Carl Harris @ Cheltenham

What a truely wonderful day it was at Cheltenham…

The verdict is we survived with our each-way horses placed but not winning. We were close with Get Me Out Of Here who ran a great race and almost got there. I wonder how much that interference he suffered cost him?

Somersby was equally close and we were second and third in The Champion Hurdle at decent prices.

It was a brilliant day made all the better by being there covering it for Suntalk Radio, we had some great guests and will have more tomorrow I am sure.

Well done to AP McCoy who won the Champion Hurdle. Binocular completed a Lazarus-like comeback to emerge a clear-cut winner of the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, the feature event on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.

Trainer Nicky Henderson last month ruled out a crack at the hurdling prize after failing to find any tangible reason for a string of indifferent performances this term. But here he was winning as easy as you like. Well done AP McCoy!

AP McCoy on Get Me Out of Here

No winners today for Champion trainer Paul Nicholls but I suspect that will change on Wednesday. Paul Nicholls reports he is delighted with his top quality team and Master Minded has been working very well indeed. On Wednesday Master Minded goes for a third successive Champion Chase, I think he will do it!

UK v Ireland stands at 3-3, so all to play for there. I think with Paul Nicholls’ big guns the Irish will have a tough time in getting the better of that. There are a few poor Irish punters who lost their shirts on Dunguib. Was it the jockey? Is the horse good enough? These questions will be answered in due course!

A big word for Jimmy Moffatt whose Chief Dan George won The William Hill Trophy, a huge result for a northern yard, well done Jimmy!

So its back to Cheltenham on Wednesday! Time to get some cash in the bank I think. Click Here for my Wednesday preview. Punchestowns is my banker on Wednesday, surely he will win?

We will see!!
Day One Round Up…

Interesting Video… Kauto Star v Denman….

We Survived Day One, Now for Day Two at Cheltenham is a post from: RacingDiary.co.uk Free Horseracing and Betting Tips from RacingDiary.co.uk

By Carl Harris @ Cheltenham

It’s Wednesday at the Cheltenham Festival with the feature race being the Queen Mother Champion Chase.  We could see a little piece of history today as Master Minded goes for his third successive Champion Chase.

The ground is absolutely perfect and another top class day of racing is in store. I am loving it and remember you can hear us LIVE on SunTalk Radio from The Cheltenham Festival, between 10am and 2pm.

Here are your Free Horseracing Tips for Day Two of the Cheltenham Festival 2010;

2:05 Cheltenham, Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle

This is a very difficult race to solve in my view. The prize went to ireland last season with the well backed Mikael D’haguenet, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Ruby Walsh winning.

The betting has another Irish runner at its summit, Dermot Weld’s Rite of Passage, who I am going to take on. I don’t think he has competed at a level high enough to justify such a short price.  I am more than happy to have the field against him here at the current prices. Rite of Passage is a lay for me.

Ten of the last eleven runners finished first or second last time out, so an inform performer holds sway here.  The one I really like here is Peddlers Cross who at the 8/1 quoted on Monday is my bet here. At Haydock last time he won a grade 2 race in some style indicating that he could be a very decent sort. I have backed Peddlers Cross each-way and think I will get a good run for my money here.

Finians Rainbow is one I made a note of last time out having backed him at Ascot but I will stick with Peddlers Cross.


Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle Betting Advice;

• Rite Of Passage- Lay
• Peddlers Cross- Each-way

2:40 Cheltenham, RSA Chase (Grade 1)

This is a great race, in many ways one of the best of the meeting. It was another Ruby Walsh and Willie Mullins win last year with Cooldine but I don’t think the Irish will get much of a look in here. Nicky Henderson holds all the aces in the 2010 RSA Chase with the two leading fancies.

Long Run has taken over at the head of the market, he was a good winner at Warwick last time out, but it was the reported set back by Punchestowns that cemented his position as RSA Chase favourite.

