BEST of the BETS

We start on Saturday with 2 races at Doncaster 1-50 and 3-35 the thread for selections
will be posted on Friday morning Free to enter of course and the prizes on offer are >

Prizes:
Winner: £50.00
Runner Up: £30.00
Third Place: £10.00
Highest S.P Winning Nap: £20.00 Free Bet

A big thanks to Brian for once again providing the cash prizes and i will be providing the Free Bet
here's hoping for decent response 12 or more participants would be great

mal :up:

The Turf Flat Comp will go ahead on Saturday 29th March and could start before The Lincoln Handicap with possible 2 races on the day - The thread for selections will be posted on Friday 28th March and the thread outlining the Rules etc will hopefully be posted on Thursday - The more we get the merrier you do not need to add your name here (but can if you wish of course) all you need to do is post your selection on the thread

mal :up:

Well done Bazza!

Well done Bazza :clap:

well done :clap:

Well done Bazza

bazza62 flies at the finish to land his nap - wins going away.
Some nice priced winners all round today :up:

Saturday's results:

Big tasty 20
bazza62 230*
Ribot 190*
horses4courses 170*
MrForce 160*
calvert 160
Stig 190* 17/2 winner
Doubler 90 8/1 winner
malcolm 140
brian1147 70

* Nap won

1st bazza62 230 80pts
2nd Stig 190 40pts
3rd Ribot 190 20pts

*2nd place decided by Rule 5(b)

Well done bazza62 :cool:

Well done :up:

Cheers bazza nice profit on The Paddy Pie and doubled with paddys day at Newc

Hope you have a super day winners aplenty :victory:

well done bazza.

Well done Bazza :clap:

Well done Bazza

Bazza - the man in form at HQ!

Wednesday RESULTS
bazza62 - 160
Big tasty - 80- (5/1)
Ribot - 80
horses4courses - 70- (5/1)
MrForce - 50
calvert - 60
Doubler - 60
Stig - 70
malcolm - 100
brian1147 - 50

* Winning NAP

LEADERBOARD
1st - bazza62 (160) - 40pts
2nd - malcolm (100) - 20pts
3rd - Big tasty (80) - 10pts

Well done :cool:

well done bazza.

Well done Bazza :clap:

well done :cool:

Well done Bazza

THURSDAY

1.20 Ryanair Mares' Novices’ Hurdle (2m1f)

Quevega won six Mares’ Hurdles, enough to have a bar named after her at Cheltenham racecourse. Now her third foal, Aurora Vega, is a leading contender in this race and follows her brother Facile Vega, who won the 2022 Champion Bumper. Forget about one bar, Quevega could soon be setting up her own chain.
This race has produced winners at wide-ranging odds, even in the years when it was a Willie Mullins closed shop. Maughreen and Karoline Banbou, as well as Aurora Vega and five others, could represent him this time.

Other leading Irish stables field Sixandahalf, Galileo Dame, Tareze and Air Of Entitlement, while Paul Nicholls is not alone in liking what he’s seen of Jubilee Alpha and Just A Rose.

Selection: Jubilee Alpha

2.00 Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase (2m4½f)

The 2m4f Grade 1 for novices has gone and a handicap returns. Fifteen trainers were responsible for the 16 winners in its previous handicap form. January’s course-and-distance winner Jagwar is favourite in front of Nurburgring and Asian Master, who both step up markedly in trip, as does Path D’Oroux.

Jordans has been noticed by the handicapper but he is one of the potential class acts. Answer To Kayf is one of the many good prospects who would have more to prove away from testing ground.

Selection: Jordans (nb)

2.40 Pertemps Network Final (3m)

Jeriko Du Reponet was described as “the forgotten horse” going into the 2024 Supreme Novices’ and he’s one you might like to forget judged on his races since, but he is on course to be favourite for the fourth time this season after a more encouraging latest outing.

The picture will be clearer, a little, when the declarations are made, but Karl Des Tourelles, Bugise Seagull, Win Some Lose Some, Will The Wise, One Big Bang and Long Draw are on my shortlist, with others probably to be added.

Selection: Karl Des Tourelles

3.20 Ryanair Chase (2m4½f)

The Gold Cup and Champion Chase’s loss is the Ryanair’s major gain. Starting with 2024 Brown Advisory winner Fact To File, who found Galopin Des Champs too strong on his last two starts. He was 5-1 for the Gold Cup and 6-4 for this when the decision was made, not that the latter price makes him a wildly appealing bet given the depth of opposition.

I don’t know how Il Est Francais will travel over from France but he was an absolute flyer in his Kempton 3m races on good ground at Christmas in 2023 and 2024, latterly when reeled in close home in the King George, and hopefully he will light up Cheltenham in the same dazzling manner – blood vessels allowing.

