A blood bath despite a copule of near misses with the last couple of races.  The place money certianly helped ease the pain.

BC Selected : 17 win loses horse today with 6 horses being placed.
Towerform selected: 3 winners Black Jack Ketchum, Detroit City, Desert Quest and 2 placed horses, with 10 losers
Brimardon software selected: 0 winners, 3 placed horses with 16 losers

Day 4 winner was Towerform hands down.  The results and selections are shown in brief below.

Cheltenham 5.20 	Full Result 1st 	15 Desert Quest (IRE) 	4-1 JF 2nd 	13 Noble Request (FR) 	25-1 3rd 	9 Adamant Approach (IRE) 	50-1 4th 	30 Pirate Flagship (FR) 	10-1

Towerform

• Desert Quest 153 Finished: 1st
• Acambo 151
• Khetaaam 151

Placepot selections

• Noble Request Finished: 2rd  33/1 
• Pirate Flagship Finished: 4th 11/1

Cheltenham 4.40 	Full Result 1st 	15 Greenhope (IRE) 	20-1 2nd 	13 Tiger Cry (IRE) 	6-1 3rd 	24 Madison Du Berlais (FR) 	11-1 4th 	10 Nyrche (FR) 	20-1

If I had to make a bet then my 3 against the field would Tiger Cry 8/1, Kalca Moore 40/1 and Nyrche 22/1

Towerform

• Green Tango 154 Finished: nw
• Madison du berlais 154 Finished: 3rd

Placepot selections

• Tiger Cry Finished: 2rd
• Nyrche Finished: 4th
• Kalca More Finished: nw

Cheltenham 4.00: 24 Whyso Mayo Mr D Murphy 20-1                  11 First Down Jets Mr C J Sweeney 66-1                 16 Joe Blake Mr M J O’hare 14-1

BC’s selections

• Bosham Mill 0.25 point each way 22/1 Finished: nw
• Cobreces    0.5 point each way 12/1  Finished: nw
• Drombeag    0.5 point win 11/2       Finished: nw

Towerform

• Harbour Pilot 140 Finished: nw
• Joe Blake 135     Finished: 3rd
• Telemoss 135      Finished: nw

Placepot selections

• Cobreces  Finished: nw
• Drombeag  Finished: nw

Cheltenham 3.15: 24 War Of Attrition C O'dwyer 15-2                 7 Hedgehunter R Walsh 16-1                 6 Forget The Past B J Geraghty 9-1                 L’Ami 10/1 M A Fitzgerald                 

BC’s selections

My real advice would be not to bet in this event but since it is the Gold Cup I will be doing the following.

• Kingscliff    1 point each way 14/1  4 places  Finished: nw
• Royal Auclair 0.5 point each way 28/1 4 places Finished: nw
• Iris’s Gift   0.5 point each way 18/1 4 places Finished: nw
• L’Ami         0.5 point each way 11/1 4 places Finished: 4th
• Royal Emperor 0.25 point each way 66/1 4 places Finished: nw

Placepot selections

• L’Ami Finished:nw
• Royal Auclair Finished: nw

                 Cheltenham 2.35: 3 Black Jack Ketchum A P Mccoy Evens Fav                12 Powerstation D N Russell 9-1                17 Travino B J Geraghty 6-1                 

BC Selections

• Mister Top Notch 0.25 point each way 33/1 Finished: nw
• Back to Bid      0.25 point each way 23/1 Finished: nw
• Travino          0.5  point each way 8/1  Finished: 3rd

Towerform

• Black Jack Ketchum 164 Finished: 1st
• Travino 151            Finished: 3rd

Placepot selection

• Black Jack Ketchum Finished: 1st
• Travino            Finished: 3rd

Cheltenham 2.00: 4 Detroit City R Johnson 7-2 Fav                 5 Fair Along P J Brennan 25-1                 2 Blazing Bailey R Thornton 14-1                14 Pace Shot J E Moore 100-1

BC’s selections

• Afsoun 1 point each 11/2 if 4 places   Finished: nw
• Turko 0.5 point each way 10/1 if 4 places Finished: nw

Towerform

• Afsoun 153  Finished: nw
• Detroit City 151 Finished: 1st
• Mister Height 151 Finished: nw

Placepot selections

• Afsoun  Finished: nw
• Turko   Finished: nw

With
the form of Nivky Henderson at this festival then assuming Afsoun is
fit and well I know there is some debate over that then he is the won
to win this event. The dangers are Turko although the good ground may
mean he won’t run. Detriot City, Kasbah Bliss and Mister Hieght are the
only other real dangers. If the four places stands then I think a
little each way bet is adviseable.

BC’s selections

• Afsoun 1 point each 11/2 if 4 places
• Turko 0.5 point each way 10/1 if 4 places

Towerform

• Afsoun 153
• Detroit City 151
• Mister Height 151

Placepot selections

• Afsoun
• Turko

Very
much like Denman you either with Black Jack Ketum or not. This is an
easier race by far but at 5/4 this horse is not bomb proof and
represent poor value. It is not a lay though and it is a shame there
are no 4 place bookmakers consessions on this event so we can an extra
place to play a few outsiders with.

