Cheltenham - It's March! 10 days

Time goes so slowly this kind of year. I've spent a fair amount of it looking at the handicaps now the weights have been unveiled and no surprise they all look really tough. Regal Encore looks so tempting off 130 in the County but he's running in the Imperial Cup at Sandown next Saturday which turns me off a little. I normally favour top weights in handicap chases and it's been a sound strategy over the years for me but not so much at the Festival with so many plot horses around. So I tend to try and avoid the handicaps if I can.

I'm fairly set with my portfolio and the non runner count has been acceptable this time around. I've always analysed my bets since I started recording them back in the 90s and I've come to realise that I do best with horses in the 7/2-8/1 price range in graded races (flat and jumps) and long priced horses in flat handicaps. That is why the Festival is so important to my overall profit/loss figures. If I have a good ante-post book I can approach a Festival with six, seven or eight horses in the aforementioned price range (I call these wheelhouse bets). This term is a Baseball one, it indicates a ball delivered into a batter's sweet spot, the place in the strike zone where he can deliver the most punishment. Last year however was a train wreck and I ended up with just three. And with My Tent or Yours and First Lieutenant finishing in the runner-up spot and Boston Bob falling at the last in the RSA it was a poor week for me.

I've topped up a few positions since my last entry.


Supreme Novices':
The Liquidator £15w @ 176/10 and £10w @ 18/1 (NRNB, MBS)

Arkle Trophy:
Felix Yonger £20w @ 13/1
Trifolium £37w @ 59/10 (£15 NRFB)

Champion Hurdle:
Jezki £20w @ 172/10
My Tent or Yours £55w @ 65/10 (£15 NRNB)
Our Conor £40w @ 68/10 (£15 NRFB, £15 NRNB)

NH Chase:
Just a Par £5w @ 30/1

Neptune Novices':
Briar Hill £20w @ 12/1 (NRFB)
Ballyalton £5w @ 21/1 and £10ew @ 20/1 (NRFB)

Champion Chase:
Al Ferof £10ew @ 16/1 (NRNB)
Baily Green £10ew @ 25/1 (NRNB)

RSA:
Wonderful Charm £25w @ 16/1 (NRFB)
Smad Place £25w @ 76/10 (£10 NRNB)

JLT Novices' Chase:
Chatterbox £10w @ 25/1 (NRFB)
Felix Yonger £34w @ 9/1
Champagne Fever £20w @ 7/1 (NRFB)
Wonderful Charm £35w @ 7/1 (£10 NRFB)

Ryanair:
Al Ferof £75w @ 10/1 (£20 NRFB, £45 NRNB)

World Hurdle:
Rule The World £20ew @ 20/1 (NRNB)

Triumph Hurdle:
Fox Norton £15ew @ 25/1 (NRFB)
Le Rocher £25w @ 10/1

Albert Bartlett Novices'
Briar Hill £60w @ 51/10

Gold Cup:

Sir Des Champs £15w @ 10/1 (NRFB)
Last Instalment £13ew @ 10/1 (NRNB)

Non-Runners - Total of £84 lost

£1 Lucky 15:
Irving (Supreme) 12/1
My Tent or Yours (CH) 4/1
Briar Hill (Albert Bartlett) 6/1
Bob's Worth (Gold Cup) 9/4

£10 Each Way Doubles:
Carlingford Lough (RSA) and Al Ferof (Ryanair) 14/1 and 6/1
Benefficient (CC) (NRNB) and Briar Hill (Albert Bartlett) 10/1 and 9/2