General Chat

[Rhinestone_Cowboy]

Has anyone else had their weekly freebets taken down from B365 ??

I was getting £10 per week, but think the new Government review into VIP rewards has scuppered it.

Just wondered if anyone still getting them.

I’ve got a few accounts Q and it definitely felt like I missed a week of free bets, which concerned me a little, but then I received a couple towards the end of last week so hopefully no issues

 

[Quevega]

I’ve got a few accounts Q and it definitely felt like I missed a week of free bets, which concerned me a little, but then I received a couple towards the end of last week so hopefully no issues

I've had a tenner every week on a Wed/Thursday like clockwork for the last 3 or 4 years at least.
But they stopped mid September.
I assumed it was the reports from the Government regulator around VIP 'losing' customers.
I'm getting everything else 4-1 offers etc - and no limitations, just not the weekly freebie.

This is like another tax (£520 per annum worse off) :mad-new::highly_amused:

 

[robith]

Novice chase the one to get the bin. Shame, whilst I get it, it's always a fun race imo

 

[taylorch1990]

Correct call imo plenty of other races those horses can still target at the festival.

 

[archie]

As they're moving the novice handicap to the Imperial Cup meeting, there's also the opportunity for horses to try the double with the Plate.

 

[ComplyOrDie]

I was all for getting rid of the Fred Winter, and quite liked the Novice Handicap Chase (certainly had a good record in it :highly_amused: )

 

[Deleted member 4957]

As they're moving the novice handicap to the Imperial Cup meeting, there's also the opportunity for horses to try the double with the Plate.

Agree, but the very existence of the Plate and the Marsh made the decision to introduce a 20f nov ‘cap chase a nonsense in the first place...

 

[FaugheenTheMachine]

I also liked the novice handicap but it’s probably the right decision; I also like the idea of a double same as the imperial cup, Hope they offer a large bonus to entice people in

 

[Deleted member 4957]

I also liked the novice handicap but it’s probably the right decision; I also like the idea of a double same as the imperial cup, Hope they offer a large bonus to entice people in

I think it would be sensible in offering a bonus to Mares Chase winner if winning a qualifying race through the season, there is a danger the better horses (quite rightly in my opinion) head for G1 races or penalised horses swerve the race, I think they need to do something to ensure the quality isn’t diluted.
A 6 runner Mares race of handicappers is not what the festival needs...

 

[FaugheenTheMachine]

Didn’t realise they’d shifted other races about as well. The Friday looks pretty poor now tbh

 

[ryanh97]

Will be the penultimate race then?

 

[Kotkijet]

Change the Ryanair to a Grade Two for novices and second season chasers. It draws too many good horses from the Champion Chase and Gold Cup. If it is a Gold Cup prep then it is not a championship race.

Put the mares hurdle and mares chase on the April mares card. The mares hurdle deprived the sport of Quevega v Big Buck's and drew Honeysuckle and BDD from last season's CH and SH respectively.

The Festival is supposed to be the de-facto (if not explicitly definitive) National Hunt championships. What other sport would cannibalise its marque events in such a fashion? It is like hosting the Ashes and CWC / Wimbledon and French Open / Champions League and World Cup simultaneously.

Glad that the Fred Winter wasn't chopped as the Triumph has become a much better standard of race for its presence.

 

[archie]

Chop the Fred Winter and the Triumph. If we have 4yo championships, why not 5yo, 6yo, 7yo etc.

Wimbledon has its own 'Mares' races.

 

[Kotkijet]

Chop the Fred Winter and the Triumph. If we have 4yo championships, why not 5yo, 6yo, 7yo etc.

Wimbledon has its own 'Mares' races.

Wimbledon has junior events for young players who have yet to reach physical or mental maturity, and female tennis players would not be competitive in the men's championship.

 

[Saxon Warrior]

I heard a comment earlier today that Paddy Power weren't going to pay out on winning bets for the Novice Handicap Chase being axed at Cheltenham until after the Cheltenham Festival in March 2021!

