General Chat

[luisgarciaisgod]

Aintree gets a lot of stick i really enjoyed the 3 days racing this year. Obviously Cheltenham will never be matched but it always makes me feel drained whether I'm going over or staying at home because the two days before I'm struggling to sleep and then the rest of the week I'm to catch up on sleep. The quality obviously isn't as good at the GN meet but there's less intensity and I'm a lot more relaxed watching where at Cheltenham I'd be on the edge for pretty much every race.

Also I felt there was mad value this week, Langer Dan 4's, Three Stripe Life was available at 10/3 on Saturday morning. Fakir was available at 13/8 on Friday morning, Clan Des Obeaux going off 13/2 (didn't back) and Kemboy being available at 9's (also didn't back) two days before the Bowl and even Jonbon going off odds against I was really surprised with.

[Benjy23]

Aye, enjoy Aintree myself. Certainly far more than Punchestown.

Cheltenham, DRF, Aintree, Punchestown. Is my personal order of enjoyment.

[Irish Rugby]

I'd probably agree with that Benjy. Here Punchestown is presented both by the industry and the media as some sort of major racing Festival, whereas to me it comes at a time when the NH season is all but over. A lot of very uncompetitive graded races, but within than there are one or two gems, and Mullins just mopping up. Five days means there's also a bit of too much dilution. Like the DRF, it needs more GB trainers to come over.

If you had a horse that found Cheltenham a bit too much or still hadn't come to itself by early March, then there are possibilities at Punchestown and most importantly for FJs, clues aplenty for next March.

[archie]

I think you have to realise that Punchestown isn't meant to be a championship festival. It's more an end of season gathering with a few big races to attract some stars.

In terms of actually being there, the enjoyment for me is pretty much the reverse of the order voiced earlier for the quality of racing.

[Lbur4288]

I've been suffering from a bit of burnout after the festival and kept my bets to a minimum lately. Starting to get a second wind now and absolutely not learn my lesson by buying several tickets for the 2023 game of Mullins bingo

[Eggs]

….Bob O with a Punchestown entry, hoping he’s put away for the season.

[Dandrew99]

https://twitter.com/ChesterfieldFC/status/1514525007338217475?t=fqQUj4CG2oMu9L6qxUHung&s=19

Tshimanga could be back sooner than expected!

[Redbridge]

Sad to see the passing of Julie Cecil ex-wife of Sir Henry and daughter of the master trainer Sir Noel Murless, she certainly knew what a great trainer looked like.

[Big Bucks]

Does anyone have it in layman's terms about second season Novices. For example a horse runs in chases this year is still a novice chaser if hasn't won etc having an argument with guy in work about it but I'm maybe not explaining it very well or he is being too stubborn to take in what I'm saying!

[archie]

https://twitter.com/ChesterfieldFC/s...L6qxUHung&s=19

Tshimanga could be back sooner than expected!

Does top goalscorer include the play-offs or is it just regular season matches? With SkyBet it's just regular season but I'm not sure if that's industrywide.

[Black Dog]

Does top goalscorer include the play-offs or is it just regular season matches? With SkyBet it's just regular season but I'm not sure if that's industrywide.

Can't include play-offs as this would give qualifiers more games than the champions of the division.

[Dandrew99]

Does anyone have it in layman's terms about second season Novices. For example a horse runs in chases this year is still a novice chaser if hasn't won etc having an argument with guy in work about it but I'm maybe not explaining it very well or he is being too stubborn to take in what I'm saying!

A horse is a novice if they haven't won in that discipline before the end of the previous season, which I think is end of April.

[Lbur4288]

Does anyone have it in layman's terms about second season Novices. For example a horse runs in chases this year is still a novice chaser if hasn't won etc having an argument with guy in work about it but I'm maybe not explaining it very well or he is being too stubborn to take in what I'm saying!

Tell him if he backs Gaillard du Mesnil for next years NHC and if he wins the Irish National then the NHC bets a loser immediately.

[That Horse]

I know I should probably put this in the flat racing thread but I'm guessing more eyes will be in the main bit of the forum

Has anyone who ordered Mark Howard's "Ahead on the Flat" received their copy yet? I ordered mine back in March and haven't got it despite them being sent out at the weekend/Monday.

Was hoping to have it to read this weekend

[Black Dog]

I know I should probably put this in the flat racing thread but I'm guessing more eyes will be in the main bit of the forum

Has anyone who ordered Mark Howard's "Ahead on the Flat" received their copy yet? I ordered mine back in March and haven't got it despite them being sent out at the weekend/Monday.

Was hoping to have it to read this weekend

Read on his website that the printers put last years front cover on this years book,so had to reprint.