Coooeee Tegan!

Welcome back Tegan, missed you.
We are saving up to get the steam train next year, it took us an hour and a half to get out of the car park (better than last year's 3 hours, but my record is stuck in the lanes around Glastonbury for 5 hours when I volunteered to meet my God-daughter!)
I'm not thinking about the G.N. as it is a race I do not enjoy watching but , like you, I do hope Sprinter Sacre is NOT entered. I'll look at the runners for some other races at the meeting , I bet the course is covered in snow right now tho'.
I have not heard any news about JT, yours was the first and I do hope he makes a good recovery. Yes, it was noticeable that the winning jockeys didn't 'celebrate' their victories and were rather subdued. Will look out for the 'Injured Jockeys' stall at the next meeting I go to.

Have been totally out of touch with everything sans internet for the past week. Need to find out if Silver by Nature is over his bout of colic; how JT is. Worrying about Sprinter Sacre running at Aintree [the National fences have never bothered me too much but the park course puts the fear of God into me as it's very fast and the fences are very stiff]; and, even if it looks as if a horse hasn't had a hard race at Cheltenham you don't find out till they get there; think Dessie when he fell that one time, One Man [sob] and Strong Promise. I had heard that JT's operation had been a success, but it cast a shadow over the last days racing. Listening to it on the radio was awful as I don't think people at the course or those watching it on RUK quite understood the severity of the situation whereas Andrew Thornton sounded shaken to the sore listening to him on R5. And several of my main bets have pulled out of the National. Which only leaves me with about 10 ....

Horrible sense of anti-climax now it's all over Tegan and the terrible fall and injury to JTMcnamara.
It was good meeting up tho! Having told several people about Golden Chieftain, I did not put my money where my mouth was! I think I just about 'broke even' over the 4 days.
Looking forward to your return to the airways/cyberspace/whatever!
Must look to see what's going on at Wincanton.

I think it's just [just?] a stress fracture. Should be ok. Know what you mean about Clare smoking; especially when she's been so ill as well. As an ex smoker it just makes me think of how all those lovely clothes she gets to wear [although not the sort I'd wear] must smell of fags. JP will take care of JT and his family but it's no consolation. Lets hope there is some better news on Tuesday about his condition. I'll not have internet access after tomorrow so won't get to hear much. Wasn't it a shame for that girl who came off at the end of the Foxhunters; just like Willie the other year.

Oh Tegan everything crossed for Bog Warrior.

No, I didn't know that about Ruby, but I expect there is some odd reason for it. The man can do no wrong in my eyes!

JP was really upset when interviewed, wasn't he?

On another topic, I didn't know Claire Balding smoked!

It would take tooo long ...

Would someone kindly translate this thread in,to English please?

Actually the last couple of days have left me a bit down to be honest. On top of JT's injury I've heard that Bog Warrior sustained a fracture yesterday. They are trying to save him so fingers crossed. What with all the sadness at the Nicholls yard it's been a starnge week. But I did see Denman on Tuesday . Did you know, by the way that Ruby hasn't ridden a chase winner at the Festival since 2009? Plenty of hurdles but no chases.

Well, that's it for another year.

Tegan I do envy you, I don't manage to go very often, and even then it's only Exeter or Newton Abbott. I suppose I should be thankful that they are at least "proper" courses!

Would have gone to the Midlands National but looking after the grandchildren tomorrow. Possibly Kelso next weekend.

100/1 and me don"t go together . I also was glad about Ruby , I like him in fact I like all the jockeys , especially when they bring the horse home for me , then I really like them .

Are you going to have a small wager tom. I haven"t made up my mind yet .

Although todays very nice win will influence me somewhat .

If you do , may I wish you loads of luck.

Here"s me wafflin" on , Mr N has pointed out no racing at Cheltenham on Saturdays . Ascot yes . Still I went out on a high . So that has pleased me.

[smile smile]

What a brave little horse. Can't believe how fit they got him without a prep run. I backed Wayward Prince because I liked him years ago and said I'd follow him this year when he came back from the doldrums. Came last . Still searching for the 100/1 winner....good to see Ruby's horse get up ok.

Thank you sooo much Bobsworth , you have really made my afternoon , very very nice win . What a brave little horse he really is . This has been my first bet this week , as I just have not been in the mood somehow . But that is how things pan out sometimes .

This might spur me on for tommorrow will have to wait and see .

Congragulations also to Nicky Henderson for 50th winner at Cheltenham . First man ever .

