Cheltenham Festival 2017 - Chat Thread

Hope you all had some winners

Early night for me, see you tomorrow

Today's attendance came to 66,019 on the first day of The Festival.


Wednesday =

Going: Good to soft, good in places on cross country course

viewing figures ?

A most wondrous day. Showed the nippers how to sup and lost my voice. The 4 pint limit got them and my voice went when AJ fought back in the mares. Hope you all enjoyed the day.

Onwards and upwards and all to the fray!

Good morning all

Thanks for the going report, Tictac.

Yes, Money, ITV's viewing figures would be interesting, compared to Channel4's

Glad you had a good day, G2D.

I really enjoyed it and Edwulf seeming to being ok was the best result of all

seeming to be*

Shame about Colin's Sister but the blog says she will be running soon as it was a small cut.

Thomas Crapper gets into the Brown advisory handicap tomorrow

Oh good, on both counts there.

Two non runners I can see.

2.50 Coral Cup - Carrig Cathal

5.30 Champion Bumper - Someday

Good luck for today all, especially the horses and jockeys.

Come on, Douvan!

Today's attendance came to 66,019 on the first day of The Festival.

__________

and they keep on about evening racing

Awful news after the first race.

RIP Consul De Thaix

...... Someone has had £500,000 on the horse to win at odds of 1-5 but Douvan's millionaire owner Rich Ricci tells 5 Live that it wasn't him!... is it guinness2dear ?

"It is the worst day because of the weight of expectation," he tells John Inverdale. "You are anxious and hope he wins and gets home sound.

"I watched Douvan win last year but today I won't watch. I'll keep my head down, listen intently and try to get him home in my mind."

Punter bets £500,000 on Douvan.....


Yesterday a male punter placed a bet of £400,000, at odds of 1-4, on favourite Altior in the Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices' Chase.

It came in to earn the punter £100,000. Well, the same person is at it again, this time putting HALF A MILLION POUNDS on favourite Douvan to win the big race of the day - the Queen Mother Champion Chase. The odds are 1-5 and he will collect an additional £100,000 if Douvan wins.

Own up who is it ? wish him or her well

I wish them well. I reallly want Douvan to win

Worried about this next race. I hate big fields. Come back safe all.

All back safe

Thank you, TDS

Wow! Douvan didn't win

Special Tiara a very deserving wiinner.

I'm thrilled for his lovely owner

Heartbreak for Fox Norton's connections. So close and yet so far.

Consul De Thaix - poor bugger 

Good day with Cause Of Causes winning and getting the placepot (40p)

Well done

Good work I.S. I'm levels you devils thus far this week.

Where's the rope.....

Oh dear.

Nah. Bit annoying though that a gnats pube cost me plenty...

Willie should pack his hosses up and go home. 3 of his looked like flappers in the paddock today..

Thursday going... Good, Good to Soft in places

What happened to Douvan?


We are all a bit gobsmacked I think, he didn't jump as well as we had hoped with his usual fluency," Mullins told 5 live. "Usually you find something wrong when that happens.

"He probably pulled something, a muscle, a ligament, hopefully something that will come right straight away.

"Over the first two fences, I thought he would have to be a super horse to win this, you don't get away with that in the Champion Chase.

"I'm hoping he could be one of the best horses I have ever trained. Today clearly was not his day. That's the way it is.

Hope you have a better day tomorrow, G2D

Thanks, Tictac. The ground has been looking lovely.

It is being reported that Douvan was found to be lame behind, after the race.

Cheers tictac, think it will good all round without water tomorrow (im going)

Aftertiming i know, Douvan had only beaten 2 of the field today, clearly he did not run his race and i should had laid

I wouldn't be surprised if he was on his way before the race, M_D. Didn't look great. A bit lethargic.

Douvan was carrying a bag of lead

I won today M_D. Just about covered the 6 pasties i ate

Funny ye should say that Coach cos i never thought Rupert looked that interested during the race..

Six pasties?!

I have been doing extra weight training this week to make up for the carrot cake I have been eating in the afternoons. So I suggest you run round the course a few times G2D

Have a great day everyone and good luck

I found another way which was much more fun, M_D..