Last year’s Ryanair went like a dream for Protektorat (seeing off 2023 winner Envoi Allen) and he returned to his best last time out, while a review of the 2024 Gold Cup prompts interest in Jungle Boogie.

Djelo is one-all versus Protektorat this season and added a career best at Newbury last month, on which card Master Chewy won over 2m but was reported to be heading for this.
Gaelic Warrior has two seconds and a win from three visits to the festival, most recently with a performance of utter dominance in the Arkle, but that is 13lb clear of his other races on Racing Post Ratings. The absence of soft ground sees him back up in trip but his latest start heightened the suspicion that this warrior sometimes prefers to lay down his weapons.

Selection: Il Est Francais

4.00 Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (3m)

Breaking recent trends, it looks as if tractors may this year not be needed in the car parks, and one of the many races on which benign weather could have an acute bearing is the Stayers’. Teahupoo is a hot favourite but would be a lot hotter on the soft ground which prevailed when he comfortably took this prize last year. It was soft or heavy for all six of his top ratings. He won well at Punchestown last May on yielding (good to soft) and Gordon Elliott seems unconcerned, but seeds of doubt have been sown.

Admittedly, if Teahupoo is not to win, this may look a headscratcher. Home By The Lee was sixth, fifth and third in the last three renewals and is now a ten-year-old, but he won his last two starts (on yielding) in some style. A long list of possibles could be drawn up and top of mine is Elliott’s second string The Wallpark, whose fourth win this season came at Cheltenham and whose minor honour in an Ascot Grade 1 confirmed he will come home strongly.

Crambo pipped Hiddenvalley Lake in that Ascot race and both could have more to give, while the progressive Lucky Place steps up in trip and dual Coral Cup winner Langer Dan is in serious contention too, provided he can prove himself over this longer distance and reprise his annual Lazarus act.

Selection: The Wallpark

4.40 TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase (2m4½f)

Many of these names are in the Jack Richards. Perhaps this will be the destination for Springwell Bay, a class act over course and distance last time, and Thecompanysergeant on his second run for Gavin Cromwell.

Last year’s winner Shakem Up’arry is entered again and a return to better ground can help December’s course-and-distance winner Gemirande. The age-old question of who might suddenly return to form encroaches this year on many in the Paul Nicholls string, including Ginny’s Destiny.

Selection: Gemirande (nap)

5.20 Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase (3m2f)

JP McManus had two thumpingly impressive winners in the amateurs’ races last year, neither of them an angel who was entertained unawares (12 months on they run in the Gold Cup). A stack of interesting novices this time round includes his Johnnywho, Sa Majeste and Aworkinprogress, with Nine Graces and Westerninthepark for other connections.

More experienced candidates include Stuzzikini, Manothepeople and Midnight Our Fred. There’s UF next to Sine Nomine's name this season, but she won last year’s hunter chase at the festival.

Selection: Nine Graces


FRIDAY

1.20 JCB Triumph Hurdle (2m1f)

There’s a remarkable look to the betting. None of the three at single-figure odds is trained by Willie Mullins and the two disputing favouritism are from Britain.

Lulamba was favourite even before his British debut, having overcome greenness at Auteuil in October. Sold to the Donnellys and joining Nicky Henderson, which are pretty good tips in themselves, he was edgy beforehand at Ascot in January but looked professional in his race, asserting with an unquantifiable amount in hand.

James Owen’s East India Dock is the chalk to Lulamba’s powerful French cheese. In the last year he’s had nine Flat races and three over hurdles, and he’s thrived. He won by daylight at Cheltenham on his last two starts and sets the form standard by a healthy margin.

Henderson also fields the big-money boy Palladium. This season’s Irish contingent have created less excitement than usual, with strong-travelling Hello Neighbour top of the pile in the Leopardstown Grade 1, in which he did not finish far in front of Galileo Dame or Lady Vega Allen.

Selection: East India Dock (nap)

2.00 William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (2m1f)

Decisions, decisions. Mullins has Kopeck De Mee (see the Martin Pipe) and ten others to choose from. Absurde, last year’s swashbuckling winner of the County and beaten just under two lengths in the Melbourne Cup, might just make the teamsheet. Kargese was second in her Triumph and Karniquet second in a Grade 1 novice last month.

McLaurey and Lark In The Mornin are other Irish names to note, with Kabral Du Mathan and Welsh Charger among the British. Valgrand is the sole representative for Dan Skelton, who has been winning the County almost as regularly as Mullins.

Selection: Welsh Charger

2.40 Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (2m4½f)

There’s not a deep pool from which to supply this race but Gavin Cromwell is doing his best, including with Limerick Lace, who outdid Dinoblue to win it on soft ground last year, and Only By Night, who is unbeaten as a novice over shorter.

