Cheltenham/ Exeter 1st January 2011

Date looks well odd - 
1.30 first race on the box for channel four and it has a host of old favourites - think the favourite Buffalo Bob has a  great chance on the evidence of its run at Newbury  and will stay the 3miles in this forecast g/soft ground. has the profile of previous winners off this mark but its more a watching race really - only 1 horse has won at greater than 10/1 and the older brigade hold sway and with the best field i have seen for this race with old champs running I really do like the big price on offer for  Maljimar - has too FF in its latest runs at aintree but can easily brush these aside on its brilliant form at Cheltenham and its second to Witchita Lineman by a head off this mark

2.00 a real competitive race and difficult to call for me 4 favs in 10 runnings with preference for a horse that has course form in the better races  this is a place market race with some real contenders not in the top of the market - these include - Othermix and Simarian - any money for these long priced animals will be significant in my opinion - I really cannot see the winner  - Medermit jumps superbly in the main  but cant see why it refused at Huntingdon when tanking along  has still got it all to prove- as have the rest - my money therefore goes on Hells Bay under Joe Tizzard who was a lucky second  2m 3flngs (Mr Thriller fell in front of him going well at the second from home) to Time For Rupert - that was a bloody good run giving the winner 5lbs and travelled like the winner till his stamina ran out over 3m 1f here  the time before g/soft - has the right age weight and profile to win this and money from the current  20/1 should give an indication but the yard does not bet a great deal
2.35 really good race that takes some reading but Tartak has got in off a very good mark judging by his run in the Peterborough chase at Newbury (poor old Twist Magic!) his track for does not inspire though and as a front runner he may be the ideal back to lay candidate - keep an eye on Hey Big Spender another in and out performer who just did not fire in the hennessy (bounced after his great run at Carlisle)  this track suits him and joe takes the ride today - the stable is quietly confident of a big run.
3.10 nightmare race for me with the younger stars in the making and pin falls on Viking Blond who tried to front run here with  smashing display of hdling and has Brennan riding today - the dark horse has to be the three times winning  Kilcrea kim under Johnson an ex pointer who looks a solid stayer and at the age of six fits the profile of a horse going places


 Exeter - expect the going to soften up from the predicted g/soft - 
2.15 cannot for the life of me see why Saylontyre is a current mark of 14/1 has run to its mark every time and is not penalised to much for its win here  Isabel rides it well and she is a really good pilot - will do for me 
2.50  nothing in this race for me so hope you can find one!


 Bob


 RESULTS -A fine day for me and as impressed as hell with HELL'S BAY WHO SIMPLY TANKED UP PULLING A BUS - MADE A SILLY MISTAKE THE LAST-- (that's enough of capitals) - A really competitive renewal of the Dipper, run in a good time, 0.93sec quicker than the decent handicap that followed, and a nice boost for both the Arkle second-favourite Finian´s Rainbow and RSA Chase favourite Time For Rupert, as the race went the way of HELL´S BAY, who´d finished runner-up to those horses in his previous two starts. he looked the winner down the back straight that's how easy it was going

A two-horse race from the second-last, the winner made a mistake at the last which gave the runner-up a chance to close, but Hell´s Bay was always just holding himoff. He was given quotes around the 14-1 mark for the Jewson Novices Chase, the new race at the Festival, and that looks the obvious target on this showing. took the twenties and he finished at 16/1 - if you dont put these notes in your VFb you Dont deserve to have it!

 And doubling up on Tartak made it the best new years day of the year (so far)A high-class handicap chase and as usual a competitive event. The pace appeared sound and it produced a good finish, but the time was just under a second slower than the preceding Grade 2 novices´ chase.TARTAK, who won the rearranged PeterboroughChase in a first-time tongue tie on his previous start, had not previously won at this track in four attempts but had run well. With the tongue-strap on again, he disproved the theory that he only wins on flat tracks by overcoming an early mistake to finished best of all up the hill, snatching the prize from the game runner-up. He is now confirming the promise he showed as a novice chaser two years ago. He will return here for the Ryanair Chase at the festival, with the Ascot Chase beforehand and the Melling Chase at Aintree afterwards.

 Bob