Has anyone had a Cheltenham 2022 punt yet

[FinalFurlong91]

Where do you think Torygraph will go Somer ??., got him in a Lifechanger multi and @ 33-1 - n.h.chs.

Probably end up in the irish national if he takes to fences

[Saxon Warrior]

Probably end up in the irish national if he takes to fences

Next year that race is four weeks away from Cheltenham on Monday 18th April.

Which makes it easier than this year to run in the Kim Muir, NHC etc and then at Fairyhouse.

Not sure when the weights are revealed for that, but it would be critical to know this if you are thinking of backing any horse that may run at Cheltenham before Fairyhouse, in the Irish National.

The Irish National is worth far more than those Cheltenham races.

[Spectre]

The Irish National is worth far more than those Cheltenham races. [/SIZE][/FONT]

Which is something that the BHA and Cheltenham need to have a long hard think about. When big owners like JP and Gigi amongst others are swerving the Festival for Fairyhouse they should be concerned.

Or maybe the new plan to address the balance between UK and Irish winners is to put the Irish owners and trainers off travelling by putting up terrible prizemoney for some of the races at Horse Racing's premier Festival.

[Saxon Warrior]

Which is something that the BHA and Cheltenham need to have a long hard think about. When big owners like JP and Gigi amongst others are swerving the Festival for Fairyhouse they should be concerned.

Or maybe the new plan to address the balance between UK and Irish winners is to put the Irish owners and trainers off travelling by putting up terrible prizemoney for some of the races at Horse Racing's premier Festival.

A lot of the handicaps have really poor prize money at Cheltenham, this year at 75%/80% of normal values made it look dire.

The Jockey Club should stop subsidising other courses, so much, with Cheltenhams attendance and hospitality money, and start beefing up all of the Festival handicaps prize money.

Make all of the handicaps a minimum of GBP 100,000 to the winner.

260,000 tickets sold across the 4 days at an average of 60 quid each is GBP 15.6M for the Festival before any hospitality or and extra GBP 250 for four days to sit in the stands is added on.

The course has the money to make it happen, but has to keep lending it to other courses, this can easily be changed, if they wanted.

[Istabraq]

A lot of the handicaps have really poor prize money at Cheltenham, this year at 75%/80% of normal values made it look dire.

The Jockey Club should stop subsidising other courses, so much, with Cheltenhams attendance and hospitality money, and start beefing up all of the Festival handicaps prize money.

Was festival prize money a topic of discussion pre covid ?
I don't remember owners/trainers criticising the pots in 2019 and 2020 and I can't think of a horse who was held back for the Irish Spring festivals on prize money alone....

[Saxon Warrior]

Was festival prize money a topic of discussion pre covid ?
I don't remember owners/trainers criticising the pots in 2019 and 2020 and I can't think of a horse who was held back for the Irish Spring festivals on prize money alone....

I think they were this year, when the Easter Festival at Fairyhouse was closer in the calendar.

Its a personal opinion that some of the Festival handicaps have too low a prize fund for the status of the races, and the promotion those races get month after month as the main seasons targets for horses.

Maybe Jump owners are more affected by prestige and victory at the Festival regardless of the amount of prize money.

[Istabraq]

I think they were this year, when the Easter Festival at Fairyhouse was closer in the calendar.

I could be wrong but I just don't recall any Cheltenham prize money discussion pre covid.
Of course everyone involved wants higher pots, I totally get the argument for low grade horses who cost the same to train as the stars and when they do finally get their head in front it's for about 3 grand, and then a hefty rise in marks to ensure he/she can't win again for a year, but festival pots have been generally good (pre covid).
Cheltenham will always be the target for the vast majority of quality animals, not that they can take advantage of that, but I'm not sure any horse (pre covid) has sidestepped HQ for another target as a result of prize money.
I think the whole Covid issue, brexit and Gordon Elliott debacle made 2021 a one off for absentees but it'll be interesting to see what pots return to in 2022...

[Saxon Warrior]

Its not the chat that happened

............it was the action of not taking up initial entries and missing Cheltenham and appearing in the Fairyhouse races, that happened.

Its probably worse that there was less (or no) chat about prize money, and connections just moving to another target that makes it a bitter pill for antepost bets.

Run Wild Fred being one of the principal ones, Coko Beach and Off You Go too.

Dark Raven won Eur 59,000 in a Bumper at Fairyhouse, while Sir Gerhard only won GBP 32,000 to win the Cheltenham Grade 1.

Kilcruit won GBP 54,000 at the Grade 2 DRF Bumper.

Then the same again in the Grade 1 Punchestown Festival Bumper.

Cheltenham is falling behind on Prize Money, in several categories of race, including some of the Grade 1 Novice races too.

I'm not sure that can happen without it impacting on some horses being targeted elsewhere.

We already know that UK trainers do that with Aintree, partly to duck more difficult races, but could be partly because the prize money at Aintree isn't that different to Cheltenham.

[The Fellow]

i think prize money pre covid was fair enough , but by all means boost it, but i think the main problem for the owners this year was the cost to bring their horses from Ireland into the UK , the 19% vat of the horses value, albeit refunded in 3 months, must have put of a lot of small syndicates off, who perhaps knew they weren't going to win, but would enjoy seeing a runner even on tv, and think about the vast JP / Giggy vat bill in a normal year, why go through all that financial headache when you can pot hunt around Ireland for nothing, and watch it on tv just the same

[Eggs]

....Classic Getaway into 8-1 from 10-1 to win a/r with Sky after that victory. 8-1 from 12-1 for the Champion Bumper with Bet365.

[Lobos]

....Classic Getaway into 8-1 from 10-1 to win a/r with Sky after that victory.

Didn't see it. Did he do it well ?

[Eggs]

Didn't see it. Did he do it well ?

....not sure what he beat but he was in the van and on the bridle all the way around and pulled well clear in the final few furlongs. Did it nicely.

10-1 for the Champion Bumper with Sky, 8-1 365 but seems like it will be going over hurdles;

https://www.attheraces.com/news/2021/May/25/classic-getaway-makes-winning-start-for-new-connections

[Johnoman66]

Patrick Mullins "He's not really a bumper horse and I'd imagine he'll go jumping"

[Eggs]

....not sure what he beat but he was in the van and on the bridle all the way around and pulled well clear in the final few furlongs. Did it nicely.

10-1 for the Champion Bumper with Sky, 8-1 365 but seems like it will be going over hurdles;

https://www.attheraces.com/news/2021...ew-connections

....Classic Getaway now 8-1 for the Bumper with Sky, they still have it @ 8-1 in their a/r list.

[Saxon Warrior]

....Classic Getaway now 8-1 for the Bumper with Sky, they still have it @ 8-1 in their a/r list.

They really are rotters, those bookies traders.