Scotia on Cheltenham ante-post.

Good morning all and hope we are all back in the swing with a great MET to look forward on Saturday and I am sure we are all rooting for Pocket Power to make history, but it wont be easy.

We have plenty posts/threads on the MET and we will let the experts have their say.

Thought it was time for a dedicate Cheltenham thread only around 7 weeks to go to potentially one of the greatest Gold Cups of all time?
Les and Molly have you booked yet? heavy money for the entrance.

With all the bad weather some preparations have been disrupted, however this is part of life and the show must go on (weather permitting).

Tuesday 16th of March starts the meeting with the Arkle Chase where Sizing Europe at 17/2 is my early fancy.


Sizing Europe goes in the Arkle

We also have a cracking and very open Champion Hurdle on day one where the well supported Solwhit tops the boards at 11/2 and is now joint fav with Zayar, Go Native is 6/1 and don't forget Binocular 17/2.
The Supreme Novice looks a bit easier to predict where Dunguib is hot fav at 16/10



Day 2 the 17th where we have the Bumper and as normal very hard to predict with Tavern Times, Up Ou That, Elegant Concorde and Araucaria topping the boards at around 14/1 (Grand National betting here).

The Champion Chase is another chance for the punters vs bookies and a "fit" Master Minded would be a steal at 17/10 with Twist Magic joining the equation at 6/1 after a good win this weekend.

The RSA chase bring an impressive Diamond Harry in at 8/1 to beat Punchestowns at 4/1 fav and after watching the Eagles maybe the Long Run at 13/2 must be considered.


Diamond Harry sparkled on his chase debut

Day 3 the 18th gives us another potential banker in the form of Big Bucks at 7/10 to win the World Hurdle, we also have the Ryanair Chase would be good if our old favourite Voy Por Ustedes 10/1 could win, but more likely to go to Barber Shop 11/2, Popquelin 9/2 or Tranquil Sea 7/1.


Day 4 is the Gold Cup and not much more to say about the "clash of the decade" I will as normal be with Kauto Star 13/10 to beat Denman 22/10 and just hope both horses get to the start fit and well and more important finish in the same condition.


Denman or Kauto take your pick

As normal its a fight to the death between punters and bookies with massive amounts of "cash" exchanging hands and the outcome will depend on the Master Minded, Big Bucks and Kauto Star treble for the punters.

Good punting and please post your views and updates on this thread.

Scotia

This meeting is still two months away. Dont you think that you are jumping the gun.

Morning C and C gave it some thought and the betting and structure of the fields are now taking shape and each day new potential runners are starting to emerge.
I was adding them to the Scotia its getting cold post, so thought it was time to start the build up on a new thread, plus we have to book our tickets.

Twist Magic and Diamond Harry good examples

Good morning David.

Thank you for a most informative communication.

I will most definitely be going over for the Cheltenham Festival.


Regards

Les Hobbs

Denman heads Argento entries at Cheltenham

DENMAN could be among the stars on show at Cheltenham's Festival trials fixture on Saturday after he was included among the entries for the Argento Chase, the new name of the Cotswold Chase.

The 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner and this season's Hennessy Gold Cup winner heads a list of 11 entries for the race and trainer Paul Nicholls will make a decision on his participation later in the week after ruling out the Hennessy at Leopardstown a week later, for which Denman was odds-on favourite.

The champion trainer has alsoidentified the Aon Chase on February 13 as a potential warm-up race before the Festival.

Nicholls said: "Although it's sensible to keep our options open, after discussing the matter with Paul Barber and Harry Findlay we have decided not to travel to Ireland and go to either Cheltenham or Newbury.

"It's quite possible Denman will run on Saturday, but we want to see what the weather does and what the forecast is like, so I'll discuss it again with Paul and Harry in a few days' time."

Should Denman miss Cheltenham on Saturday , Nicholls could still play a hand in the race with former Ryanair Chase winner Taranis, ready to return from a long injury absence, and the unbeaten novice chaser Inchidaly Rock, owned by the Findlay/Barber partnership.

While Nicholls weighed up his options for Denman, Nicky Richards was able to finalise his plans for Money Trix, the Lexus Chase runner-up. Although giving Money Trix an entry at Cheltenham on Saturday, Richards was keen to return to Leopardstown, but only if he could avoid meeting Denman.

On learning that Denman would not be running in the Irish Hennessy, Richards said: "We will go to Ireland. That is probably where we wanted to go. Another 50-100 yards he would probably have won the Lexus."

The other horses engaged are King George VI Chase second and third Madison Du Berlais and Barbers Shop. Joe Lively and Knowhere, both former winners of the race, are alsoincluded.

Carruthers set to swerve Denman clash in Argento

MARK BRADSTOCK is happy to pitch his exciting front-runner Carruthers against Denman, but he would prefer to hold fire until the Gold Cup, rather than take him on in Saturday's dress rehearsal, the Argento Chase.

He told racingpost.com on Tuesday: "I think Denman is likely to run at Cheltenham, and therefore Carruthers will probably go for either the Aon Chase at Newbury [February 13] or the Totesport.com Masters Handicap Chase [February 6] at Sandown."