I am and always have been a Punchestowns fan. If he is right, and I don’t think Nicky would run him if he wasn’t, then I will be a mojor backer. Punchestowns is one of my bankers of the meeting. He was a close second to Big Bucks in the World Hurdle last year and has looked a very high class chaser. Last time at Sandown he made his first jumping error, it was a shocker, but he came back to win and win well.

Punchestowns second to Big Bucks in the World Hurdle

Barry Geraghty takes the mount, he has not had to choose as the owners son, a decent amateur, but an amateur nonetheles, takes the ride on Long Run. If there is nothing between the horses then there is no contest with the jockeys. In my view Punchestowns will win the RSA Chase.

One horse I do like is Diamond Harry who is thrid favourite here. He may just be short of top class but i would like to see him run well and get in the places. Although I like Diamond Harry there is no room for sentiment and Punchestowns is where my money is going in this RSA Chase.


RSA Chase Betting Advice;

• Punchestowns- Win

Here is the Nicky Henderson Stable Tour….

3:20 Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1)

This is all about Master Minded. Paul Nicholls’ horse has won two Champion Chases already and goes for three in a row here. It will be a major story should he win and similarly should he get beaten. So will Master Minded win the Champion Chase.

Yes.

Okay, perhaps it is not quite that simple but the evidence of his last run in the Game Spirit Chase at Sandown suggests he is back to his best and at his best he is way better than anything in this field. Master Minded is a short price but is the winner in my book.

How did Ruby Walsh say on Master Minded?

Some will point to his defeat on his penultimate start. There was a genuine excuse there, he has a fractured rib but despite that being found some will take that form at face value. Anyone doing that is an idiot. Having recovered from that Master Minded came back at Newbury and won despite a shocking error at the last.

Some will say that Master Minded is all of a sudden a suspect jumper. Again they are the words of an idiot. Ruby Walsh immediately owned up to it being his fault. A big man who takes the ride again and for me is the safest bet of the week. Master Minded will land his third Champion Chase.

Kalahari King is a good horse for the each-way money, but not in the class of Master Minded. Even on official ratings Master Minded is way ahead of the field.

Champion Chase Betting Advice;

• Master Minded- Win.

Here is the Paul Nicholls stable tour…

4:40 Cheltenham, Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle

This is always a tricky race to solve. Last year Silk Affair was a decent winner at 11/1. All of the last five winners have had an official rating of 124 or above. This indicates that class comes to the surface and knocks out a horse I really like in Bothy for Yorkshire trainer Brian Ellison.

Notus De La Tour look to have a decent chance. He looks well weighted and is a rightful favourite but at the prices I am going to have a small wager on Bothy. One thing you can be assured of is that he will be as fit as a fiddle and Keith Mercer will be giving everything from the saddle.

A big heart may reward our support, so each-way on Bothy is my small stakes bet.

Fred Winter Hurdle Betting Advice;

• Bothy- each-way

5:15 Cheltenham, Weatherbys Champion Bumper

Last season the Cheltenham Festival bumper was won by Dunguib. Are there any future stars in this field. The honest answer is we won’t know until something if anything does what Dunguib did last season.

Ireland has a monopoly on the Champion Bumper. Irish horses have won this 9 of the last 10 years, with Willie Mullin having won this six times, but interesting four of those were from his only runner. The market always offers a very good guide, certainly last year Dunguib went from 13/2 to 9/2, so watch the market here is one and maybe the best tip I can give you.

I couldn’t advise a bet here, I don’t know enough about them and I will be watching the market!

Very Impressive Dunguib in 2009

Get a £25 Free Bet Today for Cheltenham….

The ATR team look at the Champion Chase….

Cheltenham Festival, Wednesdays Betting Tips, Day Two is a post from: RacingDiary.co.uk Free Horseracing and Betting Tips from RacingDiary.co.uk

“We had a scare with Punchestowns last week when he had a bruised foot which held him up for a couple of days, but I don’t think has affected us dramatically,” Henderson told talkSPORT. He’s back in good form, he schooled yesterday and he’s got one more bit of work to do tomorrow. He’s a very high-class horse. He’s only had two races over fences. I probably would have preferred a third one, but it’s been a desperate winter for frost and snow and everything. He comes here in very good form. Long Run is something else. I’d like to think he might be something very special, but we’ll find out next week.”

