Cheltenham Festival Trials Day

[SeanFoley]

I am going to Cheltenham this Saturday for The Festival Trials. I stopped following Horse racing closely a few years back, but if anyone has any fancies for this meeting, please share them.. I won't blame you if they don't come in....honest .

http://www.cheltenham.co.uk/

This is the Big race of the day..

Argento Chase Odds: Grands Crus heads betting for Gold Cup trial
There's a competitive field assembled ahead of Saturday's Grade 2 Argento Chase at Cheltenham's Trials Day. Thirteen runners were declared at Monday's five day declaration stage and the most eyecatching was that of RSA Chase favourite Grands Crus, whose connections haven't yet ruled out a crack at the Betfred Gold Cup in March. Bookmaker Paddy Power have gone best price 5/2 about David Pipe's Grey for the race registered as the Cotswold Steeple Chase.

Grands Crus turned to novice chasing this season following defeats at both Cheltenham and Aintree to star staying hurdler Big Buck's. That move looks to have paid off with the seven year old wining on all three of his starts. He beat Champion Court by ten lengths on debut over fences at Cheltenham in the Paddy Power meeting in November and followed that up with a solid victory at Newbury in the Grade 2 Worcester Novices' Chase before landing the Feltham Novices' Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day in very impressive style. It was that victory which gave connections thoughts of skipping the RSA Chase at Cheltenham for which he is a 3/1 favourite, in favour of a crack at the Gold Cup up against Kauto Star and Long Run. A good run in the Argento could make up their minds and Paddy Power currently have the seven year old priced up as 7/1 third favourite for the race in March.

The favourite will be up against some seasoned campaigners, including last year's Arkle winner Captain Chris who holds entries for the Gold Cup and the Ryanair Chase. Trainer Phillip Hobbs believes that his eight year old can get three miles at Cheltenham despite excelling over two miles here last year. He was third in the King George VI Chase albeit beaten eighteen and a half lengths, and much like Grands Crus, a good display here at 7/2 with Paddy Power could well decide his destination at the Festival in March.

Diamond Harry and Time For Rupert look set to lock horns again priced up at 5/1 and 11/2 respectively for Saturday's race. The pair were both well beaten in the Betfair Chase at Haydock back in November and you feel both will need to improve to win here. Diamond Harry won the 2010 Hennessy Gold Cup but seems very hard to get right and has been lightly raced since. Time For Rupert went into last year's RSA Chase as a short priced favourite when losing and hasn't really put in a performance since. He won the Cleeve Hurdle on Trial's Day two years ago and has winning form over fences at Cheltenham. A winner of a modest Graduation Chase at Newbury last month he'd be the preferred pick of the duo.

Further down the betting, a word for 2011 Hennessy winner Carruthers who is bidding to bounce back from a tired effort in the Welsh National at 16/1, whilst ten year old Little Josh returns to the course where he got his biggest win, the 2010 Paddy Power Gold Cup.

2012 Argento Chase Odds
5/2 Grands Crus
7/2 Captain Chris
5/1 Diamond Harry
11/2 Time For Rupert
8/1 Midnight Chase
10/1 The Minack
10/1 Tidal Bay
16/1 Carruthers
25/1 Master Of The Hall
25/1 Little Josh
33/1 Knockara Beau
50/1 Any Currency
66/1 The Sawyer
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'Impatience for victory only guarantees defeat' - Louis XIV

[wicklowp]

If Grand Crus is a genuine Gold cup contender as his trainer seems to think he is then 5/2 is a massive price here, I think he will this and I hope they go for the Sun Alliance at the festival, if I owned I'd stay clear of the Gold Cup until next season.

[TheBlueBoy]

[wicklowp]

Be worth the trip just to see the brilliant Big Bucks, great racing both sides of the Irish sea this weekend I'm off to Leopardstown on Sunday for Irish champion hurdle, really looking forward to seeing Hurricane Fly although the Dermot Weld camp are said to be very confident they can turn him over with the filly Unaccompanied.

I think this is my favourite time of year as the build up to the festival really starts to kick in.

[SeanFoley]

Bump... anymore tips?

Grands Crus has been withdrawn from the big one btw
_________________
'Impatience for victory only guarantees defeat' - Louis XIV

[TheBlueBoy]

Extremely difficult, Knight pass in the 3.10 has an outstanding chance (so I'm told), just enjoy Big Bucks. If anything else jumps out tonight I'll let you know.

[wicklowp]

I fancy Captain Chris in the Argento now, although stable not in form his King George run gives him a massive chance here, strong word for Scottish Boogie in the big handicap hurdle at Leopardstown (2.45)

[SeanFoley]

Had a cracking day at Cheltenham yesterday, despite backing Captain Chris and Knights Pass, cheers lads Actually my first bet was unseated and my second bet was pulled-up... not looking good but got out of jail by backing Module in the last race of the day at 13/2

Funniest part of the day though.. four of us caught a shuttle-bus to the course from the train station, we were sitting upstairs waiting for the bus to fill up when a group of between 15-20 women got on who were on a 'Hen-night/day'.. aged between 30-55 roughly.. as they got on one commented to her friend that the bus smelt a bit, to which I commented that 'yes, it smells of old buses'... she looked aghast at me..., i looked confused at her, she had misheard me..im sure you can work out what she thought I had said followed by laughter and a sense of relief that I hadn't gotten a slap!
_________________
'Impatience for victory only guarantees defeat' - Louis XIV

[wicklowp]

Nice 1 and sorry about the tips!

I'm just back from Leopardstown and had probably one of my best days racing, Hurricane Fly was simply awesome, 4/5 was an amazing price I even seen 2 rails bookmakers go evens before the off, just cant wait until March 13th.

Had 3 more winners including flemenstar who put in a magnificent performance in the novice chase, he's not entered at the festival but people already talking about next years Gold Cup.

This was his trainers reaction just after the win live on Irish TV


Link


Class!!!