General Chat

[FaugheenTheMachine]

Wonder if the England cricket tour will go ahead?!

Can’t see any reason it wouldn’t? They are already over there

[ComplyOrDie]

Any one else feel like just cashing out?

So deflating, all this talk. Can understand why they may have to make the decision but also annoyingly frustrating.

[Garrison Savannah]

Can’t see any reason it wouldn’t? They are already over there

They were out there in March 2020 in the middle of a match against the Sri Lankan President’s XI - they came home then.

That said, now we have bubbles and bio-secure hotels etc I don’t think it’ll happen again this time around.

[Kevloaf]

Any one else feel like just cashing out?

So deflating, all this talk. Can understand why they may have to make the decision but also annoyingly frustrating.

Yeah I feel like that tonight.

So much thought and enjoyment goes in to it all year which we shouldn't lose sight of... but it's hard to be positive all the time.

The sport has enough challenges already without external issues

[Altior]

Lads, anyone got any reliable sources for this. All I've found are lads on Twitter saying they heard it down in the makeshift pub/shed.

[Kevloaf]

Lads, anyone got any reliable sources for this. All I've found are lads on Twitter saying they heard it down in the makeshift pub/shed.

No, nothing creditable.

[Altior]

No, nothing creditable.

I see Sky said the ladies six nations will probably be postponed. Maybe people are trying to do some Maths with that.

[Outlaw]

Do a few feel overexposed given the comments above regarding cash & run? I appreciate that it’s prob tongue in cheek but with a bit of uncertainty I’m guessing a couple of folk might be?

[Magpie]

Well.we are all.hoping for the best, I've just got blinkers on, the festival will happen, if for some reason there is bad news coming I'll deal with it then. I'm trying not to listen to any rumours.

[Kevloaf]

Do a few feel overexposed given the comments above regarding cash & run? I appreciate that it’s prob tongue in cheek but with a bit of uncertainty I’m guessing a couple of folk might be?

Been on a zoom call with a few mates tonight (belated birthday beers woo) and that came up....

It's crossed my mind, but I'm nearly 800 points invested now... so between now and March I'll definitely have moments where I just would settle for it all back to break even


I'm still not worried that it won't go ahead, or will go ahead without Irish horses.
That may be because if I thought that was creditable I'd have to have a very long and hard think about whether ante-post was viable.
At the stakes I'm at, 800 points is significant enough to have to question things

As is probably natural, when things get risky, it's normal to start getting scared and defensive? If anyone was offered their money back, in total, for zero loss, I can see why people would take it.

I'm going to have to back myself to already be doing better than that even if the worst happened...but it's not guarenteed.

[Nortons who]

Lads, anyone got any reliable sources for this. All I've found are lads on Twitter saying they heard it down in the makeshift pub/shed.

No nothing specifically yet, only more general news being reported by Evening Standard / Telegraph and others, regarding potential tighter restrictions and also possible extenstion of lockdown in the UK until 23rd March.

More pertinently maybe (and this could be stirring up the elite sport debate) there are quite a few recriminations about the lack of social distancing from the local supporters which turned out prior to the Marine versus Spurs FA Cup game today. Steve Bruce has also been vocal that in the current situation it is morally wrong for Elite football to carry on. How much impact these instances will have on their own is debatable but one of them could be the straw. Also the non compliance with the rules by some Elite sports people is not seen to be setting a good example.

[Magpie]

Can see where you are.coming from Kev, I've got.a few.decent bets on, but not in your league, and can see how stressful the situation would be. Last year i thought not having crowds, they might as well not have the meeting. But racing seems to work better without crowds than most sports. It would be ok for one year, Irish horses not allowed to come over would be a different matter.

[Kevloaf]

Can see where you are.coming from Kev, I've got.a few.decent bets on, but not in your league, and can see how stressful the situation would be. Last year i thought not having crowds, they might as well not have the meeting. But racing seems to work better without crowds than most sports. It would be ok for one year, Irish horses not allowed to come over would be a different matter.

It's all relative isn't it, I bet right to the absolute limit of what I can afford. I've gone from having a set amount a race 'to lose' to "investing" more than believe sometimes.

I don't feel too stressed about it, but I felt that about the meeting being called off last year, I thought it wasn't even worth talking about and I couldn't really have been more wrong in hindsight. If the festival had been a week later, it's so likely it wouldn't have happened. I reckon Thursday was the tipping point.

I'm taking the same approach this year, mainly for my mental health

[Nortons who]

I'm still not worried that it won't go ahead, or will go ahead without Irish horses.

I am trying not to think about it but the more I do, the more certain I become that in my opinion if the Irish Horses can't travel then the organisers will decide to cancel the Festival.

My rationale for this is that seemingly Ian Renton and others have already acknowledged that possibly owners and racing personnel might end up being the only people allowed on course.

There also seems to be a gradual acceptance that the Cheltenham economy is not going to have an influx of people this year from the Festival. This opinion is not going to be enhanced by the latest news today, suggesting that one of the options being considred is to extend lockdown (23rd March has been mentioned).

So If it looks to be going that way, apart from providing racing for the betting industry and TV viewing public, would Cheltenham consider it to be more beneficial overall to carry on staging the Festival with UK runners only or decide that it would be a bit of a mockery which would devalue the quality of the product about which they are so proud.

I realise that delaying the Festival could be an option but that's possibly just kicking the can down the road.

I'm crossing all fingers and toes.

Oh and in answer to the original point, I wouldn't decide to cash out now if offered. Too much time, effort and enjoyment has gone into this to chuck in the towel now.

I'm just going to....

[Kevloaf]

I am trying not to think about it but the more I do, the more certain I become that in my opinion if the Irish Horses can't travel then the organisers will decide to cancel the Festival.

My rationale for this is that seemingly Ian Renton and others have already acknowledged that possibly owners and racing personnel might end up being the only people allowed on course.

There also seems to be a gradual acceptance that the Cheltenham economy is not going to have an influx of people this year from the Festival. This opinion is not going to be enhanced by the latest news today, suggesting that one of the options being considred is to extend lockdown (23rd March has been mentioned).

So If it looks to be going that way, apart from providing racing for the betting industry and TV viewing public, would Cheltenham consider it to be more beneficial overall to carry on staging the Festival with UK runners only or decide that it would be a bit of a mockery which would devalue the quality of the product about which they are so proud.

I realise that delaying the Festival could be an option but that's possibly just kicking the can down the road.

I'm crossing all fingers and toes.

Oh and in answer to the original point, I wouldn't decide to cash out now if offered. Too much time, effort and enjoyment has gone into this to chuck in the towel now.

I'm just going to....

I wish we had that as an emoji!



I think I'd prefer it cancelled that to go ahead wthout the Irish horses. I think if they weren't there I'd rather pull up stumps and just not have it.


I imagine that's probably an unpopular opinion... but it's take away such a monumental part of it without Willie, Gordon (and Henry?) that it's just not the same...


Maybe I'd feel I just would be in a bad position, but it'd be SO DIFFERENT to how I'd staked and planned that I'd rather just reset, take all my bets back, start from scratch and treat it like a normal festival, no ante-post bets... just back on the day.

I'd not win big, but I'd fancy myself to come out ahead...