Carruthers, bred by Lord Oaksey and owned by The Oaksey Partnership, entered Gold Cup reckoning with a storming 23-length win in Newbury's Bathwick Tyres Mandarin Chase last month.

"We'll take on Denman if we go for the Gold Cup, but it would be daft to run against him at this stage," Bradstock said. "Denman and our horse would have hard races because neither of them give up. Carruthers has been in good order since Newbury, and he worked nicely this morning."

At this stage, David Pipe is undecided whether to run Madison Du Berlais, who has two wins over Denman.

"Both horses have a similar set of entries, including Saturday's race, the Irish Hennessy and the Aon," said Pipe. "We'll decide at the end of the week, but plans for Denman may well influence that decision."

Donna`s Palm only entered in the champion hurdle so far,waiting to see what other options he has at cheltenham..Ran well the other day behind solwhit and could be a big runner in something at Cheltenham..

Mighty Man storms clear for second chase success

Report: Huntingdon, Wednesday

Huntingdon Novices' Chase 3m, 5yo+

MIGHTY MAN allayed fears about the soft ground to record his second win over fences from as many starts at Huntingdon on Wednesday.

Speaking before the race, trainer Henry Daly said: "He won't like the ground much butwill hopefully get through it alright."



The ten-year-old, owned by Joss and Nick Hanbury, was bounced staright into the lead by jockey Richard Johnson and jumped soundly before being joined by Sullumo approaching the home turn.



Mighty Man came under strong pressure from Johnson at this point and the Grade 1-winning hurdler respondedgenerously, coming home the eight-length victor.

Mighty Man returned the 8-13 favourite and was left unchanged for the RSA Chase by Boylesports at 16-1 and cut to the same price (from 25) for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle by Stan James.

However, Daly seems keen to remain over fences, and said after the race: "He'll probably have another run over fences for experience and then go for the RSA.

"He didn't like the ground but he did it nicely in the end. I was delighted with his jumping."

New faces and old stars shake up festival markets

IT WAS a story of new and old at Cheltenham Trials Day on Saturday as new faces announced themselves and old stars reaffirmed their status - leaving the ante-post Cheltenham Festival markets with a few new names.

Tidal Bay is set to visit his fourth festival and, after going over a year without victory, rediscovered his winning style when returning to hurdles in the Betfair Cleeve Hurdle on Saturday.

That performance saw several bookmakers slash his Ladbrokes World Hurdle odds, the sponsors making him a 10-1 chance (from 40) while Paddy Power, Totesport and Victor Chandler went 12-1. William Hill are biggest at 16-1 (from 25-1).

Taranis has been off the track since winter 2007 but showed no sign of a lack of racecourse fitness, brushing aside his rivals in the Argento Chase. That saw him cut to 20-1 (from 66) for the Gold Cup by sponsors Totesport.

Other seasoned campaigners to remind punters of their qualities were Joe Lively, a good third in the Argento, who Paddy Power quoted at 40-1 as a John Smith's Grand National chance, and Cleeve Hurdle third Katchit, now 25-1 (from 33) with Hills for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle.

Among those to stake a previously unconsidered claim for Cheltenham glory was Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle winner Restless Harry, who was clipped for two of novice hurde races at the festival.

His gutsy front-running performance catapulted him straight to the top of the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle market, with Paddy Power and Victor Chandler going 6-1, William Hill 8s and Ladbrokes 14-1. For the Neptune, Victor Chandler quoted 12-1.

Shock 100-1 Betfair Finesse Juvenile Novices' Hurdle Baccalaureate showed his qualifications and the Nigel Twiston-Davies winner was subsequently tagged a 25-1 chance for the JCB Triumph Hurdle by Paddy Power, Ladbrokes, William Hill and Victor Chandler.

Mighty Man suffered an injury the other day Scotia,definately out for the season and maybe career ending..

Very sad a superb display of jumping the other day

Big Zeb cut across the board for Champion


BOOKMAKERS weren't taking any chances after Big Zeb ran away with his Punchestown prep for the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase, and cuts across the board left him challenging Twist Magic for second favouritism.

A clear-cut win in Sunday's Tied Cottage Chasewas free of the jumping errors that have marred Big Zeb's efforts in Britain, and, encouraged by the manner of his display, Paddy Power cut his Cheltenham odds to 5-1 from 8-1. Victor Chandler, like all firms, reacted in similar vein and go 6-1 from 10-1.

Punchestown's card triggered two further Cheltenham moves with the Willie Mullins-trained Blackstairmountain introduced into Paddy Power's Spinal Research Supreme Novices' Hurdle betting at 14-1.

Grade 2 winner Luska Lad is now 25-1 from 50-1 for the same race with Paddy Power, but trainer Shark Hanlon ruled out a bid for the Cheltenham spoils, preferring to wait for the Punchestown festival instead.

Rite Of Passage, who holds a Supreme entry, is 4-1 favourite (from 5-1) for the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle with William Hill, while the Warwick-bound Long Run is 10-1 from 12-1 for the Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy with Victor Chandler.

The same firm also trimmed Saturday's Cheltenham winner Tidal Bay further, now into 10-1 from 12-1 for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle.