The Cheltenham Festival 2018: Too Much of a Good Thing?

Regulars of the Cheltenham Festival will have grown used to, perhaps even sick of, the debate that occurs every year as to whether the festival represents too much of a good thing. In the last few years, the festival has expanded, going from a three-day event to a four day one. Some punters think that, in adding this extra day, organisers have had to fill the extra time with sub-par races.

The debate took a new turn this year when none other than James Knight, who occupies a senior position at the bookmakers Ladbrokes Coral, took to Twitter to vent his frustration. Knight referred to some of the festival's races as being “ridiculously hyped” and “done-to-death”. His remarks have divided punters and observers, but it seems that even those who might be inclined to agree with him won’t be put off from attending the festival.

Too Much of a Good Thing?

One of the most common arguments made in defence of the festival is that it draws in attendees who would not normally concern themselves with racing meets, thus helping to broaden the appeal of the sport. There is also a concern in some quarters that, were organisers to reverse the recent changes, the appeal of the festival would be limited and the corresponding drop in attendance could have significant ramifications for its future.

There is also the concern that if Cheltenham shrinks in size then many of the competing jump horses will be fielded at other events earlier in the year. Jump horses, like all animals, have a finite lifespan and the more they compete, the more chances there are for them to become injured, potentially ruling them out of appearing at Cheltenham when the time comes.

Other Races

From the beginning of November, the jump racing calendar enters its golden months. Every week, racing fans are treated to high-quality events. For example, there is the ever-popular Betfair Chase, the Tingle Creek, and the December Gold Cup, to name but a few.All of these events have proven to be popular and for many, they provide a useful indication of who to watch out for at Cheltenham.

As far as British flat racing goes, there is simply no equivalent to Cheltenham, as much as we wish there was, despite massive investment from the industry in trying to make this happen.

Bets and Tips

Of course, one of the main attractions of Cheltenham will always be the betting. The excitement of seeking out the best racing tips and the thrill when they pay off is an integral part of the experience. In amongst the punters who have devised their own proprietary system, there are also a number of keen observers, armed with an arsenal of statistics and observations from other race meets. And, of course, now that technology is playing an important role in the world of sports, and gambling, there are a number of websites who claim to offer the best bets and betting tips for Cheltenham Festival 2018.

The Cheltenham Festival remains one of the most popular events on the British jump race calendar. Its sustained popularity, as well as the inability of other sectors of the industry to replicate its success, suggests that it is an event that we should cherish while it is around.

Silviniaco moves a step closer to Gold Cup glory

The Paul Nicholls-trained Silviniaco Conti put up an impressive performance to get the better of last month’s Betfair Chase winner Cue Card in a tremendous renewal of the Grade 1 King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day and now looks a genuine contender for top honours in March in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Third on his seasonal return at Haydock behind the Colin Tizzard-trained Cue Card, the French bred seven-year-old had clearly come on a good deal for his first run of the term and he was the only horse able to stay with Cue Card as last term’s Ryanair Chase hero set a searching gallop in testing ground at the Sunbury track.

By the final turn, only Silviniaco Conti remained as a danger to Cue Card, former champion Long Run having failed to respond to first-time blinkers while Dynaste failed to make the grade.

Al Ferof plugged on to take third, but up front it was Silviniaco Conti under a fine ride from Noel Fehily who leaped into the lead at the penultimate fence and eventually came away to score by three-and-a-half-lengths as the gallant Cue Card finally ran out of gas.

Punters reacted quickly to the impressive victory with Silviniaco Conti being slashed to a top price of 4.9 favourite on Betfair having traded at double figures prior to his Kempton victory. Bobs Worth, the defending champion is now a 5.9 shot in the latest odds, while Ireland’s Sir Des Champs, runner-up to Bobs Worth in the blue riband contest last season, now offered at 7.4.

Cue Card (9.8) is expected by many to head for a repeat bid for the Ryanair Chase over a shorter trip and is a clear 4.7 ante-post favourite on Betfair to land the two-mile-five –furlong event once again.

Cue Card trumps them all in thrilling Betfair Chase

Colin Tizzard’s high-class Cue Card proved the ace in the pack in an outstanding renewal of the Grade 1 Betfair Chase at Haydock on November 23 and has now emerged as a genuine contender for top honours in the Cheltenham Gold Cup at the home of National Hunt racing on March 14, writes Elliot Slater.

By general consent this was the best ever renewal of the Betfair Chase, a contest that long ago established itself as a serious trial for the Cheltenham Gold Cup and has been won by some of the top British steepelchasers of recent times. With last year’s winner Silviniaco Conti in the race alongside reigning champion Bobs Worth, former champion Long Run, last season’s star novice Dynaste, and others, Cue Card (9/1) was far from the punters’ main fancy in a race that simply oozed class.

Trainer Colin Tizzard instructed his son Joe to take the bull by the horns aboard Cue Card, a horse who had never previously raced over the distance of three-miles-one-furlong. Clearly believing last year’s Ryanair Chase winner would stay, the pair set off at a good gallop and one by one the big names started to crumble, Bobs Worth, the favourite being one of the first beaten.

Approaching the final fence Cue Card was under strong pressure as he was all but joined by both Silviniaco Conti and Dynaste, but showing tremendous determination and bags of class, he stayed on powerfully on the Haydock run-in to score a superb victory, leaving behind the disappointment of finishing only third at Exeter on his seasonal bow.

Slashed from a pre-race 27 to just 8.8 on betfair.com for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the spring, Cue Card may next bid for the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day where he could lock horns again with a number of his defeated rivals from the Haydock contest.