January 2011
13 posts
Modern Era of the Cheltenham Festival
After the second world war it took a while for racing at Cheltenham to bounce back to prominence, it was during this time that the Irish invasion really started – they had their first Cheltenham Gold Cup winner in the shape of Cottage Rake and the emergence of Vincent O’Brien through the training ranks really acted as a further catalyst. O’Brien’s influence became greater and...
Scottish Grand National History
We mainly concentrate on the English Grand National here on Tumblr, but the Scottish Grand National is also a major sporting event.
I have just found a great blog post on the history of the race over at grandnational.posterous.com it’s well worth a read if you’re interested in Grand Nationals and steeplechasing in general.
The Scottish race has three less fences than the English...
Peddlers Cross And Bincoular Set To Clash
Punters favourite, Peddlers Cross, will be entered into either the Tote Contenders Hurdle at Sandown or the William Hill Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las, both held on Saturday 5 February, en-route to a serious challenge for top honours at the Cheltenham Festival. The original intention had been to race the unbeaten Donald McCain-trained stable star at Haydock last Saturday in the Champion...
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Cheltenham – Fred Winter Juvenile Novices'...
This race is another recent addition to the Cheltenham Festival and made its debut in 2005. Many pundits and commentators were doubtful about the addition of a four year handicap hurdle at this meeting and some feel that it has taken something away from the main juvenile event – the Triumph Hurdle.
Putting that argument to one side for the moment it does or rather has given Cheltenham the chance...
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Fleming blames ground for Starluck flop
Trainer Alan Fleming is clearly a disappointed man after seeing his stable star Starluck finish a well beaten third behind reigning champion hurdler Binocular in the William Hill Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park, writes Elliot Slater.
Last season the grey ran an absolute blinder to make the high-class Go Native pull out all the stops (Binocular back in third) in the Christmas Hurdle, eventually...
Kauto Star Beaten in King George VI Chase
Kauto Star was denied the chance to win a record fifth King George VI chase at Kempton on Saturday. The iconic horse, ridden by AP McCoy for the first time in the absence of the injured Ruby Walsh, had to settle for third as the inspired Long Run created history. The winner’s stablemate Riverside Theatre came in second, 12 lengths behind Long Run. Cheltenham festival betting pundits note how...
The Package Appeals as Aintree Value
David Pipe’s The Package, a leading fancy for last year’s John Smith’s Grand National, looks set to be a key player in this year’s renewal having been specifically targeted at the Aintree marathon by his shrewd connections, writes Elliot Slater. Owner David-Johnson’s gelding was in the process of running a good race and had just started to improve his position from...
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Denman Begins Build Up To Cheltenham
The mighty Denman, a horse with a huge fan club who has endeared himself to the racing public for a number of seasons, is back in full training and beginning his build-up to what is likely to be his last attempt to win the Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup for a second time, writes Elliot Slater. The 11-year-old gelding, winner of the 2008 renewal when beating the awesome Kauto Star by seven lengths,...
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Ballabriggs Drops Clear National Hint
The Donald McCain-trained Ballabriggs made a particularly impressive winning reappearance over hurdles at Wincanton on Saturday and has now advanced to dispute favouritism with some firms in the ante-post market for the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree in April, writes Elliot Slater.
Not seen since winning the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup at the Cheltenham Festival last March,...
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A truly wide open Champion Hurdle
This year’s Stan James Champion Hurdle, the feature on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival in mid-March, is shaping up to be one of the most wide open for years with a handful of worthy candidates all bidding to get their hooves on the trophy, writes Elliot Slater. Bookies and those regularly placing a cheltenham bet are finding it hard to separate the three market leaders; last year’s...
Could Kauto possibly regain the Gold Cup for a...
When Muhammad Ali regained the world heavyweight boxing title for a third time back in the mid-1970’s the enormity of that achievement rocked the sporting world and remains unsurpassed in that most combative of sports. If Kauto Star comes back and regains the Cheltenham Gold Cup crown for a third time next March, it will arguably be a comparable sporting achievement to that achieved by the...
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Jockeys merry-go-round ahead of Sunday’s ‘King...
Ahead of every big race there is always a flurry of activity surrounding jockey bookings and this Sunday’s feature Grade 1 William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton Park is proving no exception, writes Elliot Slater.
Noel Fehily, who was expected to ride hot favourite Kauto Star due to the continued absence of the 10-year-old’s regular pilot Ruby Walsh, (sidelined since early November with a...
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Fehily unfit ~ McCoy rides Kauto Star
In declaring himself unfit to ride the red-hot favourite Kauto Star in Sunday’s William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day, Noel Fehily has lost the chance to ride the biggest winner of his career, but has definitely won the respect and admiration of the racing community, writes Elliot Slater.
Those looking at cheltenham 2011 tips know that it takes real guts and honesty to...