The Greatest Show on Turf - Cheltenham festival 2024

law74

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With just over a month before the festival, who are you lumping on, laying, any decent offers from the enemy (bookies), or good previews available?
Any pre festival chat to assist novice's like me try and not lose my shirt.....
 
Not going to Cheltenham this year. The first time I have missed it in 23 years. It’s all gone far to corporate. Full of dickheads dressed up like they are on the set of Peaky Blinders. Ten deep at the Guinness Village to get a pint. And if it rains it’s a disaster. They have killed what was the Olympics of National Hunt racing. Crying shame.
 
Sir Gino pisses the Triumph and Lossiemouth pisses the Mares

I don't live over there now, but was once an annual visitor to the Festival, 3 days in the Club section, but like PPT, gave up in the end and watched from home and the bookies for the later races. Prices up all the time, more and more people crammed in, lousy facilities.......and felt like Cheltenham were simply taking the piss.

Since then of course, they have done their best to devalue what was once a terrific racing occasion by adding another day and diluting many of the races.



Anyway, onto the horses............

Can't disagree with either of those Nevisade, but they'll both be short prices.

After watching his last outing at Doncaster I was hoping that Jeriko Du Reponet would step up in trip for the Ballymore, but his only entry is the Supreme..........and who am I to advise Henderson. :)

I can see him going up in trip in due course though, he's a PtP winner over 3m and there is stamina in his pedigree.

Whichever way you look at it, that was a disappointing run by Marine Nationale so close to the Arkle and if you take that view, then the race has a wide open look to it.

Can't see much to beat El Fabiolo in the Queen Mum. Captain Guinness might be worth sixpence each way at a nice price.

I've a soft spot for Stage Star and although he might have a bit to find in the Ryanair, he certainly likes Cheltenham, jumps well overall and most of all, has a big heart.

Another favourite for me is Galopin Des Champs, just a class horse. I can't see Fastorslow having any impact on him in the Gold Cup, but if I needed to find one that wasn't the favourite, then I think it would be Gerri Colombe. Admittedly very disappointing last time out, but that was at the end of December he'll come fresh to the Festival and the extra distance and uphill climb to the line will suit him down to the ground. At 9/1 or so, he's perhaps worth an each way interest.
 
Starting to get notifications about free bets, sure sign that the festival is getting close, LiveScore bet, new customers offer bet £10 get £30 in free bets, seen another with "up to £500" in free bets
Bet UK same £30 for £10 offer
 
Not going to Cheltenham this year. The first time I have missed it in 23 years. It’s all gone far to corporate. Full of dickheads dressed up like they are on the set of Peaky Blinders. Ten deep at the Guinness Village to get a pint. And if it rains it’s a disaster. They have killed what was the Olympics of National Hunt racing. Crying shame.
It’s like most events nowadays people jumping on the bandwagon and ruining it for the proper supporters of the event , half these pricks that are going are just coked up and going for the piss up
 
It’s like most events nowadays people jumping on the bandwagon and ruining it for the proper supporters of the event , half these pricks that are going are just coked up and going for the piss up
It’s like most events nowadays people jumping on the bandwagon and ruining it for the proper supporters of the event , half these pricks that are going are just coked up and going for the piss up
Exactly. In the Club Enclosure (the Guinness Village) they have a double decker ‘Champagne Bus’. It’s nowhere near the racecourse, you can’t see a thing. It’s £400 a ticket and it’s a total sell out! We met a couple last year who didn’t know one end of a horse from another. I asked them why they came? They said ‘they were doing the circuit’ Henley Regatta, Wimbledon the British Open Golf Tournament etc etc. Unfortunately that’s what Cheltenham has become. A tourist attraction for dickheads who want to put it all on Instagram and tell everyone they are ‘living my best life’. The world is fucked!
 
Exactly. In the Club Enclosure (the Guinness Village) they have a double decker ‘Champagne Bus’. It’s nowhere near the racecourse, you can’t see a thing. It’s £400 a ticket and it’s a total sell out! We met a couple last year who didn’t know one end of a horse from another. I asked them why they came? They said ‘they were doing the circuit’ Henley Regatta, Wimbledon the British Open Golf Tournament etc etc. Unfortunately that’s what Cheltenham has become. A tourist attraction for dickheads who want to put it all on Instagram and tell everyone they are ‘living my best life’. The world is fucked!

There were blokes there 30 years ago, same age as you are now, whinging about how it’s all gone down hill and not a patch on the the 70s and 80s.
 
Back in the day when it was referred to simply as the National Hunt Festival, the stands stopped at the first corner and there were no inside the course spectator areas, the place always felt rammed and to this day, the crowd noise when Desert Orchid won the Gold Cup is the loudest I’ve ever experienced at any sporting event. The place was filled with real characters, you would regularly see Irish lads that part owned a runner with carrier bags full of Punts handing them over to the men with the leather satchels. Me and the missus (then girlfriend) got stopped by some old girl who gave us a what turned out to a remarkably accurate fortune telling!
 
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