General Chat

[Ice]

No Constitution Hill ar Punchestown, from Michael Buckley.

[Irish Rugby]

And all the Nicky fanboys on Twitter 'Of course, it was the correct decision, he's only 5 years old and has only had 4 runs, blah de blah de blah'.

Tell me, why the feck was he even entered at Punchestown. Did they suspect Honeysuckle wouldn't show up. Wonder if Honeysuckle wasn't going there, would CH have turned up, for the easier race?'

[JackieMoon33]

Some good ideas there. I'd also like to see them stop novices from running in the open handicaps if they continue down the path of adding extra races.

I’m 100% onboard with restricting novices from running in the open handicaps too. It allows the powerful yards to mop up even more wins and take up more entries in those races. There are plenty of other handicaps (outside of the festival) for them to target with novices and most are actually more valuable than Cheltenham anyway.

[Eggs]

Just spoke to BetV customer service who confirm it ends the weekend of 23rd/24th April.

…..that’s an unexpected bonus, next entry is Punchestown 26th April. Makes up a little for GDC last fence tumble.

[Odin]

I wouldn't particularly change the AB either. It tends to get a decent field size each year but there are a number of classier ones who could easily run well in the Ballymore, increasing the field size there while also having the stayers in the Martin Pipe moving up to the 3m handicap hurdle. Field sizes in both races should then be increased, which is what I think Cheltenham need to think about with any changes as we don't want small field sizes.

Yeah can see what you're getting at but would be more inclined to make Bally a novices handicap and pipe a non-novices handicap over the mid trip. Thinking of all those clashes we could have had in a supreme in recent years - shishkin/envoi, DD/Ch/jonbon/sg to name two, then let the best novice stayers fight it out in the Bartlett. Then again, I'm not really a fan of novice only handicaps so my thought falls through a little bit there...

[Lobos]

No Constitution Hill ar Punchestown, from Michael Buckley.

Definitely the correct decision. Too early to take on the Monster. It could have finished him. Hopefully we'll see the match up next March if he proves himself in open company over here.

[Faugheen_Machine]

Just spoke to BetV customer service who confirm it ends the weekend of 23rd/24th April.

Excellent. Cheers for posting AV

[Istabraq]

I’m 100% onboard with restricting novices from running in the open handicaps too. It allows the powerful yards to mop up even more wins and take up more entries in those races. There are plenty of other handicaps (outside of the festival) for them to target with novices and most are actually more valuable than Cheltenham anyway.

The other thing it does is encourages concealing a horses ability during the season, stewarding in general in both UK and Ireland are abysmal at picking up non triers so trainers/jockeys/owners know they can get away with it.
When the likes of Saint Roi can sneak in the bottom of a County there’s little point in those above showing up…

[archie]

I’m 100% onboard with restricting novices from running in the open handicaps too. It allows the powerful yards to mop up even more wins and take up more entries in those races. There are plenty of other handicaps (outside of the festival) for them to target with novices and most are actually more valuable than Cheltenham anyway.

I'm 100% against this as a blanket rule. I'd be happy enough for the qualifying rules to be tighter, eg horse should have had 5 runs in that particular discipline, but there are plenty of very good second season novices who could lose out.

[Istabraq]

I'm 100% against this as a blanket rule. I'd be happy enough for the qualifying rules to be tighter, eg horse should have had 5 runs in that particular discipline, but there are plenty of very good second season novices who could lose out.

I agree, I’ve no issue with second season novices competing in handicaps as there’s every chance they will have had several runs and their abilities should be visible.
The issue is with first season novices and particularly those who’ve had just the three runs, you’re just tackling this from another angle (with your suggested 5 run rule).
My point re stewarding still stands though…

[robith]

Obviously I'm a marketing wonk, so forgive me, but Cheltenham are making an age old mistake highlighted in the work of Simon Sinek, of thinking about the How and the What, rather than the Why.

What Cheltenham do is put on races. How they do it is they have horses turn up and they charge people for entry. But loads of places have that. The Why, the essence of why the festival happens, is to be a clash of the best, the pinnacle of the sport.

Why accesses our limbic brain, the thing that generates feelings like trust and loyalty - which is why we have the love of the festival we do.

But in expanding the festival, they're prioritising the what over the why. And spoiler alert - businesses that do that, don't do very well

[Guinness Village]

Robith, very interesting. Do you think the golden circle would beat hendo and nicholls chocolate starfish?

[Eggs]

….amazing Tshimanga still leads the way in the National League. I see it as;

Mullin (Wrexham) 4 behind with 7 to play
Madden (Stockport) 5 behind with 7 to play

Neither scored yesterday. Wrexham & Stockport have games on Monday & Saturday of next week.

….ah, the dream looking over. Mullin already scored twice before half-time for Wrexham.

[Lobos]

Don't EVER give out Football tips but my team Bristol City on Sky 5.30 KO. Our CH Rob Atkinson has been in very good form since coming back from injury and has scored in 2 of last 3 with other chances as well. He is a general 14/1 chance to score Anytime , as low as 11/1, but is a HUGE 25/1 with Betfair. That shouldn't be missed.

[JackieMoon33]

I'm 100% against this as a blanket rule. I'd be happy enough for the qualifying rules to be tighter, eg horse should have had 5 runs in that particular discipline, but there are plenty of very good second season novices who could lose out.

Yeah I guess a middle ground could be found but it would still be easy for the big yards to get a novice out early, run in five races, and still conceal their true ability come Cheltenham. Maybe second season novices could be the exception.