Cheltenham Festival Week 8 & Race Previews uploaded - Andy Richmond’s Beating The Bias (17/12) uploaded - General Sports uploaded (15/12) - Cheltenham Festival Week 7 & Weekend Race Previews uploaded
October 23rd
I’m at Cheltenham for both days and setting off before Saturday’s decs are released so it is highly unlikely that I will be able to give a few views on tomorrow’s action but given the stat I wrote in yesterday’s blog about David Pipe’s record with handicappers moving up from 2m4f to 3m, then Willem is quite interesting today at a double-figure price especially as it’s a Pertemps Qualifier. The downside argument is that this qualifier has not been one Pipe has targeted since it was moved from the December Meeting six years ago even though it was their chosen route to qualify Buena Vista in both seasons he won the final (beaten out of sight both times) and Saint John Henry looks their number one hope today. If you missed that line here it is again: “Another angle to look at is when he (Pipe) raises his handicappers from 2m4f to 3m+ as he has a 21% s/r from 47 runners showing a LSP profit of +£71 and has twice won Pertemps qualifiers with horses moving up in trip this way.”
If you missed the news earlier in the week, horses must now finish in the first six in a Pertemps Qualifier rather than first eight to be eligible for the final at the Festival so half of today’s runners won’t qualify. This Cheltenham qualifier has featured three of the last 12 winners of the final so has the best record of the now 17 qualifiers in that period (it was 20 so I wonder if they have got shot of the pointless French qualifiers?), not that that trio featured prominently here though as they were beaten out of sight finishing 887 which now means that they wouldn’t have even have got a run in the final.
I’ll give my Old Roan Chase views in my next blog on Sunday and the main service is now only three weeks away starting with my preview of Day 1 of The Open Meeting.
In Sport, Carl Redden’s 5/1 choice for ATP Vienna, David Ferrer, is now a top price 2/1 after Tsonga crashed out in the second round and Ross Miles’ NFL Week 7 picks will be uploaded on Sunday morning. After a tremendous World Grand Prix Darts for Mike Henderson, he is back next Friday to cover the three-day European Championships.
