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Cheltenham 2017 Antepost Bets

Massive fan of VVM and desperately wanted to see her carry on over fences last season and in the Ryan air however I just can't see her being aimed at the bonus, only race I could see her in the top two is the King George, least taxing on stamina with the flat track, couldn't see her slugging out a GC victory, I'd be disappointed if valseur lido went for the Ryan air again as the horse clearly needs a trip so would be a wasted target for him
 
Gigginstown like to switch horses if you look back, was it Very Wood and Wounded Warrior they switched targets nearer the fest and I'm sure there has been a couple more where they mentioned a target and then went back to something else, poss Don Cossack was one and I'm sure there was another. Anyone think they might try Don Poli for the 4miler before a crack at the Nationals
 
From memory that wasn't so much them switching target, it was them choosing where the horse goes rather than where the trainers wanted them to go. I could be wrong there though.

Don Poli won't be eligible for the 4 miler because it is a novices race. Mullins wanted him in it the year he won the RSA.
 
Unless gigginstown have some second season chasers that seriously improve or a novice chaser up there out of the blue I can't see too many horses being chopped and changed as they don't have that much quality in the big 3 mile chases, what they do have though is quantity, they should definitely at least have something though that can run in the Ryan air which will free up valseur lido, this horse really won't surprise me if he pops up with a big one this season, their horses will pretty much start out as they intend to go on I feel, it's their hurdlers that will be harder to target, and as gigginstown are all about chasers you are never to sure how much they put into their hurdling season as they like to leave a lot to improve on for chasing as to get started off with a low mark for novice chasing
 
Is anyone looking past the traditional Ruby Tuesday that is Cheltenham's opening day of the fes...?
 
Djakadam the obvious bonus horse from Mullins Shirley
 
Djakadam going for the bonus would be a negative for Vautour going for the King George? If Djakadam goes for the betfair chase I'll start backing Vautour for the Ryanair.

The Ruby Tuesday accy is far too hard to predict at the moment. I think he will only get 2 :very_drunk:
 
I would have said 3 would be the minimum, the amount of French horses they have purchased and with last years crop of bumpers they are bound to again have the fav for the supreme, you'd have to think that either Faugheen or Annie has the CH and well for the mares race they have whatever the hell they want for that and it still wins 5 lengths on the bridle.... Plus there's the chance of yorkhill or min in the arkle, there is only one danger to the 4 timer as it stands and that's altior, but still we don't know where he goes, must be getting some concrete news on him soon surely
 
If Altior gets declared for the Arkle he will be going in my Ruby Tuesday bet, but I will just call it my 'Tuesday bet'.

As you eluded too, it'd be a turn up for the books if Ruby wasn't on the fav in the first, but that is far from a certainty in my eyes. Chapange Fever got a great ride, and the next two that followed are both pretty special... I'm not saying he won't have another special horse, but I don't think we can call it a cert just yet, especially when we dunno what it is going to be?
 
Kevloaf said:
From memory that wasn't so much them switching target, it was them choosing where the horse goes rather than where the trainers wanted them to go. I could be wrong there though.

Don Poli won't be eligible for the 4 miler because it is a novices race. Mullins wanted him in it the year he won the RSA.
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Yep I forgot it was a Novice race Kevloaf. Yeah the Gigginstown boys seem to dictate more to the trainers about which race they want the horses to go to but it is still a minefield for us punters, example Valseur Lido being touted for Ryanair and Gold Cup, some on here will have there fingers burnt again like most of us in the past fests
 
6/4 for a treble on the Tuesday for Ruby, I got 3/1 last fest, bookies getting tighter with their specials
 
6/4? That is absolutely dreadful at this stage. The Supreme fave won't be shorter than that and he'd probably need that to land the treble anyway.

As long as Mullins has the usual novice ammo to fire (and no reason to think he won't) then 2017 looks like it'll be better than he has ever had, because he has live contenders in pretty much every championship race too. You could argue in previous years he hasn't.
 
Think it is a bad price for the way the markets are priced per race, Senewalk a talking horse like Min was who got beat in the end, Faugheen or Annie's for the CH, Min for the Arkle poss against Altior again, and then whatever he rides in the Mares (Limini, Karalee, Let's Dance, Annie's?) it would be better to take a risk and maybe do a few accas on the those horses to get the better price than 6/4
 
If Ruby was on three odds on shots (1/2, 1/2, 1/2) on the day that is better than 6/4. Absolutely no money to be made in 'special' bets.