Latest RSA Prices;

Punchestowns Back On Track for RSA Chase is a post from: RacingDiary.co.uk Free Horseracing and Betting Tips from RacingDiary.co.uk

Nicky Henderson Cheltenham Festival Hopes Revealed

RSA Chase:

Nicky Henderson already believes Punchestowns and Long Run are the best two chasers he has ever trained. The pair are set for a fascinating clash in the RSA Chase for the man who has more Cheltenham Festival winners to his name than any other current trainer with a license.

“They are the two horses we are lucky enough to have who could go all the way,” he said. They have got two years to go but they are as good as we’ve had for a very long time. They’re as good chasers as I’ve ever had. My duty is to keep them in one piece for two years. We all need stars to come through and we all want them in our yard.”

Punchestowns and Long Run are both unbeaten in two runs over British fences but have rather different backgrounds. Long Run was a Grade One-winning hurdler at three and made an incredible debut in this country in the Feltham Novices’ Chase at Kempton before following up over two miles at Warwick. Punchestowns did start off in Flat races in France but made a quicker transfer and was second to Big Buck’s in last year’s Ladbrokes World Hurdle. His outings over fences have been in smaller events at Newbury and Sandown.

“Punchestowns stays three miles but is very good at two and a half – he’s not a slow horse,” said Henderson. I’d actually love to take Big Buck’s on again one day and come from behind him. But that would only happen if his chasing career falls apart. He will probably go to Newbury on Sunday for a wander. Long Run won’t – he will have a schooling session with Yogi Breisner on Tuesday and we have to be careful he’s not too fresh. Long Run is just very talented. There are not many who can go a genuine two-mile pace and can also stay three-miles at Kempton. It’s quite freakish really. We ran him over two at Warwick really for his future – if every race is to be over three miles, then his will be a shorter life.”

With Barry Geraghty set to ride Punchestowns, there is a ride to spare on the third string Burton Port, and the trainer was keen not to rule out the Reynoldstown winner.

“His owner Trevor Hemmings wants to run.” he said. He has nowhere else to go and he deserves to be there – in another year he would be our main runner. We’re not sure about jockeys – Andrew Tinkler gets on very well with him and AP McCoy can ride whoever.”

Punchestowns (right) RSA Chase Favourite

Triumph Hurdle:

A winning British debut at Kempton on Saturday by Soldatino has left the French recruit as Nicky Henderson‘s chief hope of retaining the JCB Triumph Hurdle. Zaynar’s victory 12 months ago was the fourth time Nicky Henderson had lifted the four-year-old highlight but several failures had left him searching for a suitable candidate for 2010. Step forward Soldatino, who took the Grade Two Adonis at Kempton last weekend by seven lengths.

“It was starting to look like there wouldn’t be one,” admitted Henderson. We did one piece of work with Soldatino and he hung all over the place. We were told he had to wear a hood, earplugs and a special bit when he came over so we were experimenting at Kempton. I hadn’t even galloped him. He did wear earplugs in the race – he’ll wear them again – but he was very sensible and relaxed and had his blows. He will come on an awful lot for it and I think you have got to be tempted to go to Cheltenham. It’s a big ask but it looks a pretty weak year. I thought that before Christmas when I said I would be amazed if we had seen the Triumph Hurdle winner by then.”

Nicky Henderson has written off the chances of According making the Triumph Hurdle has not yet unleashed Super Kenny. He said:

“Super Kenny is going to go to Newbury on Saturday but I am sure he wants good ground.”

Mille Chief has made a slight improvement from the setback that prevented him from running at Kempton this weekend but Alan King still believes he faces a race against time for the Triumph Hurdle.