Cromwell also has Brides Hill, who gave weight when second at Huntingdon to Telepathique, whose upward curve looks like the north face of the Eiger. Allegorie De Vassy was second in 2023 and fourth in 2024.

Selection: Telepathique

3.20 Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (3m)

One winner at single-figure odds in the last 11 runnings. The Yellow Clay would be the clear form pick in this, assuming he doesn’t run in the Turners and Final Demand does. Wendigo got going late in the Challow and Intense Approach keeps going, including at Cheltenham, while Jax Junior is a striking sort for Telepathique’s trainer Lucy Wadham.

Jet Blue for France has already run away with one course-and-distance race, while other positives are provided by the likes of The Big Westerner, Flicker Of Hope and Derryhassen Paddy.

Selection: Intense Approach


4.00 Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (3m2½f)

In the space of seven runnings the Gold Cup could move from being regarded as Mullins’ unluckiest race to one in which he is jointly its most successful trainer, and Paul Townend could become its most successful jockey outright. Tom Dreaper, with five wins, is one ahead of Mullins, while it’s Pat Taaffe who is level with Townend on four. The added and unmistakable relevance is that three of the Dreaper and Taaffe wins were thanks to Arkle, and Galopin Des Champs bids for his own third Gold Cup on Friday.
Galopin Des Champs has beaten most of this field comprehensively, nearly all of those in the last year. The notable exceptions are Banbridge and Corbetts Cross, both of whom he’s never met. The latter, last year’s runaway winner of the National Hunt Chase, has not enhanced his reputation this season but will at least be well suited by this step back up in trip. On the other hand, Banbridge’s strong finish over 3m on good ground secured him the King George at Kempton (his first crack at the distance since he was a novice hurdler), but he now needs to cope with another two and a bit furlongs on a much stiffer track.

Among those vanquished by Galopin Des Champs, it is possible to find potential in the Irish Gold Cup fifth Monty’s Star. He was second in last year’s Brown Advisory to Fact To File, who had two chastening encounters with the champion at Leopardstown but would probably still have presented the chief threat in this had he not ducked out for the Ryanair.

In his place, Inothewayurthinkin has been supplemented. The 2024 Kim Muir winner fared worse than Fact Or File in their same two races against Galopin Des Champs but he did find some improvement, managing fourth in the Irish Gold Cup.

The remainder are Ahoy Senor, Gentlemansgame, Jungle Boogie, Royale Pagaille and The Real Whacker, who all appeared in either the 2023 or 2024 Gold Cup and one way or another came badly unstuck. The Real Whacker made most in 2024, showing that Galopin Des Champs does not need to have everything his own way up front.

Galopin Des Champs is generally a 4-9 shot. Banbridge is the only even semi-plausible threat, bar an uncharacteristic modest showing or bad luck. Anything can happen in racing, as they say, but a reduced field in the Gold Cup means it is more likely to happen in the Ryanair. Morse Code was beaten at 4-7 in a five-runner Gold Cup in 1939, but Galopin Des Champs can take his place in history alongside Golden Miller, Cottage Rake, Arkle and Best Mate in winning the race at least three times.

Selection: Galopin Des Champs

4.40 St James's Place Festival Challenge Cup Hunters’ Chase (3m2½f)

Kim Muir exploits see Angels Dawn dispute favouritism with last year’s runner-up Its On The Line. Paul Nicholls has found a fruitful level for Shearer, while Willitgoahead is the up-and-coming youngster. Ontheropes came from nowhere for fifth in the Scottish National, but was no match last time for Ryehill.

Coming at it from another angle, Fairly Famous is 2-2 at the Cheltenham hunter-chase meeting, at which What A Glance won easily last year and followed up in the Horse and Hound Cup at Stratford.

Selection: Fairly Famous

5.20 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle (2m4½f)

The arguments and recriminations have started already over how the ex-French Kopeck De Mee could possibly be allowed such a lenient handicap mark. Weeks before the race has actually been run. Even if it’s true, his new trainer Mullins still has to choose the right opening for him, as he’s also favourite for the County.

On the face of it the yard's other entries here are less compelling than in the earlier race, perhaps headed by Bunting and Karafon. Gordon Elliott also has six, with Wodhooh second favourite and Mordor another to note, while Henderson trumps them numerically with his eight, including East India Express and Punctuation. Henry de Bromhead has Taponthego, but watch out also for Paul Nolan’s Park Of Kings.

Tony Martin’s Hamsiyann is 46th of 47 on the list, so waiting to see whether he gets in, and is joined by Kopeck De Mee, adds even more opportunity for festival thrills and spills. Have a great week.

Selection: Park Of Kings

It's finally here.....the highlight of the NH season.

Let's hear it from you!
Share your thoughts - best bets and/or lays.
You can list selections one day at a time, or in advance.

Everyone reading this, whether you post here or not, best of luck this week! :up: