General Chat

[opatcho]

Isn’t it about that time of the year where we start looking at the -4-day weather reports

had a quick look, and not a drop in sight for the next week or so

could we have decent ground for once?

tbf, I’ve been a little bias towards horses that handle softer ground, but.... we could be looking at watered good to soft at this rate

Obviously things could change but didn’t expect March to be dry

[Liammet]

I hate to sound well amateur but is the French lad on Easyland able to still come over and ride? Is he professional or amateur?

I asked this question a while back and I am sure it was Archie that answered it

All amateurs appear in the racing post results with a Mr in front of their names

Unfortunately Easysland’s jockey does not which points to the fact he is not an amateur

Despite giving a very good impression of one

[ryanh97]

Isn’t it about that time of the year where we start looking at the -4-day weather reports

had a quick look, and not a drop in sight for the next week or so

could we have decent ground for once?

tbf, I’ve been a little bias towards horses that handle softer ground, but.... we could be looking at watered good to soft at this rate

Obviously things could change but didn’t expect March to be dry

Very nearly time for the weather to get its own thread...

[Liverpoolchamp]

I asked this question a while back and I am sure it was Archie that answered it

All amateurs appear in the racing post results with a Mr in front of their names

Unfortunately Easysland’s jockey does not which points to the fact he is not an amateur

Despite giving a very good impression of one

Oh right thanks mate,ye I thought he might be professional but god he sure gives you a few heart stopping moments in the saddle!

[nortonscoin200]

Someone kindly posted a link to Gordon Elliott's rundown on his Festival team in the Racing Post last week.

I found it at the time but I've hunted high and low since and can't turn it up.

Be very grateful if anyone can point me in the right direction.

[Lobos]

When having a look at the Handicap winners from the last few years last night it was very noticeable how many Handicap Hurdle races JP has won. I know he is sometimes mob handed but his record is extraordinary. A bit like backing all Mullins horses in the Mares Novice Hurdle and all Gordon's horses in the Pertempts it may be profitable to just back all JP's horses in the Handicap Hurdles ??

[Diamond Geezer]

Someone kindly posted a link to Gordon Elliott's rundown on his Festival team in the Racing Post last week.

I found it at the time but I've hunted high and low since and can't turn it up.

Be very grateful if anyone can point me in the right direction.

Dunno, but here it is again

RP Cheltenham Stable Tour - Gordon Elliott

Less than a month before battle and Gordon Elliott is remarkably calm. The fact he has been here before and conquered all before him is a help.

The promise of more riches to add to his 31 Cheltenham Festival winners could explain the mood. Envoi Allen is a red-hot favourite to maintain his unbeaten record in the Marsh Novices' Chase. Zanahiyr and Quilixios make up the deadliest of two-pronged attacks in the JCB Triumph Hurdle while Sir Gerhard is a leading contender in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper.


The trainer has Abacadabras for the Unibet Champion Hurdle, Ballyadam for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle, Galvin for the National Hunt Chase and Sire Du Berlais for the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle.

Elliott describes himself as happy with the team he has assembled.

He explained: "It will be a very different festival but as long as I train a few winners I don't mind. It's a meeting I always like to have winners at and we have targeted it again this year."

He added: "I'm very happy with the team we have going there. We have lots of chances and are well represented in a lot of races. Hopefully we can have a bit of luck."

Abacadabras
Unibet Champion Hurdle

I wouldn’t be giving up on him for the Champion Hurdle. He didn’t run too badly in the Irish Champion Hurdle for a horse who scoped dirty at Christmas. I couldn’t be happier with him and this has been the plan all year. We know he wants a strong pace to aim at on nice ground, and he should get that at Cheltenham. I have plenty of faith in this horse.

Ballyadam
Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle

He scoped dirty after Christmas but I thought he ran a blinder at the Dublin Racing Festival when he didn’t really get the run of the race – he missed the last and he was good for being a couple of lengths closer. If the ground dries up he has a big chance – he’s a classy horse. I have a lot of respect for Appreciate It but we’ll definitely be a lot closer to him at Cheltenham.

Black Tears
Mares' Hurdle

She runs on Wednesday in the Quevega Hurdle and then it will be on to Cheltenham, where she has run well twice before. She's got a Coral Cup entry but at this stage the Mares' Hurdle would look more likely.

Chemical Energy
Weatherbys Champion Bumper

I think you will see a better horse on better ground. The ground was a bit too soft for him at Leopardstown and he just got stuck in it. He’s a lot better than that.

