Friday, March 16, 2007

Festival feedback


This has been one of my better Cheltenham Festivals, if not my best.

At the track on Wednesday it was significantly less crowded in the Tattersalls enclosure than in previous years. A stall charging £7.00 a burger was noted doing a roaring trade. I was disappointed to see Well Chief fall at the second in the Champion Chase. There is something inherently unsatisfying when one of the main players falls early in proceedings; I'm sure connections of Black Jack Ketchum would agree. Denman was impressive while Kauto Star's victory in the Gold Cup was the right result.

Two horses caught the eye in the Champion Bumper. Sophocles came from a different parish to finish second and may well have won had he been ridden nearer the pace while Victor Dartnall's Lodge Lane looked like the winner until completely failing to negotiate the home turn.

From the punting perspective, five winners from fifteen recommendations gives a strike rate of 33.3%. A £10 level stake wager on all my Festival selections is showing a profit of £64.50; the rate of return on turnover is 43%. To all those people constantly berating my tips, let me just say these look half decent figures to me. To everyone else, I would urge you not to be deceived; I'm not usually as good as this - normal service will be resumed in due course.

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