Cheltenham Festival 2011 (15/16/17/18 March.

Riverside Theatre misses Ryanair at Cheltenham

RIVERSIDE THEATRE has a hairline fracture to his pelvis and will miss the Cheltenham Festival it was revealed on Sunday.

Trainer Nicky Henderson told Racingpost.com: "We had hoped the problem would be muscular but a scan revealed a hairline fracture.


"Riverside has had a fantastic season and his preparation for the festival was going really well. He was making giant strides towards the top. We are confident he'll be perfectly all right for next season."

Owned by the Jimmy Nesbitt Partnership, which includes actor James Nesbitt, Riverside Theatre finished second to stablemate Long Run in the rearranged King George VI Chase at Kempton in January before winning his first Grade 1 when taking the Betfair Ascot Chase last month.

He was a top-priced 11-2 second favourite for the Ryanair Chase behind favourite Poquelin.

Thank you very much for all the updates

I will in fact be making the pilgrimage this year with a friend ... and am wondering if you have a few tips for any novice Cheltenham visitor

A few must sees ..... dont leave out a good pub or eatig house please

And a few must avoids !

Be appreciated

Bring plenty of spends,you can get a 3 corse meal in SA for the price of a racing paper in the uk

Hi Badger only Molly and Les this year no scotia we managed to get tickets last year from Betfair and had a magic time, photos on the site. If you send me an email to thescotts1@telkomsa.net I will see what I can find out for this year.

Have a look at this link

cheers (you lucky man)

www.attheraces.com/cheltenham/

Hope you guys are on Cue Card (tu)

Cue Card heads 23 left in Supreme Novices' Hurdle

ANTE-POST favourite Cue Card heads the list of 23 that stand their ground for the Stan James Supreme Novices' Hurdle with Irish pair Day Of A Lifetime (as short as 14-1) and Unaccompanied (16-1), both of whom have other engagements, the most notable defectors at the six-day stage.

Day Of A Lifetime could still run in the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle next Thursday, while Unaccompanied is expected to go for the Triumph Hurdle, for which she is 7-1.

However, four-year-olds Marsh Warbler, Sam Winner and Tillahow retained their entries for Tuesday's Cheltenham Festival race. Ruby Walsh has plenty of options with Paul Nicholls having three entries and Willie Mullins two. But the race could cut up with several of the horses still holding multiple entries.

Mikael D'Haguenet and Captain Chris, who are expected to run in the RSA and the Jewson Novices' Chase respectively, have surprisingly been left among the 13 horses left in the Irish Independent Arkle.

None of the notable runners came out at the six-day stage, with Medermit, Finian's Rainbow and Ghizao, who have dominated the market all winter, among those remaining in the race.

Poquelin and Albertas both wanted by punters

POQUELIN was backed on Friday to avenge last season's Ryanair Chase defeat at the hands of Albertas Run - but so, too, was Albertas Run.

Following the unveiling of the Grade 1 contest's six-day confirmations, Poquelin hardened as favourite for an event that most observers have suggested appears to be slightly substandard.

A major handicap winner over the course and distance in December, last season's Ryanair runner-up was cut to 11-4 favourite from 3-1 by William Hill and to 3-1 market leadership from 7-2 with Paddy Power.

However, to complicatematters, Albertas Run was also popular with punters, positive comments from Tony McCoy encouraging the 2010 winner's supporters to pile in, triggering a reduction in his odds to 8-1 from 12-1 with William Hill and Paddy Power.

Less enthusiasm was seen for Tranquil Sea, now out to 13-2 from 11-2 with William Hill.

The same layer also succumbed to support for Ladbrokes World Hurdle favourite Big Buck's. Both Hills and Ladbrokes had gone out on a limb by offering 11-8 about the event's dual winner, but Hills are now back into 5-4.

The feeling that this season's Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup is a wide-open affair was heightened on Friday when the sponsors trimmed Barry Geraghty's mount China Rock into 33-1 from 50-1 after the stayer attracted each-way support.

Another of Geraghty's rides, Jewson Novices' Chase hopeful Mr Gardner, is into 7-1 from 10-1 with William Hill.

Geraghty himself was in demand with Coral, who cut him to 9-4 from 3-1 to be the Cheltenham Festival's leading rider.

Plenty public money coming for Kauto (tu)

Lucky 15 for Cheltenham

Medermit- Arkle Chase

Big Zeb -Champion Chase

Baby Run - Foxhunters

Poquelin - Ryanair chase

Will stick with my 4 original selections

Cue Card
Master Minded
Big Bucks
Kauto Star

good punting this week

Binocular has been scratched................from Champion Hurdle.

2010 winner Binocular will not run in the Champions Hurdle.

In a statement Henderson said: "We have very regretfully had to decide not to declare Binocular for Tuesday's Champion Hurdle.

"He had an allergy two weeks ago that did not respond to initial medication and on veterinary advice and well within normal parameters he required a further treatment the following day.

"As we were getting close to the most important race of the year and also because since that administration to Binocular, another horse had tested positive for the same substance, I thought it prudent to take a precautionary test which not only surprisingly, let alone devastatingly, has also shown to be positive.