I shall be giving Yorkhill the closest of looks before the 1st; and Rupert the beadiest of looks during it..

St Patrick's day Thursday - A few Irish winners ....to be sure to be sure

Lol, G2D

Happy St Patrick's Day to all our Irish Chit-Chatters

Not much chat on my chat thread, this afternoon

UDS

All too busy counting the winnings lol.....1 st 3 winners to lovable Irish

Yes. What a turnaround for Willie and Ruby.

I haven't scored any points yet this afternoon, in the placepot comp

I'm relying on Lizzie in the next

Time for tea and carrot cake

This is mental! Ruby and Willie again!

What on earth possessed  me to think Agrapart could perhaps get placed Love that little horse

Congratulations Nicholls Canyon

Afternoon MD. Some cracking racing today already, really enjoyed it. Pity the rockerfella couldn't hold on but a superb effort all the same.

Afternoon MC

Brilliant from Lil Rockerfella. His connections are thrilled

The Crapper got a place

Shame Lil Rockerfella didn't quite win, but ran a marvellous race and was cheering him even though i didnt back him.

Lil Rockerfella was amazing. I'm really pleased Thomas Crapper ran well for Robin Dickin.

Sadly two horses lost their lives today.

RIP Toe The Line and Hardrian's Approach

Didnt realise that md, i would like to say thanks for updating me but it cannot be done.

RIP Toe The Line & Hadrians Approach. (had a fiver ew on HA & Pendra), looked a normal fall.

I watched the last two races and then had to go straight out. I feared the worst for for both horses. I could see Hadrian's Approach had broken his leg. A terrible sight. Thank goodness the vets are on the scene immediately when these thing happen.

Friday ...

    Going: Good, Good to Soft in places......

Thanks, Tictac.

Lets hope we have an injury free day today.

Come on, Cue Card

Good luck everyone.

Anyone got a spare liver?

My world record of pasty munching may well be beaten today.. I have also been given (very kindly) a ticket for the rugby tomorrow so my dry out won't start until Sunday for sure.

My beady eye worked on Rupert; and everyone who has been telling me all week that Djakadam is a certainty will be pleased about that. Myself i can't see past Native River but good luck to all..

Enjoy yourself G2D and try and look after your liver

You seem to be enjoying yourself Makybe .

Guinness , I know how you feel.

Got 4.5 grand on the fav in 5.30

Yes, I am dunlaying but it will all be over soon

Kenny!

any fatalities so far? I don't watch it.

Le Prezien6.70 £4,624.00  £26,373.20

it's only money

sorry the £4624 was the lay.

This is the back.

Le Prezien6.89 £4,500.00  £26,500.00

wishing you all the Good luck kenny. Few more JP horses go in...will shorten up come the last

Good luck with that, Kenny

Sadly three horses have died this week. No fatalities today, hopefully it will stay that way.

Thanks tictac', but it was a trade. I'm not that rich.

Guaranteed £118 profit IF it's not a nr.

That's why I don't watch jump racing MD. Some call me a hypocrit for playing the horses, but I'd be turning down a grand a month if I stopped, and I couldn't afford to run 5 cats, plus do other stuff without horse racing.

I know, Kenny. I watch racing because I love horses. I sometimes question myself tho'.

Well I watched the first race, day 1, when the leader was a long way ahead, then swerved badly at the last and was headed, but fought back to win by a short nose. Incredible race.

Hadrian's Approach ,Consul De Thaix both henderson *  Toe the Lines.

Yes, it was incredible.

Huge field in the Coral Cup there. I didn't see any fallers so hope everyone is ok.

Every Chance to go close 3.05 Ling.

There was a faller at the last but happily he is up and looks perfectly ok

Arctic Fire carried 11-12 to win there!

Backed the 2nd, with a better time run he could had won

Eva time again, they should replace plunkett with her imho.

I knew you would mention Eva

Oh bad luck, Sonko.

It's nice the stable staff get plenty of coverage. There would be no racing without them.

Feeling very nervous

Exciting ...jackdam, native..minnolo rocco

sizing john good thing in this

It was... returned 7/1 well done

I wish Richard Hoiles had told us that Cue Card was ok.

