Cheltenham

If you have £1.00 on a race withwillyhillybillyot you can watch it.
I have three 3 bets on this first race. Gone off jollyallen, so have a saver on L'ami Serge and a tiny bit on Seedling. Hope there are no injuries, it looks like good going. Seedling unseated.
Douvan worthy winner Walsh/Mullins, no surprise, horse has a bit of knee action, so we can assume ground is true NH good.
 
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Look at the crowds, its wonderful, the first winner is Irish, that will be popular.
L'ami Serge got stopped early on, there are no second chances.
Is it just me but Douvan seems to have rather large hooves.
Hope the noise does not upset runners for the next race.
 
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What in earth happened with Annie Power? The DG says that the mare was too cocky and thought "I can do that". I think that it was the fault of the jockey, had Walsh shortened, for just a moment, and bear in mind that she was still lengthening as she approached, then the final stride wouldn't have been the disaster that it was. I'm almost angry at the riders lack of thought. That wonderful mare had the race won.

Alec.
 
I don't rate Walsh at all. He left her to her own devices. You could see a country mile away that she would be on the wrong stride for any sort of jump. Annie Power is very lucky to be alive. She put her leg through the hurdle and thudded on her head. By rights she should be dead but I do believe that it was the sheer speed that she was travelling at that saved her - too quickly to get any sort of grip on/into the ground to stop her momentum. She is one very lucky horse!
 
What in earth happened with Annie Power? The DG says that the mare was too cocky and thought "I can do that". I think that it was the fault of the jockey, had Walsh shortened, for just a moment, and bear in mind that she was still lengthening as she approached, then the final stride wouldn't have been the disaster that it was. I'm almost angry at the riders lack of thought. That wonderful mare had the race won.

Alec.
It happens Alec, I agree that she and Ruby got in a tangle, she was going too fast on the approach, but even with the top jock things can go wrong, she trotted off, but the other one looked pretty shaky, hope it is OK.
 
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I always thought everyone thought Ruby was God, except me! He isa a good jockey in the main , but so arrogant. So sorry Annie Power fell, but I wish Polly Peachum had won.
I assume the mare in the second last race died? It looked a hideous fall. I can't remember her name, the not keen starter who was at Sandown last week. I bet her jockey and trainer was devastated.
 
I don't rate Walsh at all. He left her to her own devices. You could see a country mile away that she would be on the wrong stride for any sort of jump. Annie Power is very lucky to be alive. She put her leg through the hurdle and thudded on her head. By rights she should be dead but I do believe that it was the sheer speed that she was travelling at that saved her - too quickly to get any sort of grip on/into the ground to stop her momentum. She is one very lucky horse!

I felt that he just let the handbrake off a bit too early, I wish he'd held up together until they were safely over the last and then let her go. I just felt sick as she slid along the ground, I thought she'd broken her neck at first.
 
I always thought everyone thought Ruby was God, except me! He isa a good jockey in the main , but so arrogant. So sorry Annie Power fell, but I wish Polly Peachum had won.
I assume the mare in the second last race died? It looked a hideous fall. I can't remember her name, the not keen starter who was at Sandown last week. I bet her jockey and trainer was devastated.

Theatre Queen was lost today sadly.
Criticism of Ruby is a bit unjust I feel. No one makes the right decisions all of the time, he didn't get where he is today by chance, he is one of the best jockeys riding today IMO.
 
What an amazing sight to see Kauto Star, Denman, Big Bucks and Masterminded together standing at that top of that hill .. all clearly looking fantastic and full of life.

Sad to see that Theatre Queen lost her life today .. so reluctant to start in the first place. Like everyone else, my heart was in my mouth when Annie Power fell.

Favourite horse from the first day - Bitofapuzzle - 3rd in the Mares' .. gutsy mare, such an old fashioned big NH horse. And Hurricane Fly - what a trier, beaten by younger legs
 
What in earth happened with Annie Power? The DG says that the mare was too cocky and thought "I can do that". I think that it was the fault of the jockey, had Walsh shortened, for just a moment, and bear in mind that she was still lengthening as she approached, then the final stride wouldn't have been the disaster that it was. I'm almost angry at the riders lack of thought. That wonderful mare had the race won.

Alec.

I don't rate Walsh at all. He left her to her own devices. You could see a country mile away that she would be on the wrong stride for any sort of jump. Annie Power is very lucky to be alive. She put her leg through the hurdle and thudded on her head. By rights she should be dead but I do believe that it was the sheer speed that she was travelling at that saved her - too quickly to get any sort of grip on/into the ground to stop her momentum. She is one very lucky horse!

Not often at all that I disagreecwith either of you but to quote Banjo Patterson

'But all the finest horsemen out - the men that beat the band
You'll find amongst the crowd that ride their races in the stand'

Taking a pull or not at the last can mean the difference between winning a race and loosing it. We are all human, we all make mistakes. I am very glad that Annie Power is ok.
 
Very sad that the Telegraph chose to put a full size, full colour pic of her in the middle of the fall on the front cover of its sport's section. All the good things yesterday and they used that. Horrible.
Such a shame about Theatre Queen.
 
My Cheltenham journey has begun! Just left the yard with 2 horses - Clondaw Knight and Tap Night both in the Kim Muir. Tad bit more excited now :D

GOOD LUCK!! Hope they both have a super spin around and come home safe and sound!!
 
Sorry I can't agree that Annie's fall was Ruby's fault at all. She just took off out of his hands. It happens sometimes. He's one of the best jockeys into a fence. If you watch him he is very quiet into a fence, doesn't interfere very often, lets them find their feet and their stride. Thankfully Annie was ok & hopefully she will have learnt something too. Shame on the Telegraph for using that pic as their centre piece. It's the sort of pic you'd expect to find in the daily Fail !!!
 
Not often at all that I disagreecwith either of you but to quote Banjo Patterson

'But all the finest horsemen out - the men that beat the band
You'll find amongst the crowd that ride their races in the stand'

Taking a pull or not at the last can mean the difference between winning a race and loosing it. We are all human, we all make mistakes. I am very glad that Annie Power is ok.

Hear hear i you watch the video that was on twitter last night had he taken a pull the mare would be dead and Ruby would probably be injured. It wouldn't have been the first time she has stepped through a hurdle, particularly at the last fence. I can be quick to criticise a jockey when they are wrong but can't for the life of me see what alteration Ruby could have made to change things

EKW the very best of luck with your runners.
 
Sorry I can't agree that Annie's fall was Ruby's fault at all. She just took off out of his hands. It happens sometimes. He's one of the best jockeys into a fence. If you watch him he is very quiet into a fence, doesn't interfere very often, lets them find their feet and their stride. Thankfully Annie was ok & hopefully she will have learnt something too. Shame on the Telegraph for using that pic as their centre piece. It's the sort of pic you'd expect to find in the daily Fail !!!

I have to say, having watched the fall about 20 times on the ML (they were obsessed) she took off so early and he hadn't asked her to. He is still arrogant though!!
 
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