If Senewalk proves to be the right talking horse and you get a run for your money at 12/1, and Yorkhill goes for the Arkle (like Ruby suggested he could) and Faugheen takes his place to try and regain the Champion Hurdle AND Annie Power takes the easy Group 1.... that is 1841/1 with PaddyPower

That to me, at this EARLY stage, looks like Ruby's BEST chance in each of those races. Obviously numerous horses would also make the mares race look easy and we already know Annie is an able deputy in the CH and so on, but a beer costs over £4 now. I might decline a beer tonight and put 4 variations of this ridiculous accy on.

**As it is with PaddyPower, every time Harry Kane scores and I get my £2 free bet, I know where it is going** haha
 
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This from racing uk on Mullins
"The Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown and the Hatton's Grace at Fairyhouse are among the early-season options under consideration for star hurdlers Faugheen and Annie Power.
Faugheen suffered his only defeat in 13 starts to date in the Morgiana Hurdle last November, but after bouncing back with victories in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown, he was set to return to Cheltenham as a warm order to successfully defend his Champion Hurdle crown before injury ruled him him out for the rest of the season.
In Faugheen's absence, the brilliant mare Annie Power was supplemented for the two-mile showpiece at Prestbury Park and produced a fantastic front-running display to break her Festival duck.
She rounded off her campaign with a similarly scintillating display in the Aintree Hurdle.
Both horses are now back in work with champion trainer Willie Mullins and his son and assistant, Patrick, reports the duo to be in rude health.
"Faugheen is back in and we don't think his injury will come back against him. We've had horses with that kind of small suspensory problem before and it's not a long-term thing. John Codd, who looks after him, is very happy," said Mullins.
"I would imagine that he will be going down that two/two-and-a-half-mile hurdle route. He can go out in trip to two-and-a-half and I suppose you'd be looking at the Hatton's Grace and Morgiana for the likes of him and Annie Power. They can go either way.
"She (Annie Power) looks fabulous and she put on a lot of weight over the summer.
"She is back in and I'd imagine that she will be kept to two/two and a half miles and will hopefully go back and defend her crown in Cheltenham."
Mullins also provided updates on some of the yard's top chasers, led by the incredible Douvan.
The six-year-old won each of his six starts over fences last season, including big-race successes at Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown in the spring.
The imposing gelding features in ante-post lists for races like the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day and the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but Mullins does not expect him to step up to staying distances at this stage of his career.
He told The Irish Field: "Douvan has done very well and he is very relaxed. Rachel Robbins is looking after him now that Gail Carlisle has gone to America.
"It is just a question as to whether we stay at two miles with him this season or up him to three miles.
"He settles very well and you'd think that he could get three miles but he is so good over two miles, why change it?
"He looks great and like them all, he put on a lot of weight over the summer."
Earlier this month Jockey Club Racecourses announced the return of the Jockey Club Chase Triple Crown for the upcoming season.
Any horse who can land the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November, the 32Red King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March will pick up a £1million bonus and the likes of Djakadam and Vautour are possible candidates for the Mullins camp.
Mullins said: "I think the £1 million bonus is a great addition and, if you look back to Cue Card last year, it definitely added more interest to the Gold Cup.
"I think we'll campaign our horses, that if they are ready, they could run in that series of races, but we are not going to get the horses ready to run in it. We are still working back from March time.
"You'd imagine that he (Djakadam) will go back for the Gold Cup again. I think The Fellow was beaten in two Gold Cups and he came back to win one, so perhaps history may repeat itself.
"Vautour put on a lot of weight on his break and looks super. His run in the King George last year - where he didn't jump particularly well - was very good and that form is as good as there is out there.
"That is Gold Cup form and I imagine that it will be later this year when we'll see him back on the racecourse."
Un De Sceaux, who disappointed in the French Champion Hurdle in June, is set to revert to two-mile chasing this winter before potentially stepping back up in distance for the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham next March.
 
In his defence I think rich ricci isn't one for purposely putting the punter away.. I reckon he might do an interview or 2 before the years out and give a few clues to who goes where..
 
cwright23 said:
In his defence I think rich ricci isn't one for purposely putting the punter away.. I reckon he might do an interview or 2 before the years out and give a few clues to who goes where..
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Each to his own obviously but I won't be listening to any Ricci/Mullins advice, in fact I'm more likely to ignore anything that's said and focus efforts elsewhere.
Mullins/Ricci are not in this for anyone but themselves, it's not in their interest to divulge stable secrets.......
 
Totally agree and I won't be backing any of RR stable stars anyway especially this early as nothing is any value.. They're all priced up like they've already won and we all know that on one special day in March the best horse may not always win..
 
If you are looking for clues where Mullins horses are going check Paddy Power prices.
 
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