I saw him get up, then he went out of shot and one of the ground staff went running towards him with a screen. I feared the worst.

It wasn't till we saw the overhead camera shot when they had crossed the line that we could see Cue Card was fine.

Anyway, I'm very pleased for Sizing John, and his family and friends

Just wish I could have enjoyed watching him win.

I really like Jessica Harrington. Congratulations to her

No hard luck story for Native River. He ran great but was beaten fair and square, I can live with that. I don't think Cue Card was on a winning day I'm just so happy he is ok. Colin Tizzard will have to wait for his Gold Cup.

And I had Minella Rocco in the placepot comp

Thrilled for Pacha Du Polder

^ us both...placepotter saver

Don't fancy any of the front three in the Gold Cup.
Think it will go to one of the second season horses Outlander or Sizing John.....

Well done Tictac and Sixtwosix

Just the last race to go.

Do not mention the last race to the guinness monster whatever ye do M_d...


Wonderful 4 days; great weather, shíte beer; lovely women and great pals. Add that to one or two pasties and some great curries and what more can a Kildare laddie want..

A decent feckin jock in the last race that's what!!!!!!!!!!

Hello M_D did ye have a good day?

Evening, G2D.

Cue Card was ok after his fall, so yes, I had a good day.

All my carrot cake has gone

Have a pasty

Those racehorses Kenny get the best treatment - all in beatiful condition  ,I wouldn't mind coming back as one . They love to run .

Just unfortunate as you say with jumps the odd horse comes a cropper but i'm sure the horses would take the risk .  Aintree is too much though - wish they'd do away with that - too long ,too high ,too much !!

..... It means that the Irish end the meeting with 19 winners out of the 28 races

Gordon Elliott finishes as top trainer - both he and Willie Mullins had six winners apiece but Elliott had three second places compared to Mullins's two.

Ruby Walsh's four winners on Thursday also saw him named leading jockey again.

.....Douvan found to have stress fracture of pelvis agter MRI scan , up to 3 months box-rest.

Thanks for that, Tictac.

Get well soon, Douvan

Sweet As A Nut, who fell in the Foxhunter, was still down at the last fence when ITV went of air.

He got up ok 

off*

Don't normally praise the BBC, but Excellent coverage on 5 live and Sport extra, ably led by John Inverdale.

I have watched this video about 10 times this week, the love NH has for the horse is clear too me. Corny vid but great.

.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs-ucr5130o

Lovely

Thanks, Sonko.

From The Guardian

"There will surely be no Gold Cup to crown the career of Cue Card now. While he has been as tough and durable as any top-class steeplechaser, he will be 12 by the time next March comes around and modern Gold Cups simply do not fall to horses of that age.

The hard fact for his many followers to confront is Cue Card already looked beaten before he exited this race, in sharp contrast to the situation 12 months before, when he seemed to have the prize within his grasp. In the words of his trainer, Colin Tizzard: “Last year, he’d just joined in, he was tanking along. This year, he was flat out and dived at it.”

Paddy Brennan, the jockey who took so much of the blame on himself for what happened a year ago, wanted to take time to collect himself before talking about this repeat. He was fit to take his one remaining ride an hour later.

Without being asked, Tizzard dismissed any suggestion Brennan had contributed to Cue Card’s fall. “There’s no fault,” he said. “Last time, he was upset because he thought perhaps he’d got it wrong. He did nothing wrong at all.”

Cue Card’s owner, Jean Bishop, had discussed the possibility of retiring the horse, had he won here. He has certainly turned in a long shift at racing’s highest level, though a healthy steeplechaser would often continue to the age of 12.

Tizzard reported the horse unhurt by his tumble and hopes Cue Card may be able to go to Aintree next month for the Betfred Bowl, which he won easily last year.

“We’ll see how he comes out of it but I’m sure he’ll go to Aintree. The Irish won’t hardly come and half of these won’t be there. And see what happens after that. He was a length and a half behind the winner, wasn’t he? So no one knows what was going to happen. But then he dived at it.”

Tizzard’s other runner, Native River, belied fears about poor stable form to keep on into third place after helping to force the pace."