Get your £25 Free Bet

The entire Nicky Henderson Team;

Punjabi: I was thrilled to bits with him at Kempton on Saturday. It was exactly what we wanted, he was professional and he was quick. Barry (Geraghty) said ‘I pressed the button and the turbo-charge kicked in’. I thought it was very good.

I know the opposition wasn’t very good – and I hate belittling other people’s horses but he did what he had to do. To go to Cheltenham with a win under our belts is all we wanted and I have to thank everyone for putting the race on.

I go into this year’s race with much more confidence with Punjabi than I did last season. Then we were going in behind a defeat in the Kingwell, albeit we knew he’d blown up there. He’d been forgotten about and is still a horse who doesn’t appeal to everyone although he is the reigning champion. He’s sitting on the throne, wearing the crown and he wants to keep it. It’s up to the others to try and take it.

Zaynar: We wanted to a get a run into him before Cheltenham so took him to Kelso. The meeting was very nearly off, it was very frosty and when that comes out of the ground it makes the going tacky and horrible. It’s not that he’s a little horse but he has rather little feet and is a Daylami and he just sank in that ground. There was this great, big tank of a horse ploughing a furrow through the ground up front and poor Zaynar was sinking in it.

I would have thought the cheekpieces will go back on for the Champion although that had nothing to do with what went wrong at Kelso. If Barry chooses Punjabi, Tony McCoy will ride Zaynar. He’s probably already ridden him at home and he might jump five hurdles on him before the Champion but doesn’t need to.

Petit Robin: He’s in the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Ryanair and I’ve been mulling things over this weekend. It could just be the Ryanair will be the easier race although I’ve Barbers Shop for that and nothing else for the Champion Chase. We’ve got to get Petit Robin into the race he has the best chance of winning though and it just occurs that could be the Ryanair. I didn’t get to speak to owner John Poynton on Sunday and will discuss it with him. It’s a possibility he’ll go over the longer trip, we’ll see.

Barbers Shop: I’m really pleased with him and the Ryanair Chase has been the plan since the King George. I’m not at all worried about not running him between Boxing Day and Cheltenham, we’ll just do our work at home. He looks great and I think he’s feeling great and when he’s like that he’s very good. He’s a horse who really tells you where he’s at and and at the moment he’s right where I want him.

Sentry Duty: There is obviously a question mark over whether he’ll stay in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle but won the Cleeve Hurdle very well over two miles five at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day. I would never have had any desire to find out if he stays before the Festival as he’s a horse who has to be incredibly fresh. When he is, he’s very good and needs to have big gaps between his races. If there was a Grade One two mile five hurdle at Cheltenham he’d go there but there isn’t so we’re going to give it a try.

Big Buck’s beat Punchestowns last year but nothing is unbeatable and there are no certainties at Cheltenham, that’s for sure.

Punchestowns: I would possibly have liked three runs before the RSA Chase but the weather this winter has been awful and that wasn’t possible. He’s been very good two times, I was going to to Cheltenham on New Year’s Day but just didn’t dare on the ground, and consequently he had to go to Sandown where he made one mistake. That’s his only one in two rounds of fences and nobody is going to get round in the RSA Chase without making a mistake. I’d prefer it to be done but fear it won’t be!

I thought Barry was seriously good on him after the mistake at Sandown, AP just set sail as soon as it happened and quite rightly went and galloped off down the back straight without us. But Barry let the horse find his feet, get his composure and balance back and what he did then was very impressive,

Long Run: The RSA is his target unless the ground came up very, very soft then he may switch to the Arkle. He did prove at Warwick he can cope with two miles and is a horse with incredible talent, he’s frightening and he’s versatile. He’s got the speed and stays and is a bit special.

It’s very exciting to have horses like him and Punchestown in the yard. They are the future and I’ll keep going as long as they’ll let me but if you have horses like this coming through the system it does help. There’s a lot to look forward to in the years to come.

Burton Port: Our third runner in the RSA Chase and one who has done nothing wrong all season, he’s four from four over fences. He’s entitled to be there and is going to run. He’s a good solid benchmark and a very good horse.