It is our SIL"s birthday so we are having a nice celebration , the wine will taste that little sweeter

[sunshine and smiles]

He's a sweetie is Liam. This afternoon has been awful with the terrible injury to one of the jockeys. A shadow has been cast over the whole meeting. Breaks my heart when a horse is injured but this has left me numb. Can only hope things aren't as bad as they seem .

Yes, Nicholls not doing so well, to say the least!

I notice that Liam Treadwell is looking quite a bit better in the dental department! (Claire Balding was shot down after her comment to him when he won with Mon Mome!)

Picked the wrong Venetia Williams horse and missed a 50/1 winner; jockey is a stalwart of our racing club as well [Liam who won the National on a 100/1 horse]. S.O. said, just as the race was starting 'you have backed Liam haven't you?' . 40/1 2nd in World Hurdle and 20/1 fourth in another so clawing a bit of money back from the bookies. Galen; thank goodness you didn't get a bet on; Nicholls horses, in general, running like donkeys.

Oh bum! Just watched a race and did my thing of marking one in the paper but not putting anything on it. I'd picked the winner (Holywell) came in at 25/1 !!!!

Tribunal went on too long for me to bet think I'd have backed bog warrior as well

Just blew all of my winnings from Tuesday on lots of bets for today; spent all of £7.50 on 14 bets so that should keep me quiet for a while. Stuck with a couple of Venetia Williams handicappers and did go with the Bog Warrior even though the ground is now against him. Only one horse I'm very keen on and that's Kapga de Cerisy in the 4.OO. Feeling nervous already . Romanesco is the very incharacteristic Gigginstown horse I've backed, although he's not much of a price [lots of people with the same idea methinks]. If I get a couple of quid back I'll be happy today . Even more so if the horses all come back ok [which is the most important thing].

Tegan I agree re AP, yes, he's been champion jockey time & time again, but he is hard. Do you remember the dogs dinner he made of riding Kauto Star? Ruby has a much gentler style and usually gets the best out of the horse without "hard" riding.

Although to be fair to AP, he was genuinely upset about Darlan.

Think it's another no betting day today, but just about to look at the runners again. Phoenix; if I owned a horse I wouldn't let AP near it. I think he's just hard on his horses. Rubys the proper 'horseman'. Annoyingly we were stood next to Ruby on Tuesday watching the horses unloading and the S.O. was going to go and ask him for his tips for that day, and I wouldn't let him. Galen, if you're next to a bookies pick out some names that you like and have 25 pence ew on them; much less painful than losing a tenner! I only back ew; whenever I back win only they come second. There is a Gigginstown horse in one of the handicaps that is an uncharacteristic purchase by them that I'm going to look at again [Nina is riding] and it's at the bottom of one of the handicaps, although I'm loathe to wish more money in the pocket of Michael O'Leary. Paul Nicholls has been saying for ages that Sam Winner is his best chance of a winner all week but he is a short priced favourite. And I've been wanting to back The Bog Warrior all week cause I love the name!

PS For Tegan

When I was asking about AP or Ruby, the question was based purely on ability, NOT looks, you naughty girl!

Oooh Galen , any jump meeting can be a tough call, the "certs" are few and far between, the likes of Kauto and Sprinter Sacre are few and far between!

Tegan is much more likely than me to be able to give you a bit of steer, but I would say that I would always back something I fancied each way, rather than to win.

So with that in mind, if you are going for an each way, I would look for odds of around 10/1 minimum, up to anything, although I would always bow to Tegans superior knowledge! See her 28/1 winner earlier, I don't know if she backed it each way or to win.

Having said that, my on course betting personal bests were each backed each way (very cautious, me!) and one came in first at 28/1 (winning me in excess of £60 for a stake of £2 e/w) and a really flukey one that won at odds of 40/1 !!!!

I don't know if anyone remembers that stable lad last year that won over £1 million? That was on an accumulator, and I have never had the guts to do one of those, too stressful if the first comes and all goes onto the second etc!

Better go, just in case Frank finds this thread and asks me if I'm rich!

My tribunal is next door to bookies. Any tips for tomorrow? I might flutter £10 each way?

yesterday was "Ruby Ruby Ruby !" Bloody brilliant jockey! All seemed to be ok yesterday, haven't watched today as spent all day travelling.

And of course AP didn't even have a ride in todays big one, but b.hell, 19 lengths, rather a conclusive win, don't you think? Some great articles and coverage in todays sport section of the Telegraph, as indeed there was yesterday too.