Cheltenham Breakfast delves into the big issues of the Festival and there is plenty to dissect before the third day of the meeting this year.
Today, DOMINIC KING reflects on the money given to the bookies and the cost of the ‘greatest show on turf’.
BOOKMAKERS WINNING SO FAR
So at the halfway stage, how are you faring with your bets? It is fair to say results thus far have been mixed and while Willie Mullins has had five winners, it doesn’t feel like he is dominating as was the case last year.
There is absolutely no doubt that bookmakers have the upper hand after 14 races. If Tuesday’s result was bad for the punter who had £20,000 at 1/2 with Geoffrey Hughes on the rails, how did the person who invested £44,000 on Jonbon in the Queen Mother Champion Chase feel when he made his juddering mistake?
But that was pocket change compared to the £75,000 that Brighton Chairman Tony Bloom is believed to have placed on his horse Energumene in the same race and the colossal £100,000 that went askew on Ballyburn, for whom nothing went right in the Browns Advisory Chase.
There is absolutely no doubt that bookmakers have the upper hand after 14 races. Favourite Jonbon (left) made a mistake in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and was beaten
Brighton Chairman Tony Bloom is believed to have placed £75,000 on his horse Energumene
Will favourite Teahupoo get punters a big win in the Stayers Hurdle on day three?
It led us to think about the fate of the 10-leg Super Accumulator we wrote about in our sister column, Racing Confidential, on February 5, a few days after the Dublin Racing Festival when it seemed that results would be foregone conclusions.
Kopek Des Bordes set things rolling successfully but then consider this: Sir Gino never made it to the start for the Arkle; Constitution Hill fell; Brighterdaysahead was taken out of the Mares Hurdle, while Ballyburn and Jonbon blundered their prospects away.
The remaining four selections are still to run: Fact To File goes today in the Ryanair Chase, with Teahupoo following in the Stayers Hurdle. Then tomorrow it is over to Lulumba in the Triumph Hurdle before Galopin Des Champs tackles the Gold Cup.
We worked out the 10-fold on February 5 to be odds of 2231/1 with Paddy Power for them all to go in… there was a reason that price looked too good to be true. If people tell you there is a certainty at the Festival, treat the statement accordingly.
SNOW IS FALLING
What a shock it was yesterday morning to see the vanilla sky that was over Cleeve Hill at 6.45am replaced by a winter wonderland less than an hour later, as the horses went out to stretch their legs.
One rider from Gordon Elliott’s squadron looked blue he was so cold as he trotted up the walkway on to the course but dryly said that: ‘at least we’ll get some nice pictures’ as he braved the elements.
Genuinely, it was as cold as mid-December in Lapland but full marks to the quick-thinking person in the course announcer’s box who decided, at 7.52am, the first music played of the day should come from Shakin’ Stevens.
‘Snow is falling, all around us; children playing, having fun!’ We didn’t hear the three words from the song that mattered as it was promptly turned off but it still raised a smile.
WHAT CHELTENHAM MUST ADDRESS
My esteemed colleague, Ed Chamberlin, has written forcefully on this subject elsewhere and it is important to address an issue that will become a talking point.
The lowest Festival crowd this century was recorded on day two – 41,949 – and, of course, officials at Cheltenham will be concerned with the figure. They knew this was going to be the case, though, and it is why Chief Executive Guy Lavendar was determined to get on the front foot with the aim of making the experience for those attending as good as possible.
Yes, Cheltenham has areas to address and ticket prices must be looked at going forwards but there is a combination of factors at play here and once again we go back to a statement made Lindsay Holland, from Cheltenham’s Chamber of Commerce, that hotel prices in the town are not the issue.
If it is more cost effective for four people to club together and get an Uber from Paddington to the course than a single return ticket on the train or cheaper for someone from Dublin to do a day-trip by flying in to Bristol and returning the same night (£320 to do it tomorrow) than it is to book a hotel and stay over, doesn’t this tell you the drop is not just down to the course?
The lowest Festival crowd this century was recorded on day two – 41,949
BANS FOR JOCKEYS
A busy day for course stewards on Wednesday with a spate of false starts leading to seven jockeys getting one-day suspensions.
Nico de Boinville looked volcanic after the botched beginning to the Queen Mother Champion Chase led to, he felt, Jonbon’s disappointing run. He was not the only jockey to be enraged with starter.
Among the seven was Keith Donoghue, who was given a one-day ban for misconduct at the start of the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase – a race he ended up winning by seven lengths on Stumptown.
When asked for his thoughts on the starts this week, Donoghue said: ‘I fully understand how tough the starter’s job is this week, but there just seems to be a lack of communication. Sometimes he lets us go and sometimes he doesn’t. It’s just very hard to know what’s going to happen.’
BREAKFAST BEST BET
This column has never made any secret of its admiration for the way Gavin Cromwell operates. Expect the trainer to add to Stumptown’s win on Wednesday with SIXANDAHALF (1.20pm)in the Mares Novices Hurdle.
