General Chat

[Killiney]

Disappointing lack of commitment when meeting fellow forumites...

sorry about that Odin but roses cost almost as much as festival Guinness!

[Killiney]

General question re: parking at Cheltenham.

I'm planning on heading to HQ for the Saturday of the Xmas meeting.
I've only ever gone for the festival, parked miles from the course and walked in.

Is onsite parking an option for the "smaller" meetings?
Or is still wise to park further out

Any advice welcome.

If you are not an annual member I think you would need to order a car par pass for on site car parking but there are houses close to the course who charge on average £10 for parking and that is an option I use during March festival week when members have to have a special car park pass. In addition they steer you to the northerly car parks which does not suit me. But at these smaller meetings local householders are your best bet in my opinion.

[Killiney]

I should from an accuracy point of view say that during festival week local householders charge around £20 per day for car parking and around £10 per day on smaller meetings.

[Wayward Lad]

What an absolute cluster ****

Reported this morning that the Cesarewitch result has been changed (again) after the appeal panel ruled that the tenth strike on Alphonse De Grande was not ‘intentional’ so doesn’t count for the count ! Nine strikes ok to keep the race even though three over the max allowed. Wonder if the FIA would take into account ‘intention’ if Verstaphen said he didn’t intend to swear, so they couldn’t sanction him…..

Easy to understand how the second horses connections must feel today as they lost their bets on the day and ante post, didn’t get the winners celebrations/trophy on the day, then get the race the week after and then lose the race a month later……did they ever get to touch the trophy or the winners purse…..if so they then have to give it back!…….what a debacle!

Even if ‘intention’ is mentioned is in the whip rules then how did this get into the rules in the first place as it’s subjective and something the KC barristers were surely always going to jump upon when employed for the defence

Most governing bodies have an overarching rule about ‘bringing the sport/business etc into disrepute’……in my opinion the BHA should now refer itself to its disciplinary panel (probably doesn’t have the rule applicable to them !) and then be sanctioned as to bringing the sport of horse racing into disrepute ………..how do they think the optics of this will look to the lay public they are trying to encourage into the sport?

Rant over, back to me porridge

[DenmanSacre]

Great card this weekend at Auteuil to go with Cheltenham and Navan.

Shame Zaine isn't in the grade 1 or 2 3yo hurdle as she looked so good lto.

Tomorrow we get to see Hermes Baie take in the young uns in Losange Bleu and Jeu de Thaix.

Olympic Glory should win the grade 2.

Great 3yo Chase as well.

Sunday even better - can't wait for the decs.

[darlojim]

Great card this weekend at Auteuil to go with Cheltenham and Navan.

Shame Zaine isn't in the grade 1 or 2 3yo hurdle as she looked so good lto.

Tomorrow we get to see Hermes Baie take in the young uns in Losange Bleu and Jeu de Thaix.

Olympic Glory should win the grade 2.

Great 3yo Chase as well.

Sunday even better - can't wait for the decs.

Yepp unbelievable racing there and miles better than what we have at Cheltenham thats for sure

I'll be off the cliff with Mamisuz again, no idea why they aren't just going with an easier race

A couple more I fancy aswell

[MTR]

Anyone else going DRF? Just woke up to an email from Ryanair cancelling both my flights, new flights are going to cost over double what we paid Ryanair, probably knock it on the head and piss off to Tenerife instead

[BigChaang]

Anyone else going DRF? Just woke up to an email from Ryanair cancelling both my flights, new flights are going to cost over double what we paid Ryanair, probably knock it on the head and piss off to Tenerife instead

I posted a while ago , missing it this time , because of the Rugby being on at the same time . but should be back next year .

[ComplyOrDie]

Serious performance by the French raider in the X-Country today. Wonder how much he'll be put up for that. Absolutely glided over pretty much everything. Only a 5 year old, so plenty of improvement likely to come as well.

[DenmanSacre]

Serious performance by the French raider in the X-Country today. Wonder how much he'll be put up for that. Absolutely glided over pretty much everything. Only a 5 year old, so plenty of improvement likely to come as well.

The festival race will have a few of them you'd think. Be guesswork which is best handicapped

[Lobos]

Serious performance by the French raider in the X-Country today. Wonder how much he'll be put up for that. Absolutely glided over pretty much everything. Only a 5 year old, so plenty of improvement likely to come as well.

They are so good over our XC fences.

[darlojim]

Would love if it that result there edged any of their better XC horses over

Seeing Saint Godefroy or Hip Hop Conti over here would be max bet material

[Eggs]

….Sweet David 12-1 XC in Hills specials.

[ComplyOrDie]

….Sweet David 12-1 XC in Hills specials.

We're there any quotes from the trainer or owner after today?

[Eggs]

Were there any quotes from the trainer or owner after today?

…trainer quote;

“I think it is a good idea the cross country (at the Cheltenham Festival) is now a handicap because we don’t have a Grade One horse but in a handicap we have a chance.

“In March usually we wouldn’t have a chance because Gordon (Elliott) would be running his horse who is a Grade One horse.

“Today was the objective, he had to come ready for the English and Irish horses. Other horses might not have been ready, today might not have been their objective but mine was today.

“I don’t know the level he will need to be at in March, but he’s only a young horses so he is improving. He will probably have a race on the Flat before March.

“Now we are in a dream, after we will think.”