Cheltenham Festival Previews 2021

[Can't Catch Me]

Had to turn it off after 20 minutes of Chapman. Ruins everything.

[riccirich]

Anyone doing any write ups of these this year?

[Faugheen_Machine]

Had to turn it off after 20 minutes of Chapman. Ruins everything.

Don't put the football on CCM

[Can't Catch Me]

Don't put the football on CCM

I had it on in the background with the footy on mute mate. Chapman and Chelsea scoring made me open another bottle of wine

[Magpie]

Attheraces - Betfair special - Kilcruit pushed out from 7/4 to 2/1. Don’t all rush

[fatherjohn]

Jamie codd calls Bob olinger the biggest certainty in atr preview

[Speedy17]

Actually thought it was pretty decent, Hunty killing Chapman at the end to sign off genuinely made me LOL.

[ToniC]

Had to turn it off after 20 minutes of Chapman. Ruins everything.

The guys insufferable isn’t he. I disagree with a lot of his opinions but that’s fair enough you’ll never agree with everybody on everything but Jesus I wish he’d stop shouting over everybody & constantly trying to be the loudest person in the room

[ToniC]

Jamie codd calls Bob olinger the biggest certainty in atr preview

Then puts up galvin as his nap for the week

[Istabraq]

I just wish they’d give the entire meeting some airtime and not just the championship races and a couple of novices.
First mention of Envoi Allen 2 mins from the end, Ryanair not mentioned and no discussion whatsoever on a single handicap, by all means make it humorous but taking the piss out of each other for so long they can only cover 6 festival races is not a festival preview...

[Lobos]

Then puts up galvin as his nap for the week

Boom !!!!!

[Middle_Of_March]

Preview night notes:

• Blake.. it’s a year for favs
• Chapman.. plenty of horses who may be ‘exceptional’ about this year.

Champion Hurdle:

Blake - Honeysuckle. Jason The Militant overpriced for each way players at 33/1.

Codd - Honeysuckle. Beuvair D’Air has a chance at 20s.

Chapman - Video cut out. Think he’s on Honeysuckle as she could be the ‘exceptional’ horse in the race.




Champion Chase:

Blake - Would be inclined to back Altior EW at 7s over Chacun at 10/11. Not sure a CC suits Nube Negra.

Codd - Has worries about CPS having no course form. Will be looking to take the horse on. Can see PTKO going well with her course form. First Flow

Chapman - CPS is untested. Looks a complete machine. Mullins and co thinks he’s a machine. Chacun Pour Soi

Hunt - Thinks Nube Negra will go very close. Chacun Pour Soi




Stayers Hurdle:

Blake - Not much between the two TH and PP. Thinks they’re very well matched. Likes Sire Du Berlais. Thinks his run off 152 in the Pertemps last year would have won the Stayers last year.

Codd - Looks to be a race for the UK. Expects Paisley Park to come late again against Thyme Hill to win. Thinks Storyteller each way won’t be bad bet for the minor money.

Chapman - Expects PP to beat TH. Likes Lisnager Oscar each way at 16s. Thinks he’s totally overlooked in the market. Win would be Paisley Park but e/w would be Lisnager Oscar




Gold Cup:

Blake - Worried with Champ for various reasons. Thinks he will ‘headbutt fences’. Al Boum Photo is hard to throw stones at. Race will be run at a proper tempo. Only just beat Santini last year. Santini if they go a proper gallop this year goes well. Wants blinkers on him. Absolute boat though.

Codd - Al Boum Photo all day long. Royal Pegaille needs to step up hugely. Lot to improve on and the first mile is notoriously quick in a gold cup. Santini lacks class to win the race.

Chapman - Frodon has no chance but fair play for running him. Santini. Also wants him in blinkers.




Supreme:

Blake - Appreciate It is a solid horse. Good race this year. Hard to throw stones out. A very good horse. Only issue is his price. Suggests Keskonrisk is likely to run here and improvement to come but not sure if he’s going to improve enough to be in the mix.

Codd - Likes Appreicate It but thinks it’s a good renewal with Ballyadam very classy and Metier good too. Thinks Keskonrisk will go alright.

Chapman - Straightforward.. Appreciate It. In the ‘freak’ category as he’s built like a huge brickhouse. Chaser in the maker. On form, he thinks Appreciate It should be odds on. Will win AND will go off odds on.

Hunt - Thinks there is a surprise brewing. Outsider here he likes... Gal road? No idea who that is.




Ballymore:

Blake - A deep race. Likes Bob Olinger for Ireland. At the prices.. goes with Bob.

Codd - Also likes Bob Olinger. Thinks his point to point win was one of the most impressive performances he’s seen from a 4 year old. Thinks Bob Olinger is a CERTAINITY

Chapman - Happy to take Bob Olinger on here. On form he thinks Bravemansgame should be favourite. Worried about the ground for the two Irish horses.

Hunt - Another vote for Bob Olinger




Albert Bartlett:

Blake - Barbados Bucks is his one here. Likes the way he settles and jumps and thinks he’s economical which will help him here.

