Tanya Stevenson
Tanya’s Blog March 19
………..And it all started so well on Tuesday with Menorah, Chief Dan George and other sneaky placed horses, now my luck has not only gone but RETIRED! Looking at the results and the ever diminishing crowd I sense I’m not alone, instead the bookmaker’s satchels are so full they are in danger of overflowing despite the win of Big Buck’s and it drifting out to Evens for a while on the exchanges and the betting ring.
I can hardly build up any inspiration to offer you today, Gold Cup day of all days, isn’t this meant to be the climax of four great days racing. As I delve into my pocket the only thing I find is fluff threads of cotton and no I mean no remnants of coins or notes. As the defending champion I am a tailed off last after round one, at this rate there will be a stewards enquiry and I will be routine tested, however the only hope I have is that I was virtually pulled up and 100 points behind approaching Royal Ascot before I started to make my move but June is a long way off and I like you need a winner on March 19.
My selections because I am so depressed I shouldn’t even back them up with justifiable reasons for picking them are Soldatino, Adonis winners have a great record in the Triumph, Rock Noir because don’t worry about Long Run, this horse is meant to be better and had an entry in the Champion Hurdle. Restless Harry because Robin Dickin deserves a winner at the Festival. Baby Run as 12 months ago Sam Twiston-Davies gave it a great ride to finish third. Peveril as I rate his Warwick win and Cornas as I thought Nick Williams would come away with loads of winners.
Finally Tricky Trickster, well he may be high up in the betting for the National but this fellow has been cleverly campaigned. His first run since last year’s festival was a hurdle race at Fontwell, then if you watch carefully before Denman made his mistake Ruby was motionless on him in the Aon, once Denman had fallen Ruby’s urgency to bring back the spoils to Ditcheat was apparent and he was asked to accelerate which amazingly he did but this fellow needs stoking up and what if he lead the Gold Cup, he stays four miles and Kauto stays 3miles 1 and three-quarter furlongs!
TANYA’S POINTERS
JCB TRIUMPH HURDLE
Irish challengers are 1 from 76 in the last 13 years
13 of the last 15 winners won last time out
17 of the last 20 winners had run at least three times over hurdles
14 of the last 16 winners had won at least twice over hurdles
11 of the last 16 winners were in the first four in the betting
VINCENT O’BRIEN COUNTY H’CAP HURDLE
32 of the last 35 winners started no bigger than 16-1
15 of the last 16 winners had run at least four times in the season
17 of the last 21 winners finished placed at worst last time out
Seven of the last 10 winners carried less than 10-13
15 of the last 17 winners had run in the previous five weeks
ALBERT BARTLETT NOVICES HURDLE
Three of the five winners had won at Cheltenham
All five winners were priced in single figures
14 of the 15 win and placed horses finished first or second last time out
Totesport CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP CHASE
10 of the last 12 winners had been previously placed at the Festival
15 of the last 16 winners were aged between 7 and 9
The last 8 winners were in the first three in the betting
The last 9 winners had finished first or second last time out
Paul Nicholls is attempting his fourth straight win in the race
CHRISTIE’S FOXHUNTER CHASE CHALLENGE CUP
17 of the 19 winners were aged ten or younger
15 of the last 16 had previously won under rules
19 of 24 won last time out
Six of the last seven had won at least twice in the current campaign
Six of the last 9 started 14-1 or bigger
