Cheltenham Day 4
The final day of a superb festival. Lets see if we can go out with a bang. There is some absolutely fantastic racing today
13.30. I am crystal clear here who I want to be on. DEFI DU SEUIL Whatever beats this will be very smart indeed. This horse looks the one they all must beat, unsure yet but this may be candidate for the best bet
14.10. I will not spend too long on this race. I looked at this and shuddered. It may just be that Wait For Me has been plotted up for this race. He certainly has some nice festival form, could it be third time lucky.
14.50. You have to jump the obstacles, and Augusta Kate fell heavily @ Naas it looked to me a tired fall, they will surely go much faster here, maybe this may be more her trip, I cannot back her here but she may well win, also Augusta Kate is not that big, she may struggle in the argy bargy of this race. She may well be better on this ground, but I am forced to go with what has been achieved, and that crown falls firmly onto DEATH DUTY but there is a big problem with this selection. Why did connections not run him in the Neptune? he could have won that race. I have read writeups of respected people making this a place lay. I cannot believe this, I am going to stick with him, as I refuse to believe these shrewd connections involved have got this so very wrong.
15.30 Gold Cup
I am going to take on both Native River and Cue Card. Native River did not win the National Hunt Amateurs Race at the festival last year, that for me is a level short of what is required here. You will not convince me he has improved and now is the real deal, if he wins, then fair play, Cue Card had his chance last year, he is now too old to win. This is not for me. Djakadam has the form, I cannot put anyone off him. 16/18 winners were Officially Rated 166+ Djak on 165 is only 1lb below that threshold and he has been talked up as having a faultless preparation, with Mullins back to business as usual he must be on all shortlists. My selection here is SIZING JOHN I feel I can get a decent run out of the selection, he appears to be at his absolute peak.
ON THE FRINGE Will create his little bit of history and burn the stats book in the process. Enda reckons this horse has had a dream preparation, and Mcmanus will surely be overjoyed to win this race again, he loves his pointers. I hope I am right, and we can watch something that has not happened before, watch a horse complete the 3 timer.
