Cheltenham Festival 2011
Follow these Swindon runners and riders and you'll be on to a winner
Rain forecast for Cheltenham this morning with help Alan King runner Smad Place in the 1.30pm, who prefers softer ground and is now in to 9-1 from 10s.
See Friday 18th below for details on his main runners
Smad Place and
Oh Crick today, King's birthday!
Other King runners today
2:05pm: Salden Licht 25-1
2:40pm: Jetnova 40-1
4:40pm: Shalone 14-1 + Prince De Seuil 40-1
Alan King's only runner today, 20-1 outsider Call Me Legend, finished 5th in the 4.40pm.
It was agonising for Swindon trainer Alan King in the last race as his outsiders Kumbeshwar at 33-1 and Dhaafer at 16-1 narrowly came second and third respectively. Good each-way value if you were backing them.
And it was an unlucky day for Abbey Meads rider Wayne Hutchinson as well, who never got going on the 7-1 second favourite Knight Pass in the Champion Bumper and finished 19th. He also lost out in the run-in on 33-1 shot
Jubail
(5th) in the 4.40pm and 40-1 outsider
Trenchant (13th at 33-1) in the 4.00pm.
Other Alan King results today
2.05 Novices Hurdle
Habbie Simpson 33-1
9th
4.00 Coral Cup
Walkon 22-1
7th
4.40 Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
Kumbeshwar
2nd at 33-1 Dhaafer
3rd at 16-15.15 Champion Bumper
Bygones in Brid 25-1
18th
Complete outsider?
Look out for
Highworth rider Felix De Gilles on 150-shot
Accordintolawrence
in the 2.05pm
FELL
Cheltenham Festival
The greatest show on turf
The Cheltenham Festival takes place this week and Swindon will have more than its fair share of horse, trainer and jockey connections.
You'd expect it to, of course, considering Prestbury Park is just down the road and we're surrounded by the rolling Wiltshire countryside that's considered ideal for training.
So if you fancy a flutter, then why not look out for these local runners and riders when placing your bet.
Top Trainer
Alan King
These are
his best bets and bankers - and they come thick and fast on the first day.
Tuesday 15 March
Medermit
2:05pm Arkle Chase
Tuesday 15 March
4th
King won this race in 2007 with My Way De Solzen and said of Medermit.
“He has such a high cruising speed and has the proven stamina which you need to win an Arkle, and his jumping has definitely got better with every race this season."
Bensalem
2.40pm Festival Handicap Chase
Tuesday 15 March
WON AT 5-1
This time he has the favourite again in Bensalem, currently at
5/1.
"He would have won last year if he hadn't fallen two out. He is off the same mark this year and has a great chance again."
Mille Chief
3:20pm Champion Hurdle
Tuesday 15 March
Unplaced
Again he has the well-fancied Mille Chief and he's confident despite the competition. Currently
14-1 and good each-way value.
"His jumping is slick, and, while it is a very hot renewal, I could not be more pleased with our fellow,” he said.
Friday 18 March
Oh Crick
5.15pm Grand Annual Chase
Friday 18 March
"I was very happy last time when he was third at Sandown and have deliberately not run him again to protect his handicap mark. I've trained him for the race all season and he appears to be in very good form."
Smad Place
1.30pm Triumph Hurdle
Friday 18 March
"He is a galloper so will always be most effective with some cut in the ground, so I would hope that it does not dry up as the week progresses."
King outsider with a football connection....
And if you're a Spurs fan looking for a flutter, you might be tempted to have a few quid on
Bygones In Brid, trained by Alan King and owned by
Harry Redknapp.
The five-year-old is in the
5.15pm Champion Bumper on Wednesday and is currently a
20-1 shot.
Others to look out for...
King's other well-known runners and ones worth keeping an eye on (especially if King's horses show form and win on the first day) include:
Habbie Simpson
Blazing Bailey
The Betchworth Kid
Walkon
Top Jockey
Wayne Hutchinson
Keeping the local connection, Hutchinson rides for Alan King's yard and will be featuring heavily at Cheltenham.
Ironically, though, his best chance is not a King horse.
Hutchinson will ride the highly fancied
Knight's Pass in the
5.15pm Champion Bumper on
Wednesday. The horse is the
8/1 favourite.
Top pundit
John Francome
Seven-times Champion jockey and winner of the Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham during his riding career, Francome will be ever-present in the TV commentary box describing the racing action on all four days.
Better still, get up bright and early and catch him on the
Morning Line each day where he'll be offering tips and inside knowledge on what to back this week.
Fancy going?
It's easy from Swindon
Cheltenham is just a short drive down the A419, so it's handy living in Swindon if you're a big racing fan. And tickets are still available for all four days. See the Cheltenham Festival website link below.
Getting there - car, taxi or train
Parking can be tricky for the Festival and for those who fancy a tipple or two while on-course (and who doesn't when you've had a winner?) getting a taxi may be a good idea.
V Cars charge £50 one-way for a normal 4-seater; £75 one-way for a six-seater. Tel: 01793 701701.
First Great Western run extra trains from Swindon station to Cheltenham all week, with a special shuttle bus straight to the course when you get there.
Where to have a bet
The best we have to say is probably
Chris Graham's Coral Shop in Moredon - but you won't find there this week. He'll be down at Cheltenham himself taking punters money on the rail.
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Cheltenham Festival - official website | |||||||
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