Chosen Mate
Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase

The plan is to go back and try and win the Grand Annual again. Hopefully spring ground will bring the best out of him.

Conflated
Paddy Power Plate

He has some decent form with some of the good novices and he could be another for the Paddy Power Plate.

Eclair De Beaufeu
County Hurdle

The County Hurdle is the plan for him. He has experience at the track and that is always a help.

Envoi Allen
Marsh Novices' Chase

There’s not a whole lot I can say about this horse. People keep knocking him and the day will come when he gets beaten, but to be honest I wouldn’t swap him for anything else in training and I count myself very lucky to have him. We bought him thinking he’d be a Gold Cup horse and, while there is a lot of water to go under the bridge yet, that’s what we're hoping he will be. Envoi is Envoi. He only ever does what he has to. He would work the same with a 150-rated horse as he would one rated in the 0-95 bracket. He doesn’t do anything exciting and he carries that over to his races as well.

Escaria Ten
Ultima Handicap Chase/National Hunt Chase

He’s in everything. It will be between the National Hunt Chase and the Ultima for him.

Eskylane
Coral Cup/Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle

I think he's a bit better than what he has shown so far. He had a wind operation before Leopardstown and he came home well. He could go for the Martin Pipe and could have a squeak in that. He’ll get an entry in the Coral Cup as well.

Fakiera
Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle

He ran very well at Leopardstown. He just got stuck in a pocket and flew home. I think the Albert Bartlett will suit him.

Farclas
Paddy Power Plate

The Paddy Power Plate could be the race for him. He ran very well in the Paddy Power and the Leopardstown Chase. He was probably unlucky not to win the latter race as he made a couple of mistakes and the one at the second-last knocked the stuffing out of him. He is a former Triumph Hurdle winner and handles the track so you’d be hopeful.

Floueur
Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle

He didn’t take to chasing but ran well in a good handicap hurdle at Navan, where he came home well. He could have an outside chance in the Martin Pipe.

Folcano
Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle

The plan is the Martin Pipe. I don’t think he’d be without a chance in that.

Felix Desjy
County Hurdle

He’s been a small bit disappointing over fences and we have given him an entry in the County Hurdle. I wouldn’t be shocked if we decided to run there rather than the Arkle.

Galvin
National Hunt Chase

The National Hunt Chase has been the plan all year. He has loads of experience and has been around Cheltenham. We’d like to think he can run very well.

Glorious Zoff
Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle

He looks an obvious one for the Boodles and you’d be hoping he’d have an each-way chance.

Grand Roi
Coral Cup

He’s had a good preparation for the Coral Cup. He has some decent form to his name and the step up in trip should really suit him.

Mighty Stowaway
The St James's Place Hunters' Chase

He’s in good form and goes there fresh. The only thing I would say is, if the amateurs aren’t able to ride in these races it’s going to be a massive disadvantage to me. You have half a stone up your sleeve with Jamie Codd, Patrick Mullins, Derek O’Connor and Barry O’Neill and those boys riding for you. It will be more of a level playing field if professionals can ride and any advantage I would have had with Jamie in my corner will be taken away.

Milan Native
Ultima Handicap Chase

He could be one for the Ultima. He won the Kim Muir last season and he’s had a wind operation since his last run.

Mount Ida
Kim Muir Handicap Chase

She will go in there under the radar but I could see her running a big race at a nice price. She could be a lively outsider for the race.

Or Jaune De Somoza
Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase

He goes for the Grand Annual. I think there is a nice race in him on good ground. Once the ground dries out he’ll be okay.

Pencilfulloflead
Brown Advisory Novices' Chase

He is a possible runner. It looks a hot race and Monkfish would look as though he will be hard to beat, but you should never be afraid of one horse.

Petit Mouchoir
County Hurdle

He’ll run in the County Hurdle. His best recent runs have come when he was dropped in. He ran a cracker off top weight to finish third in the Galway Hurdle last summer so hopefully he can do something similar.

Quilixios
JCB Triumph Hurdle

He probably doesn’t do things as fancy as Zanahiyr but he stays well and Cheltenham could suit him. He was to go to Chepstow because I didn’t want to run him against Zanahiyr but obviously we couldn’t do that at the time. That’s the only reason why he didn’t run between Down Royal and Leopardstown. You’d have to love the way he did it at Leopardstown and I don’t think there’s much between him and Zanahiyr. They look to be two very nice horses to have for the race.

