Showcase Meeting

[Old Vic]

As usual relatively small fields today but have had a look at the card

2:10 The first of the Neptune roads to the festival races race of the year but only TNO has doubled up in the past decade. Nicholls has a good strike rate in the race but no runner. 5/10 favourites have won and no winner bigger than 11/2. The two heading the market are De Bromheads Exarro and Ferguson's Penglai Pavilion. I am going to pass over both and take a chance on SANDYMOUNT DUKE at the prices(7/1 Bet365). He was well beaten by Exarro ( given an inspired stirupless ride in finish by Geraghty) in Killarney back in August but had run up a four timer previously and I will take a chance that was not his true running.

2:45 Cant see an angle on the race and think any one of the four could win.If I had to bet SIZING CODELCO at 4/1 would be the selection.

3:20 I believe Buena Vista qualified for the Pertemps Final via this race and always had a theory that its might be worth looking out for horses that get qualified for Pertemps early in the season of course that doesnt mean they are likely winners today. 5/6 carried 10-13 or less and there have been 5/6 beaten favourites with 5/6 returned 17/2 or more. There are afew meeting these trends and I have taken a guess that KING BORU might be the one.

3.55 Some familar names have won this is recent seasons with Paul Nicholls training 3/10 winners. VINCENTE won at this meeting in 2014 and is the most likely winner in my view. Shantou Flyer seems overpriced at 14/1 and may give the selection most to do.

4:30 Newsworthy is jointly owned by Mr Buckley and Mrs Ricci and as such may be over hyped and underpriced on the other hand Hendersons seem further forward that other years. Drumlee Sunset looks the one to beat. He changed hands at Brightwell sale in 2014 and is a previous p2p winner. Judge his form for your self here http://tv.p2p.ie/?tube=953. A race to watch with aview to the future I think.

17:05 Nigel Twiston Davies and Neill Mullholland have targeted this race in recent years and their two runners must make the shortlist. However the Gordon Elliott/ JJ Codd combo is the one I like to be onside with and DEFINITE RUBY is the selection. Gordon Elliott at the meeting is 7/32 | 22% S/R | +£20. 10 BFLSP Win & Place 14/32 | 44% S/R and will carry my ew monies.


17:40 The favourite Clondaw Banker has been a bookies friend and is passed over. OLD GUARD ran in the Triumph finishing down the field but Nicholls form at the meeting and placing of these types is respected. Damefirth and Mantou might also be worth a second look.

Good Luck all and DYOR :encouragement:


news and previous winners

http://www.fatjockey.com/news-blogs/racing_news.php?Cheltenham-Showcase-Day-1-405


a few stats

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Some excellent <a href="https://twitter.com/CheltenhamRaces">@CheltenhamRaces</a> showcase stats from <a href="https://twitter.com/Narrowthefield">@Narrowthefield</a>

<a href="https://t.co/6SYWaJpTqa">https://t.co/6SYWaJpTqa</a></p>— Fat Jockey (@FatJockeyTips) <a href="https://twitter.com/FatJockeyTips/status/657471288848613376">October 23, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Old Vic]

Dicky Johnson on his rides

Friday

Kicking off with Friday’s action and I ride Casual Approach for Gordon Elliott in the novices’ hurdle (2.10pm).

You have to respect anything he brings over to these shores and I’m lucky enough to have teamed up with him a lot over the summer.

He certainly wouldn’t be bringing Casual Approach over if he didn’t think he had a chance and I’m looking forward to the ride.

He’s race fit with a recent win at Navan under his belt and, unlike some of these, will definitely stay the 2m 5f trip.

John Ferguson’s Penglai Pavilion looks the one to beat on the back of two emphatic wins over hurdles during the summer. He was good enough to mix it with Treve on the flat, so if he stays the trip we’ll all have to go some to catch him.

Owners, trainers and jockeys wish that all horses were like Kilfinichen Bay, who lines up in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle (3.20pm).

Charlie Longsdon has done an amazing job with this fellow who has now remarkably won eight of his last nine starts.

