Cheltenham 2024

I don't tend to bet much, if at all, on Cheltenham until the week itself but I did notice Dan Skelton sounding unusually bullish about Protektorat's chances in the Gold Cup. Some will definitely be put off by him only finishing fourth over a similar trip on Trials Day but 14/1 or 16/1 about the horse that finished third last year and which has already won one of the big staying chases this season seems a more than fair price each way. If all of the principles stand their ground, it ought to be a cracking race and Galopin des Champs is far too short a price for me in that context.

The big concern I have for this year's festival is the potential for the new whip rules to overshadow everything. Regardless of your view about the rule changes themselves, I don't think anyone can deny their implementation has been handled appallingly and the fallout from them has only just begun.

 

I usually book week off for Cheltenham & Royal Ascot but only working part time now so I'll be back home for 12.30ish most days & will have a dabble on just the handicaps where I'll dutch a few as I can't remember a festival where they are so many over hyped " good things " but favourites statistically only win 2/3 races out of every 7 at the festival where it will be Willie Mullins versus Ireland & The UK

 

I'll be going Wednesday and Thursday. I put a couple of bets on last week.

Hermes Allen (Ballymore) & Delta Work (CCC) at 9/1

Brandy Love 11/1 (Coral Cup)

 

Enjoy , there's no trains Wednesday or Friday , I wouldn't ever go again , way too many people there & queing up 30+ mins for a pint that's £7 + or a tray of chips for £9 is a p*ss take , the sport of kings !

 

Yeah it does get a bit manic. It's been a bit quieter since COVID as I think they've had to limit the attendance. We do club now just to make it a bit easier getting a beer & using the toilet. They had these self service beer machines there last year which for some reason, no one used. The beer was 10x better than the flat stuff from the bar and we never had to queue.

I've learnt after getting the timing of the toilet break wrong. Desperate and the queues in the Guinness Village used to be rediculous. I've managed never to p*ss myself but it's been close

This will be my 14th year in a row, I just love the atmosphere before, during and after.

 

I've been 3 times when Cheltenham was the last " big event " in UK I missed out of the Wednesday with you've got it , Covid .

I've done Best Mate Don Cossack win on Gold Cup Day , a Thursday on club enclosure where it was a nightmare , couldn't see f*ck all & VIP re OLBG meeting in Quevega Bar then private box in-between Magniers & Giginstown lot , the most amazing sporting experience I've ever had , didn't win f*ck all though & the train back to Birmingham had broken down that day which was a very long one as it's a 7 hour round trip on a good run from Peterborough , good luck & enjoy yourselves anyway

 

I love following Cheltenham from home, but fair play I hate the town for the 4 days it's on.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate what it brings in for the local economy, etc....but chavs in tweed pissing in people's gardens during the afternoon is a bit much!

 

I don't bet anywhere near as much as I used to, and don't have any antepost on at all going into Chelts. I have a few ideas who I might go for though and will have a proper look at each race this weekend for day 1. The excitement always builds the final week before the meet, it's the best sporting week of the year for me.

 

Get your mud larks at the ready I'd say!! They've changed it to soft going already this morning and this snow has to melt yet

 

I'm about 1 mile from The Racecourse and snow has all disappeared.

 

Was about to post the same thing, more along the lines of what snow.

 

Have you not had any? We've had about 8+ inches here!

 

It's snowed quite a bit, but it hasn't settled at all. It seemed like it might this morning, and outside mine looked quite white at around 7ish, but by 8:30 it had all gone.

Put it this way, I coach an u12s team and we play at 9:30 tomorrow morning. I'm not expecting to postpone it.

 

I used to absolutely love Cheltenham in my betting days, but I’ve finally reached the point in the last couple of years where the thought of doing the research that I used to do just makes me tired even thinking about it

I’ll have a scan of a few trusty forums that I’ve used before and speak to a couple of friends who train for some decent yards but that’s about the extent of it for me!

Will post any selections in here even if it’s just for a bit of fun without putting any money on

 

Looks alright to me, got a very good chance