Riverside Theatre: Really wants good ground in the Arkle and he too has done nothing wrong. He’s in very good form right now and has to be fresh. I think his owner (James Nesbitt) will be as nervous as anyone on the day, he absolutely loves it. It shows just what Cheltenham means when it touches his nerves if you consider some of the things he’s done during his career!

Mad Max: Our second Arkle runner and a great, big bull of a horse. He’s very talented and I actually think he’ll run really well at Cheltenham. We learned a lot from his last run at Doncaster, he’s better than that and the track will suit him much more in the Arkle.

Plans are more fluid elsewhere. In the Spinal Research Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Oscar Whiskey is a definite runner. He’s always been very pacy, very talented. He hasn’t had to get into a big scrap yet but with Dunguib in there at Cheltenham I suspect he’ll know he’s been in a fight this time. He’s got a lot of talent.

Bellvano is also in the County while Quantatitiveasing also has a handicap option. We’ll take a good look at the options for both and we have to try and juggle everything around to be the best for JP McManus.

Bellvano has a lot of speed and what he wants is a fast-run two miles. You might say the track on the Tuesday will be better for him than the County Hurdle as it is just a little faster. We’ll wait and see.

General Miller will run in the Supreme. He got beaten over two-and-a-half which led us to coming back to two at Cheltenham and he’s in very good form, he worked very well on Saturday. The only thing he needs to do is get his jumping absolutely nailed on at speed and may lack a little experience but he’s talented.

Quantatativeasing and Finian’s Rainbow are in the Neptune Investments Novices’ Hurdle. I’ve explained the options for the former but Finian’s Rainbow is a runner. This has always been the plan and I was disappointed when he was beaten in the Challow as he came to win it. I may just have been looking after him a little then as he’s a big horse, a chaser all over. I only want him for that game but he’s doing well at hurldling and has a very good chance at Cheltenham. He jumps well, has speed and can travel through his races.

It nearly looked as though we wouldn’t have a runner in the JCB Triumph Hurdle. Super Kenny is in there and is a horse I like. He could run at Newbury on Friday but wants good ground so will want this sunshine to last.

However at Kempton on Saturday Soldatino won the Adonis and booked his Cheltenham place. He’ll wear ear plugs in the Triumph, as he did at Kempton, and I like him. It looks a pretty weak year among the four-year-olds and we got some practice in on Saturday. He blew up halfway down the back straight, had a blow at the second last too. He was very sensible in the race, didn’t pull, was relaxed and jumped and when he got his second wind he picked up and took off. He can only come on an awful lot for the run and he came out of it really well. I think he’ll go.

We have yet to finalise our teams for the handicaps. Obviously the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual is a race we target.

French Opera is almost certain to have top weight having won three handicap cahses in the autumn. He wants good ground and has won twice round Cheltenham but I’ve gone and clobbered him with an amazing amount of weight.

In fairness he would almost come out top-rated in the Arkle if I ran him in that, and I suppose I could still do that, but I don’t expect we will.

Of the others Pepsyrock, Dave’s Dream and You’re The Top are all possible runners. All want good ground so no rain and no watering please!

It’s hard to work out what’s going to get into the other handicaps although we do know historically where the cut offs have been.

In the Martin Pipe we are intending to run Peveril. The whole point of last week was to get into this race and I do know he’s gone up three pounds to 138 which means he still qualifies – just! Lord Generous, Radium and Gold Award will also run if they get in, with the latter the most vulnerable.

The Coral Cup is a possible target for Spirit River and Quantativeasing. Tasheba and Fairyland will also get in and all four are probable runners.

Spirit River is fine after the totesport Trophy, he just made a horrible mistake three out and that was game over. He was going great at the time and the extra trip will help him at Cheltenham. It’s a nice race for him.

Dave’s Dream will go for the Jewson or the Grand Annual, while Aigle D’Or, Working Title and Thanks For That are other probable Jewson runners.

The Pertemps is the target for Ainama and Andytown.