I’m lucky enough to have been on him for five of those, including when he won his first race at Southwell back in August 2014.

He won that handicap racing off a mark of 80 and reappears on Friday from a revised mark of 140. All I can say is he must have been some certainty at Southwell that day!

He’s a lovely horse to ride with the perfect attitude, but may just find things tough giving all of his 11 other rivals weight.

My final ride of the day, and my best chance of a winner, is Drumlee Sunset in the maiden hurdle (4.30pm). He won his bumper for us back in February and has been given plenty of time since.

Connections could have easily thrown him in the deep end in one of the big festival bumpers, but quite rightly opted to give him time.

He’ll definitely stay further in time, but Friday's race looks the perfect starting point and he feels in good form at home.

 

[Deleted member 4957]

Great to see racing back at the home of racing today, always signifies the start of the season proper !

I'm all over Penglai Pavilion in the opener, any horse rated 118 on the level will be a force if they jump and this one couldn't have been more impressive in his hurdle outings to date.
Being the king of value I've snapped up the 13/8 and of course 15/8 is now available !

The qualifier (3.20) is one to steer clear of, I think the top 8 qualify and whilst the Cheltenham qualifiers have often provided winners for the festival final the winner is usually well down the field in their qualifier, the best horses could and probably will be a stone or more better than their showing today, making this an unattractive betting proposition.

Just a word on the Twisters horses, the yard is in the best run of form I can remember, I think they've had 7 winners from their last 15 NH runners, I'd be taking a second look at every one of theirs over this meeting....

 

[Old Vic]

Great to see racing back at the home of racing today, always signifies the start of the season proper !

I'm all over Penglai Pavilion in the opener, any horse rated 118 on the level will be a force if they jump and this one couldn't have been more impressive in his hurdle outings to date.
Being the king of value I've snapped up the 13/8 and of course 15/8 is now available !

The qualifier (3.20) is one to steer clear of, I think the top 8 qualify and whilst the Cheltenham qualifiers have often provided winners for the festival final the winner is usually well down the field in their qualifier, the best horses could and probably will be a stone or more better than their showing today, making this an unattractive betting proposition.

Just a word on the Twisters horses, the yard is in the best run of form I can remember, I think they've had 7 winners from their last 18 runners, I'd be taking a second look at every one of theirs over this meeting....

Hi Istabraq - I knew someoneone flagged up Penglai before ( you back on 30/7)

There's a Ferguson horse who finished 5th in the 2013 Arc, he's hacked up in a couple of weak novice hurdles but clearly has class, Penglai Pavilion, he's currently quoted 33s which I though was interesting...

.

Going to have to cover him now..trip the doubt ?

Ferguson, who has enjoyed plenty of success since setting up his jumps operation in 2010, has yet to saddle a festival winner and said: "I'm delighted with him and he's been impressive in his two races over hurdles, but this is a major step up in class. He's had a break and put on a bit of condition. He'll definitely improve for the run but I think he's fit enough to give a good account of himself.

"The trip [2m5f] is an experiment. I want to see whether he's a Neptune horse. I know he's got bags of pace so I can bring him back to two miles if he's not. I'm a long way from thinking about festivals, but you need to know a horse's optimum trip for the spring."

NTD is great early season but seems totally on fire this time.

 

[Deleted member 4957]

Hi Istabraq - I knew someoneone flagged up Penglai before ( you back on 30/7)
.

Going to have to cover him now..trip the doubt ?



NTD is great early season but seems totally on fire this time.

Morning OV

It's a race with depth as you'd expect at Chelt, 3 or 4 or these could be very very good.
If anything gets PP beat it's probably the extra distance, I'd have thought his turn of foot would have been more effective over the min distance but clearly they think the horse has stamina in plenty.
7 runners kills the e/w, I like to buy the indices on the spreads when I fancy a bit of a rag in 7 runner affairs as they pay 50/25/10 so points for third....

Good luck

 

[mayo]

WD Istrabraq. Very Impressive.

