Cheltenham Thoughts 13/2

For one reason or another yesterday was quite a bad day. The terrible events at Newbury overshadowed everything else that happened on the track and I think the course authorities were bang on abandoning the meeting.

Onto Cheltenham then. My two bets in the big novice chases ran yesterday and neither of them set the world alight. I was disappointed with Mikael D'Haguenet's performance naturally and we'll just have to see if he even runs at the Festival now. I can only hope being hampered when his stable companion fell and the resultant effort to get back into contention took more out of him on that ground than seems likely.
Finian's Rainbow put in a very average round of jumping at Warwick but I think the layers have been very premature in pushing his odds out for the Arkle. His trainer indicated before the race that they were going to hold the horse up on this occasion and it just didn't suit him. He was buzzy before the start of the race and didn't settle during it. If allowed his head in four weeks time I still see him as a huge player.

Arkle

Mikael D'Haguenet £5w  @ 17/1

Finian's Rainbow £35w @ 46/10

Champion Hurdle

Dunguib £20w @ 21/1

Hurricane Fly £50w @ 6/1

Champion Chase

Master Minded £75w @ 4/1

RSA Chase

Mikael D'Haguenet £45w @ 11/1

Coral Cup
For Non Stop £30w/£20pl @ 14/1

World Hurdle

Zaynar £5w @ 10/1

Mikael D'Haguenet £5w @ 27/1

Grand Crus £20w @ 3/1

Gold Cup

Pandorama £10w @ 31/1

Punchestowns £10w @ 24/1

Denman £50w @ 82/10

£15 lost on NR's