sivola (Nick Williams), who became the first Festival winner to be partnered by a female professional jockey, Lizzie Kelly, when successful in 2018. 
Champion Day, Tuesday, March 12, also features the £70,000 Listed Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase (4.50pm, 85 entries) over two and a half miles. Highway One O One (Chris Gordon) could bid to go one better after being touched off in the Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase at Cheltenham on Festival Trials Day on January 26.
 
There are 127 entries for the £100,000 G3 Coral Cup (2.50pm) over two and five furlongs on Ladies Day, Wednesday, March 13. Willie Mullins and owner Luke McMahon combined to win the prestigious handicap hurdle with Bleu Berry in 2018. The pair are also represented by Cesarewitch Handicap runner-up Uradel and G1 winner Whiskey Sour.   
Band Of Outlaws (Joseph O'Brien IRE) headlines 63 entries for the £80,000 Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Fred Winter) (4.50pm, 2m 87y)) the same day, following his impressive victory at Naas on February 9. Paul Nicholls is the leading trainer in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle with three victories, and the Somerset handler has Taunton scorer Friend Or Foe and Deadline Diva among his three entries.

Gordon Elliott enjoyed a one-two in last year's £100,000 Listed Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (2.10pm, St Patrick's Thursday, March 14), with Delta Work edging out Glenloe. The Co Meath trainer accounts for five of the 70 entries, including Sire Du Berlais, fourth in last year's Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle, and progressive novice Moratorium. Owner Philip Reynolds and trainer Pat Kelly, who landed back-to-back editions of the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle with Mall Dini (2016) and Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite Presenting Percy (2017), could be represented by G1-placed Tin Soldier.
The Storyteller (Gordon Elliott IRE) tops 82 entries for the £110,000 G3 Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase (4.10pm, 2m 4f 127y), also on St Patrick's Thursday, and could bid to become the first back-to-back winner since The Tsarevich in 1985 and 1986. Lightly-raced chasers River Wylde and Janika are among seven entries for Nicky Henderson, who is chasing a record fifth victory in the race.
Randox Health Grand National contenders General Principle (Gordon Elliott IRE), winner of the 2018 Irish Grand National, and Abolitionist (Dr Richard Newland) are among 95 entries for the £70,000 Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Amateur Riders' Handicap Chase (5.30pm, 3m 2f), the final race on the third day.
 
The 2014 Unibet Champion Hurdle hero Jezki (Jessica Harrington IRE) is one of 91 entries for the £100,000 G3 Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle (2.10pm) over just shy of two miles and a furlong on Gold Cup Day, Friday, March 15. Mullins and Nicholls are the most successful trainers in Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle history, with four wins each. Mullins has 2018 JCB Triumph Hurdle second Mr Adjudicator among his eight entries, while Nicholls' seven contenders include promising novices Southfield Stone and Getaway Trump.
There are 58 entries for the £110,000 G3 Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase (4.50pm, 2m 62y), in which last year's victor Le Prezien (Paul Nicholls) could bid to become just the third two-time winner and the first since Dulwich in 1974 and 1976.
The final race of The Festival is the £70,000 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle over an extended two and a half miles.
Elliott, who has captured the two most recent renewals, has 26 entries to choose from including ante-post favourite Dallas Des Pictons plus Vision D'Honneur and Eclair De Beaufeu.

Weights now out for the handicaps ........ so it begins.

Any link where you can see them?

I've got the Raceform Interactive software but it usually takes a couple of days for the weights and decs  to come through on the decs there and I fancy a bit (more) early analysis.

Now on the Racing Post website Hanx.

Looked at Martin Pipe hurdle cos Elliot likes winning it but Dallas Des Pictons is already only 6-1 and he also has few more interesting ones in there. I'll keep an eye on where they run.

Decided to have a look at videos of last years handicaps to glean some clues, might not be too clever the going could be completely different.

BLEUBERRY. Coral Cup. 33-1 e.w. prob should of took 28-1 nrnb. Won last year 5lb higher now but wouldn't have been enough to stop him last year.
BLEUBERRY. Stayers hurdle. 100-1 e.w. nrnb.

MALL DINI. Ultima. 20-1 e.w.  2nd in the Kim Muir last year travelled nicely. 5lb higher but loves Chelt.

SPIRITOFTHEGAMES. Plate. 20-1 e.w. 5th in the County hurdle and higher now but I think he'll be a better chaser, brought along slowly this year.

SIRE DU BERLAIS. Pertemps 7-1. Price is skinny. 4th in Martin Pipe hurdle 1lb higher but the longer trip will suit. Put him in an e.w. trixie with last two.

SOUOUATEUR. Kim Muir 20-1  3rd last year also travelled nicely now up 3lb. put him in my e.w. super yankee.

LE PREZIEN. Grand Annual 16-1 won it last year, 1lb higher, his time of year. Chucked him in e.w. super yankee

e.w. lucky 63 not super yankee, as you see I don't know what I'm doing. Shouldn't be allowed to bet.

TOWER BRIDGE in the Close Brothers looks the one for me, good festival form and has been brought along very nicely, they were done a favour by the british handicapper to get in here.

3 of jps pulled out in their respective races, Jezki, Ivanovich Gorbatov, and De Name Escapes Me.

Do try and remember Morpteh, it could be important.

AZZERTI e.w. 20-1 nrnb Close Brothers h'cap
AZZERTI e.w. 20-1 nrnb Ultima h'cap

Already lost money on a non-runner, learnt my lesson there.

Really fancy this one, fell here in handicap when looking the winner in January. 2nd in 22 runner class 2 h'cap hurdle here last April, running on well that day. Not scared of a battle and looks to be improving.

28-1 in Ultima.

morpteh mackem - let ME remind you! - after the 100K Leinster National at 3.40 in Naas on Sunday

DNEM didn’t run his race behind Vieux Morvan (in Paddy Poor Dec 27th L/stown) for whatever reason (wasn't 'off' ffs) but previously was very progressive both over hurdles and fences. JP has decided to miss a variety of options at Cheltenham due to a higher mark in England.

morpteh mackem,
correction *4.50*