Run Wild Fred
Kim Muir Handicap Chase

He looks one for the Kim Muir. He ran a big race in the Thyestes and hopefully there's a nice pot in him.

Riviere D'Etel
Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle

Her Navan run could be a bit better than what people thought at the time because Noel Meade’s horse [Thedevilscoachman] came out and won since. She’s entered in the mares’ novice and the Boodles.

Samcro
Ryanair Chase

The ground is going to be a major factor for Samcro. He’s not an easy horse to train and we're hoping to get a clear run with him between now and Cheltenham. He hasn’t quite peaked yet this season but hopefully better ground and returning to Cheltenham will bring out the best in him.

Shattered Love
Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase

She ran very well over two miles at Naas and stayed on well to the line. The Mares’ Chase is the plan and then on to the Grand National.

Sire Du Berlais
Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle

I think he has a great each-way chance in the Stayers’ Hurdle. He’s won the Pertemps the past two years and we know he handles the track very well, which is a massive help. He deserves his shot at the race.

Sir Gerhard
Weatherbys Champion Bumper

I’ll probably run two or three in the Champion Bumper and I wouldn’t be swapping Sir Gerhard for anything. Kilcruit looked good at Leopardstown and he’s obviously a classy horse but I just thought it was a falsely run race – they went flat out early and Patrick [Mullins] had the balls to sit and wait. I’d say they went way too quick up front. They’ll know they have it done if they beat my horse. He doesn’t do anything fancy but he’s a good horse.

The Bosses Oscar
Pertemps Final

We might claim off him in the Pertemps – I thought the handicapper was harsh enough. This race has been the plan since last year and he looks an obvious one.

The Storyteller
Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle

He’s won nearly half a million euros in prize-money, which is a fair achievement. He's been a model of consistency all season and the plan is to run in the Stayers’ Hurdle and then on to the Grand National.

Three Stripe Life
Weatherbys Champion Bumper

He's a smart horse. I know the ground was very soft the day he won at Navan but he has plenty of speed.

Tiger Roll
Glenfarclas Cross County Chase

Obviously we'd have liked him to run a bit better in the Boyne Hurdle on Sunday but he travelled into the race with plenty of his old spark and just got tired on ground he hated. It's all systems go for the Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham and there should be plenty of improvement in him.

Torygraph
Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle

He has a lot of the right attributes for the race. He races behind the bridle and nothing fazes him. He’s a galloper and he's there for you at the end of a race, which is what you need in the Albert Bartlett.

Wide Receiver
Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle

He could have a good chance in the Martin Pipe. He's probably not at the level required to run well in those Graded novices, but if he's on a going day he could have a chance in a race like the Martin Pipe.

Zanahiyr
JCB Triumph Hurdle

We're lucky to have two very good horses in this division. Zanahiyr did it in Fairyhouse off a very fast gallop and he did at Leopardstown when they crawled. That shows he’s a very good horse – I’d say he’s a very smart horse. He’s definitely more than just a juvenile hurdler. I’d be looking forward to him for the future as well as this season, which isn’t always the way with these juveniles.

[Bert]

So what happens now with the amateur races?

[nortonscoin200]

Big thanks Diamond Geezer - very kind of you.

[Lobos]

So what happens now with the amateur races?

They'll all be ridden by professionals. In respect of the Hunter Chase, imo a few will not come that are more family run affairs where they wouldn't want anything other than owner, son, daughter riding.

[Saxon Warrior]

The Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse (2.52pm) on Saturdday has all 5 declarations prepping for a possible Grand National bid.

Acapella Bourgeois
Anibale Fly
Burrows Saint
The Long Mile
Tout Est Permis

[Rhinestone_Cowboy]

Just to note PP appeared to be refunding free bets on NRNB markets as cash on non-runners settled yesterday. However it appears this was not the case. I got on to customer service this morning and had my free bets returned as free bets which is what I expected in the first place.

[Big Bucks]

Just to note PP appeared to be refunding free bets on NRNB markets as cash on non-runners settled yesterday. However it appears this was not the case. I got on to customer service this morning and had my free bets returned as free bets which is what I expected in the first place.

Yeah, 10mins talking to a robot, then transferred to a normal person I got sorted. They tried to crack the free bet was refunded but it wasn't, but they didn't tske much persuasion to give me it back. But looks like we have to ask for it!

[robith]

PP have weirdly given me back a NRNB free bat in cash

[Rhinestone_Cowboy]

PP have weirdly given me back a NRNB free bat in cash

They haven’t, see my post above and check your transactions. Give them a call and they should refund as a free bet