Codd - Rides Fakiera at home and thinks he’s improving. This race is a very good suit for him as he ‘stays and stays and stays’. Also rides Farouk D’alene but thinks it’s hard to see him fitting in this company in this race. Barbados Bucks is Nicholls best chance of a winner all week he thinks.

Chapman - Allaphilippe at a price each way.

Hunt - Thinks the race is no good. Doesn’t rate monkfish from last year? Fuck knows what he’s talking about.




Triumph Hurdle:

Blake - ‘Gordon’s two’. Bit awkward there Kev Does like the way Quilixios gallops strongly. Not sure about Tritonics jumping. French Aseel is being asked a lot here. Would need to be very good to win this though.

Codd - Both Quilixios and Zanahiyr have size and scope. Likes how straightforward Quilixios is. Zanahiyr is his pick though. Could be telling that.

Chapman - Loves Tritonic. Thought that run last week was really good. Screamed Triumph winner last week.

Hunt - Tritonic




Arkle:

Blake - Concerned that Allmankind will be taking on Energumene out front. Shishkin

Codd - Really excited for this head to head. Thought Energumene was very good last time.

Chapman - Shishkin is the most talented British trainer horse at the whole festival. The supreme win was ‘extraordinary’. Thinks he will destroy them in the Arkle. Shishkin is a ‘freak’. Best bet of the whole meeting.




Marsh:

Blake - Envoi Allen

Codd - Envoi Allen always had the look of a top class horse even from the first day they had him in the yard. Great natural jumper. Never seen him make a mistake over both a hurdle and a fence. Big ask for him to change stables and then go to Cheltenham.

Chapman - Doesn’t fancy Envoi. Didn’t think he looked that good last time. Blimey. Thinks Chantry House each way is a good bet.




Handicappers:

• Codd - Glorious Zoff in the Boodles
• Blake - Mount Eider in the Kim Muir
• Blake - Koshari in the Coral Cup
• Blake - Likes Joseph’s chances in the Grand Annual with his runners.
• Hunt - Houx Gris
• Chapman - Ultima - Lieutenant Rocco
• Chapman - Boodles - World coteur goes well
• Chapman - Kim Muir - Le Breuil

Other:

• Chapman - Easysland is a certainty
• They all like Monkfish and can’t see him being beat by anything

[charlie]

Perhaps watching the Davy/Bryan/Nolan/Mangan influenced my opinion, but that ATR preview last night was absolute dog shit.

One of if not the best previews I've ever seen followed comfortably by the worst.

I am one of those people that like Matt Chapman, but christ, I can understand why some people hate him. Not letting others speak has to be one of the most irritating traits on a Cheltenham preview. Kevin Blake could barely get a word out without some sort of silly interruption.

It just wasn't very good, at all. As Ista mentioned, covering 6 out of the 28 races is not a Cheltenham preview, certainly not in my book.

I'd actually like to see some previews on just the handicaps, or all the races that aren't Championship races. They have generally knowledgeable viewers and 15 mins on Shishkin v Energumene, or on CPS, or on Monkfish is largely pointless IMO.

Anything on tonight?

[robith]

Perhaps watching the Davy/Bryan/Nolan/Mangan influenced my opinion, but that ATR preview last night was absolute dog shit.

One of if not the best previews I've ever seen followed comfortably by the worst.

I am one of those people that like Matt Chapman, but christ, I can understand why some people hate him. Not letting others speak has to be one of the most irritating traits on a Cheltenham preview. Kevin Blake could barely get a word out without some sort of silly interruption.

It just wasn't very good, at all. As Ista mentioned, covering 6 out of the 28 races is not a Cheltenham preview, certainly not in my book.

I'd actually like to see some previews on just the handicaps, or all the races that aren't Championship races. They have generally knowledgeable viewers and 15 mins on Shishkin v Energumene, or on CPS, or on Monkfish is largely pointless IMO.

Anything on tonight?

Charlie, that ATR preview has been diminishing returns for years. Was geniune good craic when it started (when the FFP was good) but its no longer informative and it's not entertaining enough to counter that (I.e it's not entertaining at all)

Chapman sadly a big part of that. I'd agree and say I think he's actually a top tier sports broadcaster, but he's gutrot in this format. Love for him to shout over other people and make shit jokes that make everything awkward so he can tell us he likes the favourite.

[charlie]

Charlie, that ATR preview has been diminishing returns for years. Was geniune good craic when it started (when the FFP was good) but its no longer informative and it's not entertaining enough to counter that (I.e it's not entertaining at all)

Chapman sadly a big part of that. I'd agree and say I think he's actually a top tier sports broadcaster, but he's gutrot in this format. Love for him to shout over other people and make shit jokes that make everything awkward so he can tell us he likes the favourite.

Oh I know, its shit and has been for a while. I didn't expect much, but I expected more than that

Agree with that. I think his punditry in betting rings and market movers on ITV is very good, and when he has Chamberlain to reign him in, he stays under control, but sipping cocktails with a weak host in a shouting match, no thanks