Blogging has never been my scene but thought I'd give it a go.
Cracking card at Cheltenham tomorrow - here are my selections (all to back):
1.20 Cheltenham: 0.5pt Win, Ozeta @ 3.15
1.55 Cheltenham: 0.5pt Win, Chicago Grey @ 6.6
1.55 Cheltenham: 0.5pt Win, Hennessy @ 12.5
2.35 Cheltenham: 2pts Win, Wishfull Thinking @ 7.6
2.35 Cheltenham: 2pts Place, Wishfull Thinking @ 2.56
4.10 Cheltenham: 1pt Win, Join Together @ 5.3
England v Spain: 5pts Win, Spain @ 1.9
Total outlay: 11.5pts
Analysis of selctions:
1.20 Cheltenham
While the Alan King horse (Secret Edge) is respected, this looks between the Nicholls and Henderson yards with their new French recruits. OZETA receives a handy weight allowance as a filly and that could prove crucial, while her superior Flat form in France, compared with her market rival (Hinterland) is another factor. She looks the value call in what could be an early Triumph pointer - previous winners of this contest (Cerium, Fair Along, Katchit, Franchoek and Sam Winner) all made the frame in the 4-year-old championship race at the Festival.
1.55 Cheltenham
This could be a real slog - with news of plenty of rainfall overnight, added to the likelihood of a very strong pace (Carruthers, Fair Along, Balthazar King and Galaxy Rock have all led in the past) and the extended distance of 3m3f. That makes me want to side with proven stamina-laden horses, and the two that fit the bill are CHICAGO GREY, who won over 4m at the Festival, and HENNESSY, who is a previous Sandown Gold Cup winner over 3m5f. My head says that Chicago Grey is the more solid of the two, but Hennessy's rating (124) is eyecatching to say the least. Split stakes on the pair of them in what could be an attritional race.
2.35 Cheltenham
A rattling good Paddy Power Gold Cup, which is extremely competitive. Mon Parrain is too short for me (although currently 5.8 on Betfair, which is more tempting than the industry 7/2), considering that another French 5-year-old - none other than Long Run - couldn't win this off of 158 last season. The last horse from this age group to win the race was Cyfor Malta in 1998, and combined with Paul Nicholls' poor record in the race, I'm happy to pass him over, but admit he could well go and win. This often goes to a fancied runner aged between 6 and 8, more often than not a second season chaser, and WISHFULL THINKING ticks those boxes. Aside from trends though - just look at the last two horses he's brushed aside; Blazing Tempo (whom he gave a remarkable 21lbs) has gone on to win a Galway Plate and a Grade 3 Mares Chase; Medermit (whom he crushed by 10 lengths) reappeared to win the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter. His form is rock solid - in fact, his Jewson conquerer at the Festival - Noble Prince - would have been the selection had he turned up, but I'm happy to side with Philip Hobbs' charge. Soft ground (if it materialises) wouldn't be a concern - he defeated Grands Crus in soft ground as a novice hurdler. Other horses to look out for include Loosen My Load and Fine Parchment, who is interesting on the trends. A race to savour.
4.10 Cheltenham
An interesting novice chase, for which RSA fancy First Lieutenant held an entry but hasn't taken it up. He would have been a confident selection, but in his absence, I'll take the Nicholls-trained JOIN TOGETHER, who looked unlucky on his chase debut at Chepstow (when fancied), and he represents a bit of value at just over 5. The hope is that he has learnt from that experience when falling five out, and Restless Harry's price might just be a bit short tackling these fences for the first time.
England v Spain
England look like they're going to play an experimental side against imperious SPAIN, who could play any combination of players and still come out on top. Even if England's first choice side turned up, they would struggle to match the reigning European and World champions, who will dominate possession as usual and expose the home side's frailties. They look huge, huge value at 1.9 and are the bet of the weekend.