Nicky Henderson Reveals His Best Bets for Cheltenham is a post from: RacingDiary.co.uk Free Horseracing and Betting Tips from RacingDiary.co.uk

By Carl Harris

Happy New Year! 2010 is here and it promises to be an absolute belter. We get straight down to business on the first day of a new decade with a decent card at Cheltenham. The racing will go ahead at Prestbury Park but elsewhere the country is ravaged by cold weather.

One horse I am looking forward to seeing is Punchestowns, who I think could be a future Gold Cup winner. He should win today. Here are my best bets for New Years Day at Cheltenham.

13:40 Cheltenham, Punchestowns- Win. A decent hurdler, Punchestowns has shown immense promise over fences. He looked a world beater when winning at Newbury and went straight to the head of the RSA Chase market. I have not seen anything that can beat him, in my view and certainly he should dispatch the promising Seven is my Number and Knockara Beau at Cheltenham. The switch to chasing means he will not have to face Big Bucks who got the better of himlast season. This is a rock solid bet and should kick off the new year in style.

Punchestowns and Big Bucks

14:10 Cheltenham, Chapoturgeon- Win. In the Boylesports Gold Cup at Cheltenham last time Chapoturgeon was fourth, but would have been much closer had he not fluffed the last. I suspect that they will have schooled him quite a lot since then at Ditcheat. The handicapper has left his mark alone and with better jumping he could land a decent prize at good odds in this competitive race.

A great day ahead. Have a good one and once again, Happy New Year.

• 13:40 Cheltenham, Punchestowns- Win
• 14:10 Cheltenham, Chapoturgeon- Win

Fridays Horseracing Tips, 1 January 2010 (New Years Day) is a post from: RacingDiary.co.uk Free Horseracing and Betting Tips from RacingDiary.co.uk

By Carl Harris

Newburys Winter Festival is in full swing and Denman is a declared runner in the Hennessy Gold Cup on Saturday, which has somewhat messed up the handicap. The Fighting Fifth for me though will be the best race of the weekend with Binocular, Solwhit and former Champion Sublimity all declared, the best renewal of this for some time in my view. I think I may go and watch what will be a great race.

Newbury stages another excellent card on Friday and I think Nicky Henderson is the man to follow, indeed I am banking on a Henderson treble at the Berkshire venue. He should at least have a double so my strategy is a multi-bet combining the doubles and trebles.

14:40 Newbury, Punchestowns- Win. Rated 173 over hurdles, Punchestowns finished the season with two seconds to Big Bucks, including the World Hurdle at Cheltenham. Nicky Hendersonnow sends him over fences and it should be a case of Punchestowns against the obstacles, surely a clear round will be good enough against horses not in the same class as Punchestowns. A short price should provide a bonus in the doubles. Banker of the day.

15:15 Newbury, Pepsyrock- Win. A competitive looking handicap chase with ten runners going to post. Pepsyrock has won three of his last four starts over fences and looks to be on an upward curve. Henderson also saddles one time decent hurdler Afsoun but Pepsyrock’s looks a very good jumper who I think will be a force to be reckoned with this season. We may get a good price from our friends the layers as he has been raised in the weights for those wins, but in my view is still on a winning mark.

Another top class McManus hurdler - Bellvano

15:45 Newbury, Bellvano- Win. Bellvano was left at the start at Kempton in February but won his two other starts in bumpers, including an easy seven length victory here at Newbury. Now over Hurdles in the JP McManus colours Tony McCoy takes the ride and should get off to a winning start. Bellvano could be one we see at Cheltenham in March and should be up to winning here today.

Carl Harris Best Bets for Friday 27 November

• 14:40 Newbury, Punchestowns- Win
• 15:15 Newbury, Pepsyrock- Win.
• 15:45 Newbury, Bellvano- Win

My suggested bet is a multi-bet combining doubles and trebles….

Fridays Horseracing Tips, 27 November is a post from: RacingDiary.co.uk Free Horseracing and Betting Tips from RacingDiary.co.uk