Sounds bizarre, like they dont believe the Jockey Club's decision OR think it could be changed?

Has anyone else heard anything, or been paid out by Paddy Power for their win? (or not).

 

[Quevega]

I heard a comment earlier today that Paddy Power weren't going to pay out on winning bets for the Novice Handicap Chase being axed at Cheltenham until after the Cheltenham Festival in March 2021!

Sounds bizarre, like they dont believe the Jockey Club's decision OR think it could be changed?

Has anyone else heard anything, or been paid out by Paddy Power for their win? (or not).

I had 7pts on at 5/4 and have not been paid out as yet.
If that's true that they're not going to pay out until March, then it's a bit shitty.
It'll be longest running AP bet I've ever had.

 

[Saxon Warrior]

I had 7pts on at 5/4 and have not been paid out as yet.
If that's true that they're not going to pay out until March, then it's a bit shitty.
It'll be longest running AP bet I've ever had.

It does sound strange, and could lead to some pretty bad PR for what I should think is such a small stakes market.

I get the point that until the event happens (Northern Trust Nov Chase doesn’t take place, in this case) then why pay out, but it still seems an odd way to keep punters onside.

 

[Hurdles or chasing]

I had 7pts on at 5/4 and have not been paid out as yet.
If that's true that they're not going to pay out until March, then it's a bit shitty.
It'll be longest running AP bet I've ever had.

7 points :victorious: Well played, It must have been you who was adamant that it would be the race to go and said it should have been odds on. I followed someone in and couldn't remember who it was.

 

[Quevega]

7 points :victorious: Well played, It must have been you who was adamant that it would be the race to go and said it should have been odds on. I followed someone in and couldn't remember who it was.

There was definitely a discussion held on here.
Had a 1pt saver on Kim muir at 13/2 also

 

[Captain Chris]

Change the Ryanair to a Grade Two for novices and second season chasers. It draws too many good horses from the Champion Chase and Gold Cup. If it is a Gold Cup prep then it is not a championship race.

Put the mares hurdle and mares chase on the April mares card. The mares hurdle deprived the sport of Quevega v Big Buck's and drew Honeysuckle and BDD from last season's CH and SH respectively.

The Festival is supposed to be the de-facto (if not explicitly definitive) National Hunt championships. What other sport would cannibalise its marque events in such a fashion? It is like hosting the Ashes and CWC / Wimbledon and French Open / Champions League and World Cup simultaneously.

Glad that the Fred Winter wasn't chopped as the Triumph has become a much better standard of race for its presence.

Completely agree with moving the Mare's races out of the festival and having their own "championship day". Preferably at the start of Feb though so that it doesn't interfere with any of the spring festivals. With good airtime and prize money, I think it would have a better impact than being lost (and moaned about) during Cheltenham.

It's a shame to lose the novice handicap from a personal perspective as the handicaps are my best source of profit at the festival (didn't have a single winning bet on a grade 1 last year...). I'd rather have kept it, got rid of the handicap ceiling, but ban novices from entering the other handicaps. Without the facts to hand, so could be entirely wrong, but it seems that novices win a hugely disproportionate number of the handicaps during festival week, having been "cleverly campaigned" throughout the year. Turn the Martin Pipe into the novice handicap hurdle of the meeting to give the second grade novice hurdlers an option too. It would be nice to see older horses given their day in the sun.

Don't get me started on the Ryanair... Chop it completely and increase the profile of the Ascot Chase and the Melling Chase. They've got plenty of other options and could even try lumping a big weight in the plate if they don't fancy going CC or GC.

I'm the UK especially, they seem to be trying to avoid any potential clashes between top class horses by providing so many alternatives. That's all season long, not just at the festival. Ireland seems to have a much better set up to funnel horses towards the same race, creating exciting clashes.