 

[Deleted member 4957]

That was massively impressive, any doubts about the distance wiped away in about 3 strides after the last there, a genuine Neptune candidate now.
Shame I don't have any 'BOG' accounts, snaffled 13/8, won at 11/4 !!!

 

[Deleted member 4957]

Cheers Mayo

 

[mayo]

Shantou Flyer seems overpriced at 14/1 and may give the selection most to do.

Hope you backed him OV.

 

[mayo]

Hughes bidding for first Cheltenham win on day two of The Showcase

Friday, October 23, 2015 - Lambourn trainer Jo Hughes is hoping Silver Man can provide her with a first Cheltenham winner in the £50,000 winner.co.uk Trophy Handicap Chase (3.20pm) on day two of The Showcase, Saturday, October 24.

Silver Man enjoyed an excellent summer campaign, scoring at Market Rasen and Aintree, before a good second to Shuil Royale in the Listed Summer Cup over three and a quarter miles at Uttoxeter in June.

The lightly-raced eight-year-old returned from a two-month break to finish second to Weather Babe in a three-mile novices' chase at Bangor on October 1.

Hughes said today: "Everything has been good with Silver Man.

"I was pleased with his run in Bangor because he went in to the race needing it. He made a few uncharacteristic jumping errors but Nico (de Boinville, rider) said he was too fresh and wasn't concentrating properly.

"He is an uncomplicated horse and, although he is no spring chicken, he is lightly-raced and getting stronger.

"He has had the blinkers on for a few runs now so we are switching to a visor tomorrow just to change it up a bit. He always gives his best and I am hoping for another big run."

Silver Man, who is ridden by Nico de Boinville and carries 10st 9lb, faces 11 rivals in the three mile, one furlong contest including in-form top-weight Champion Court (11st 12lb, Martin Keighley/Andrew Tinkler), last year's winner Roalco de Farges (10st 10lb, Philip Hobbs/Richard Johnson) and Fox Appeal (11st 9lb, Emma Lavelle/Aidan Coleman).

Cheltenham's seven-race programme also features the £50,000 winner.co.uk Handicap Chase (2.10pm, 12 runners) over two miles and the £35,000 Masterson Holdings Hurdle (2.45pm, eight runners), which features JCB Triumph Hurdle third Hargam (Nicky Henderson/Barry Geraghty) and Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle victor Qualando (Paul Nicholls/Sam Twiston-Davies).

Away from the high-class action on the track, racegoers will have the opportunity to go behind the scenes at the Home of Jump Racing with guided tours of the parade ring and weighing room before racing.

The Showcase food and drink zone, introduced for the first time in 2014, returns to The Centaur to show off all that is great about the food and drink produced in the Cotswolds.

A full list of the stands can be found here:
http://cheltenham.thejockeyclub.co.uk/events-tickets/whats-on/the-showcase-food-and-drink-zone

Various areas of Cheltenham's exciting new £45-million grandstand, which is being named after The Princess Royal who is opening it on Friday, November 13, are in use at The Showcase, including the Vestey Bar, the Annual Members Bar, the Owners and Trainers Bar and The Cotswolds Club. In addition, the 11 private boxes are still available as well as the Royal Box.

The Showcase gets underway today with a seven-race programme running from 2.10pm to 5.40pm.

 

[Old Vic]

Hope you backed him OV.

I did - Definte Ruby winning would have made about a 3 grand difference to my Lucky15 .:sorrow:

so its a bit of a mixed bag.

Well Done Ista BTW.

 

[Faugheen_Machine]

Well done on yesterday's winners, some top punting.

Three bets for me today.

Turn Over Sivola 12/1 - ran well in the grand annual and had my eye on him for Aintree but injury prevented that. Has a decent record first time out but rarely gets his head in front.
Hargam 9/4 - hopefully shows he's a potential champion hurdle candidate.
Long House Hall 3/1 - I put him in my tracker after an impressive win at Bangor in the spring. He jumped brilliantly that day and will hopefully give Parlour Games something to think about.

Good luck