Cheltenham Preps, Hype & Official Online Preview Evening

Out of Storage and on to the Desktop!

I've just thrown a few words on this page (well it started that way!) to let you know that I am in fact still alive, immersed in Cheltenham facts and figures, stats, past spreadsheets (and memories) and the blog will be doing it's Phoenix impression at the start of next week !

Peddlers Cross 'Spot The Difference' Game:

Hurdling All Over The World

That's right ! Ears are pricked and happy horsey over the hurdles

I'm also going to give the Official Cheltenham Festival Preview Evening a plug. This will take place on Sunday evening (10 March) at the racecourse. Although Nicky Henderson is not attending, his assistant Charlie Morlock will be deputising along with Patrick Mullins, Sam Twiston-Davies, Rishi Persad (C4), David Williams (Ladbrokes) and Dean Goddard (OLBG).

You don't have to be there in person to watch as it's going to be streamed live and you can ask any of the panel your questions via Twitter! Tweet your question for any of the panel to @OLBG using the #askOLBG hashtag.

The stream will be available at 7pm on Sunday to add more ammunition to your Festival betting armoury but if you can't watch live then the whole thing will be filmed and cut into race-by-race video chunks to watch and re-watch later.

I admit to being quite chuffed that only one of my anteposts backed at the start of February has been taken out (so far, touch wood!). Some prices I've done well with (if they win or place otherwise it's irrelevant!) and more than one is ground dependant so we'll have to wait and see. These may or may not correlate with my picks next week once recent factors have all been added to the ponderment.

Cheltenham 2013 Antepost
*Supreme Novice*	Dodging Bullets 12/1	Jezki 4/1
*Arkle*	Simonsig 4/5	Benefficient 33/1
*Champion Hurdle*	Hurricane Fly 2/1	Grandouet 8/1
*RSA*	Rocky Creek 20/1	Aupcharlie 16/1
*Champion Chase*	Sprinter Sacre 2/5	Sizing Europe 10/1
*Ryanair*	~~Flemenstar 3/1~~	Finians Rainbow 9/1
*World Hurdle*	Peddlers Cross 8/1	Reve De Sivola 8/1
*Gold Cup*	Silviniaco Conti 13/2	Bob's Worth 7/2

I may as well use this opportunity to state that I think My Tent Or Yours is the most over-hyped 'emperor's new clothes' horse of the year. The New One has beaten him, Dodging Bullets has C&D form already and Jezki has already won a couple of Grade 1's. Tough!

I'd also love to know what the bookies know about Hurricane Fly. All the money back specials, and big prices would have you believe that he is fit for nothing more than a donkey derby at the village Summer Féte.

Back soon and meanwhile the anticipation grows!