Ante-Post

    Today's card at Cheltenham is interesting but not a betting one for me. If I had to have a go in the Caspian I would chance Champagne West who I backed a few times in Novice chases last year. As I've wrote on here though I'm trying to avoid jumps handicaps unless I have a tracker in one. 

    Naturally I'm hoping Peace and Co opens his account for the season in the International and I'm confident he will. His stock has risen in the Champion Hurdle market because of Faugheen's defeat a month or so ago but he'll still need to improve 10lbs on his form from last season.

    SkyBet went NRNB yesterday on the four championship races and I was very happy to see Don Poli at a mouth watering 7/1 for the Gold Cup. I was very pleased with his pipe opener at Aintree and chances are he'll be my biggest bet in March. Before that win the other week he was trading at 12 and 13 on Betfair for whatever reason and I snaffled some of that up. Djakadam scares me more than any of his other rivals and I'll probably end up covering on him. The one bet I regret at this stage is my premature taking of 16s about Shantou Village for the Neptune given his trainer's comments about stepping up in trip but I've nullified that mistake slightly by taking 10/1 about him winning any race at the Festival. Fingers crossed we see Apache Stronghold before the turn of the year (he's had a slight setback according to Noel Meade) and although Whisper was disappointing at Newbury on Hennessy day he's a spring/good ground animal and I still like him for the World Hurdle.

King George:

Silviniaco Conti £20w @ 12/1

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Champion Hurdle:

Peace and Co £25w @ 122/10

Neptune:
Shantou Village £10w @ 16/1

World Hurdle:

Whisper £15w @ 13/1

Ryanair:
Apache Stronghold £14w @ 31/1

Gold Cup:

Don Poli £30w @ 94/10 and £15w @ 7/1 NRNB

Holywell £5w @ 43/1

Any Race:
Shantou Village £10w @ 10/1