Super Saturday Aftermath

AP and My Tent or Yours

I really enjoyed all the action at the weekend and not just because a couple of my ante-post fancies for the Festival enhanced their claims. That does help though.

My Tent or Yours has set the twitter and forum world ablaze (at least the horsey bits) with his scintillating performance in the Betfair Hurdle and the debate now seems to be whether or not connections should supplement the animal for the Champion Hurdle. Now, as someone who took a bit of 12 and 10/1 about him for the Supreme after being very taken with him at Huntingdon I'm naturally a bit biased but I believe the Novice events are there for a very good reason and if it became a trend for classy young types to miss these races they would become devalued. The Festival is more about the Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup. Last season it was the right thing for Sprinter Sacre to run in the Arkle. This year it's correct and proper for My Tent or Yours to run in and win the opener. I topped up on my position at 3.8 on the machine yesterday evening and that will be it now, I don't need to go mad as I also have him in a double.

Elsewhere the Gold Cup picture looks slightly clearer with Sir Des Champs and Silviniaco Conti both cementing their claims . The latter is a top class fencer but I'm wary of him acting on an undulating track. The former finally put in a good round of jumping in winning the Irish Hennessy from a below par Flemenstar. I think he will improve again for a return to Cheltenham and decent ground but he's short enough in the betting now and despite having a bit of 8/1 about him I'm not totally convinced he's all that. I'm a huge fan of  Flemenstar and he is a classier beast than SDC but restrained is not the way to run him imo. He's a magnificent jumper of a fence and should be allowed to use that to his advantage by being given his head. On the positive side I managed to lay off part of my Gold Cup stake during Saturday's race.

12/2 EDIT: Not long after posting this entry Peter Casey confirmed that Flemenstar will miss the Festival due to picking up a lung infection. Shame. There also doubts surrounding Grandouet's participation in the Champion Hurdle as he seems to have picked up some sort of leg injury. Not good news.

I was also happy with Boston Bob's narrow win in the PJ Moriarty. At one point he looked tapped for toe before running on and it's clear this run will bring him on and the uphill finish at Cheltenhama and the extra three furlongs will really suit. He's a strong contender for the RSA.

My ante-post list is looking very hit and miss at the moment and the non runner count is eye watering. I'll have to think about going a little less mad next season I think.


Supreme:
My Tent or Yours £50w @ 6/1

Champion Hurdle:
Grandouet £55w @ 91/10

Arkle:
Arvika Ligeonniere £25w @ 11/1

RSA:
Boston Bob £35w @ 97/10
Our Father £10w @ 14/1

Bumper:
Pure Science £15w @ 16/1

Jewson:
Oscar's Well £30w @ 14/1 and £20w @ 10/1 (NRFB)
Arvika Ligeonniere £25w @ 10/1 (NRFB)

Ryanair:
First Lieutenant £25w @ 10/1 (NRFB)
Finian's Rainbow £25w @ 105/10

World Hurdle:
Reve De Sivola £15ew @ 10/1

Albert Bartlett:
Coneygree £130w @ 92/10

Gold Cup:
Sir Des Champs £15w @ 8/1

Non Runners - Total of £195 lost (Mainly Flemenstar, Fingal Bay, Spirit Son and Clondaw Kaempfer)

Doubles:
My Tent or Yours (Sup) and Simonsig (Arkle) £10 @ 20/1 and evs

Overturn (ARK) and Grandouet (CH) £10 @ 4/1 and 7/1

Grandouet (CH) and Sir Des Champs (GC) £10 @ 12/1 and 6/1

Grandouet (CH) and Cue Card (RY) £10 @ 7/1 and 6/1

Grandouet (CH) and Divers (BGP) £10ew @ 7/1 and 33/1

Boston Bob (RSA) and What a Name (1000 Gns) £10 @ 10/1 and 14/1

Pure Science (Bumper) and Coneygree (AB) £10 @ 16/1 and 8/1

Captain Conan (Jewson) and Silviniaco Conti (Gold Cup) £10 @ 6/1 and 9/1

Oscar's Well (Jewson) and Coneygree (AB) £10 @ 10/1 and 8/1

Coneygree (AB) and What a Name (1000 Gns) £10 @ 12/1 and 4/1