BC Selections

• Mister Top Notch 0.25 point each way 33/1
• Back to Bid      0.25 point each way 25/1
• Travino          0.5  point each 8/1

Towerform

• Black Jack Ketchum 164
• Travino 151

Placepot selection

• Black Jack Ketchum
• Travino

The
main event and one traditional I have a knack for getting big prices
winners or placed horses in. With no Best Mate or Kicking King this is
definitely an open event. You can find reasons to oppose all the top
contenders. I go through my thoughts on a few of them below.

Beef or Salmon

With 8 Grade 1 wins this could well be the class horse in the race
albeit most wins on softer ground than he will get at Cheltenham. I
just thinking on fast ground and his jumping will fail him again. Not
many horses win at the age 10 and not many win at the third time of
asking. I noticed he has drifted considerably this evening and may well
not even go off as favourite. 5/1 or less then a lay, more likely a
leave alone.

Monkerhostin

The likely favourite come off time. Now if you got a fancy ante post
price then I would be pleased. This horse has done me proud in the past
but I have doubts over stamina, yes I said stamina and I know Kicking
King prove some of us wrong last year but I am won’t be backing this
horse and will be hoping than he can’t handle the past and trip
tomorrow. It wouldn’t be a shock if he did win by the value has gone
for now on thisa raider.

War of Attriction

Was my festival lay last year and he duly got stuffed. Tom Taffe’s
put this up as the biggest threat to Kicking King last year and with
the fast ground in his favour this could well land the ante post
gamble’s. Too much has to be taken on trust so I won’t be backing this
one at 7/1

L’Ami

4th in the betting market at present currently 10/1. This horse
certainly has ticks in all the right boxes. With 4 places available
with both Blue Square and Stan James. I think this is one for a small
each way bet.

Other that I am going to dismiss.

Celestial Gold is on the drift with Pipe’s horses completely out of
form. Since he has not run this season you have to be brave to lay this
one but equally brave to back it. Take the stand got us our each way
money last year but at the age of ten I won’t be placing a bean on him
this year especially with the larger field. One knight is lightly raced
and has embarassed me at Cheltenham before. A front runner which is a
bonus in the Gold Cup (20% strike ratio recently). Again age and form
in my opinion are against him. Ollie Magern stuffed last time out on
Good ground. I like this horse a lot but surely can not bounce back
from that. Sir Rembrandt did me proud a couple of years ago when I
collected 2rd and 3rd with Harbour Pilot but age has taken its toll and
his price does not represent his chance.

Heart or Head

Heart: This I believe is race to watch and enjoy. If you need to bet
then use small stakes. My heart says that Kingscliff will win despite
his last 2 runs. 12/1 sounds a good price but based on those runs
should be much bigger. I will be backing him each way 12/1 though as
trying Kingscliff has a good chance of at least collecting the place
money. Another 2 horses that slip in to heart section are Iris’s Gift
16/1 and Royal Emperor (a stayer) 66/1. Iris’s Gift has now shown yet
that he can jump but we all know on hurdling form he could smash these.

Head: Royal Auclair at 28/1 can win this event and with the fast ground is the first horse to represent any value.

BC’s selections

My real advice would be not to bet in this event but since it is the Gold Cup I will be doing the following.

• Kingscliff    1 point each way 12/1  4 places
• Royal Auclair 0.5 point each way 28/1 4 places
• Iris’s Gift   0.5 point each way 16/1 4 places
• L’Ami         0.5 point each way 10/1 4 places
• Royal Emperor 0.25 point each way 66/1 4 places

Placepot selections

• L’Ami
• Royal Auclair

Christie’s Foxhunter Chase Challenge Cup

Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase

Friday, 17 March 2006

The stats are very confusing here as bottom weights have a great record in this race but there are no horses less tham 10st 4. Pipe horses seem to be completely out of sorts at Cheltenham this week otherwise I would give Madison du berlais a very big chance. Tysou and Andreas have the form but they also have the weight to carry. If I had to make a bet then my 3 against the field would Tiger Cry 8/1, Kalca Moore 40/1 and Nyrche 22/1 Towerform Green Tango 154 Madison du berlais 154 Placepot selections Tiger Cry Nyrche Kalca More Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle Friday, 17 March 2006 The final race of the festival. An extremely difficult race to find the winner. The good thing is that it is only 361 days to next years festival. My 2 against the field are Noble Request, 5 year old, Hobbs and winner last time out. On ratings I have Pirate Flagship as the best at 11/1. I would add Acambo to the list albeit for Pipe’s lot being out of form. Towerform Desert Quest 153 Acambo 151 Khetaaam 151 Placepot selections Noble Request Pirate Flagship