Review of Cheltenham 2016

Well the 2016 Cheltenham Festival did not disappoint. Top class action, fairytale stories, beautiful weather and improved facilities made the week one of the most enjoyable yet. Below are my thoughts from the meeting:

Racing

Firstly I suppose we best talk about the actual horses! For me the stand out moment, and I am sure this is the same for many others, was seeing Sprinter Sacre cruise to such a lovely victory in the Champion Chase. If he is fit and well it would be lovely to see him at Aintree but if not he certainly has no more to prove and should enjoy a very happy retirement. Whether Cue Card would have beaten Don Cossack no one will ever know but the eventual winner was by far the best looking in the paddock and deserves every inch of the press he is getting, well done to all connections!! The focus for a lot of the main stream media on Friday was of course Victoria Pendelton’s ride in Foxhunters. I was, like many, was very worried for her, but she rallied and rode a superb race to finish fifth. I have read Lawney Hill’s comments on Facebook over the weekend and it really does seem like so many still want to be nasty, she rode amazingly, she is humble, and has done a credit to the sport. Leave her alone! Was rather interesting to the naked man running down the home straight during the Foxhunters, bit chilly I think. Does anyone know what that was all about?! The Mares Novice Hurdle was maybe not the right addition, could we not have a Veterans Chase? If not how about celebrity steeplechasing after VP’s success?!

Fashion

This is becoming a great part of the Festival and one of which I do enjoy. Getting dressed up to go racing makes the day more special, you feel good about yourself, and it gives the entire venue a brilliant atmosphere. The invention of Ladies Days at most courses have definitely upped the competition for wearing as little as possible for some but on the other three days the style was practical but aesthetically pleasing. One thing that does bug me is the need to wear summer hats to a clearly winter affair. Keep those for the wedding season ladies! Secondly do not wear flips flops or anything given out free.. Yellow Betfair Scarves and Guinness Hats were this year's worst offenders!!

Course Facilities

Well done to the Cheltenham team who have worked so hard to bring us the best possible viewing for this year’s four days. Improvements do need to keep coming, the walkways beneath the old stand are continually blocked with those drinking inside, maybe bifocal doors will help increase the flow here? One of my previous highlights used to be the number of shops dotted around the course and although I know they are not for everyone it would be great to see a few more. Food and drink are widely available and priced fairly, tea at £2.30 is a little steep but I suppose you do expect this. I did find a good choice of snacks, fresh flapjacks and tempura prawns were a big pluses personally, and I would definitely be tempted to try the curries available behind the weighing room in future. The house wines on draft were drinkable, the house champagne lovely, and we did enjoy a Guinness on St Paddys Day. Full marks from me here! NB: Annual Members were treated to a discount in The Wild Rabbit at Kingha, superb food, recommended without the discount but hope that continues next season!

Betting

I placed one bet on the Tote all week. The odds always seemed to be better with the Bookmakers and although I am a very small fish in a very large pond for Bookies I tended to bet on my phone through SkyBet and Paddy Power all week. The only annoying thing with this system was that I was unable to do this through the Jockey Club WiFi so had to drain my battery with 4G and take a power pack. Not always the quickest system but the odds and offers meant I had a profitable week and I hope everyone else did too!

Onwards to Aintree now!!