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Cheltenham Festival Handicaps

Not yet, but there's one qualifier to be run a Chepstow on Saturday which this one has an entry...

Thanks, I have backed him NRNB. Nothing lost if he blows out but they must have this race in mind.

For all his qualities and the potential story Tobefair is now a very short price.
 
Dreamcatching could be an interesting runner in the Fred Winter for Paul Nichols. Won well at the weekend at Wincanton. Dreamcatching had his debut for the yard in the same race Charli Parcs ran in at Kempton over Christmas and although well beaten - he was a 5/1 shot so was reasonably backed that day. Ran well for a long way until seeming to tire and finished a well beaten 40 lengths back but Nichols has since come out and said he wasn't right that day.

A race that Nichols has excelled in over the last few years - had the 1-2 in 2016 and 2015 and 4 placed in the 2 years before that. Dreamcatching had his debut for the yard in the same race Charli Parcs ran in at Kempton over Christmas

Has an OR of 131 which should get him into the race fine (128 last year and 129 2015) and on a similar mark to his recent horses in the race and was mentioned by Nichols at Ascot Saturday evening:

If Dreamcatching gets in the Fred Winter won't be there to make up the numbers

And also in his stable tour today:

He entered the equation for Cheltenham after winning at Wincanton on Saturday. He has an entry in the Fred Winter and a mark of 131. We've won the race for the last two seasons and back in 2015 our horse won off 131 and last year off 133 so he's around the right mark. He won a bumper in France last summer and was third on his debut at Auteuil. We fancied him at Kempton over Christmas but he ran very free and didn't get home. He wasn't right at the time either, we hadn't had him long and he wasn't properly acclimatised. He was much better on Saturday where he bolted in and looked progressive.

Can't be ignored for the shortlist from a trainer who knows exactly what it takes to have a winner/placed horse in the race.
 
Interesting comment from PJ Hobbs last night on Attheraces. Brother Tedd for the novice handicap on Tuesday. Can't see why, but always interested in that kind of comment from a trainer. Worth a look and a wager, as a hopeless race for me.
 
Dreamcatching could be an interesting runner in the Fred Winter for Paul Nichols. Won well at the weekend at Wincanton. Dreamcatching had his debut for the yard in the same race Charli Parcs ran in at Kempton over Christmas and although well beaten - he was a 5/1 shot so was reasonably backed that day. Ran well for a long way until seeming to tire and finished a well beaten 40 lengths back but Nichols has since come out and said he wasn't right that day.

A race that Nichols has excelled in over the last few years - had the 1-2 in 2016 and 2015 and 4 placed in the 2 years before that. Dreamcatching had his debut for the yard in the same race Charli Parcs ran in at Kempton over Christmas

Has an OR of 131 which should get him into the race fine (128 last year and 129 2015) and on a similar mark to his recent horses in the race and was mentioned by Nichols at Ascot Saturday evening:



And also in his stable tour today:



Can't be ignored for the shortlist from a trainer who knows exactly what it takes to have a winner/placed horse in the race.

The market has reacted accordingly
 
Ah yes - didn't actually look at the odds until now. Hardly surprising based on the trainers remarks the last few days. Could well be fav after the weekend if Charli Parcs hacks up too
 
Yeah a confirmed Nicholls runner in the Fred Winter has to be respected.
 
10/1 *sick everywhere*
What price will it go off though? :highly_amused:

Qualando was outsider of his 3 or 4 the year he won it wasn't he?
 
10/1 *sick everywhere*
What price will it go off though? :highly_amused:

Qualando was outsider of his 3 or 4 the year he won it wasn't he?

And Romain De Senam was a whisker away from winning last year at a big price too.
 
Im also very sweet on Nichols El Bandit for the pertempts.
 
Handicap entries out today and I'm stuck at Euro Disney queuing to see Micky Mouse! Arrrgghhhh :sorrow:
 
Thought I'd try and get some bonus points before I abandon my family for a week:triumphant:
 
Are the entries out today? Thought I read somewhere it was tomorrow, and weights next Weds?
 
Avoid favourites !


At the 2016 meeting no handicap favourite finished first and only one outright handicap favourite managed to even reach the frame. Some bookies offered an extra incentive, fifth place, in big-field handicaps – but that did not help each-way punters much. The favourites’ finishing places in last year’s 10 handicaps were: seventh, sixth, 22nd, 10th, ninth, joint-favourites pulled up and fell, unseated rider, joint-favourites fourth and unseated rider, seventh and third.

In 2015 none of the favourites in the 11 handicaps won – only two were placed. Honours for the last Cheltenham handicap favourite to succeed go to Fingal Bay in the 2014 Pertemps Network Final, the only one to win that year.
 
Wow. That is unexpected?

I thought Diego Du Charmil was fav in his race... obviously just checked and he was 13/2 2nd fav - Jaleo was fav at 6/1

Hard to know what will be fav in any race at the moment though! Remember to bring this stat up again in two weeks :encouragement:
 
Avoid favourites !


At the 2016 meeting no handicap favourite finished first and only one outright handicap favourite managed to even reach the frame. Some bookies offered an extra incentive, fifth place, in big-field handicaps – but that did not help each-way punters much. The favourites’ finishing places in last year’s 10 handicaps were: seventh, sixth, 22nd, 10th, ninth, joint-favourites pulled up and fell, unseated rider, joint-favourites fourth and unseated rider, seventh and third.

In 2015 none of the favourites in the 11 handicaps won – only two were placed. Honours for the last Cheltenham handicap favourite to succeed go to Fingal Bay in the 2014 Pertemps Network Final, the only one to win that year.

Great stat that Yeehaa :encouragement: and those finishing positions are pretty damning! Certainly something i'll be considering this year. There's always a fair few plunge horses when the entries and weights come out this time of year. Don't think I really followed in with any last year and I do tend to try and avoid them if they become a fancy plunge horse or likely fav. One reason why i'm trying to avoid Mall Dini this year!! Looking back I think the last handicap fav I backed early and on the day at the festival was Monetaire in the plate in 2015 at 11/2F :mad: