The 2008 Cheltenham Festival will be remembered for reverting back to a 3 day meeting after weather scuppered the Wednesday card and also as the Festival where stats enthusiasts had a nightmare.
The Champion Races
Five year olds won both the Champion Hurdle and Champion Chase and what a performance by Master Minded. Wherever he goes next year he is going to be an absolute machine. Inglis Drever also defied the statisticians by winning his third World Hurdle as a 9 year old and in the Gold Cup, the machine that is Denman overcame the poor recent record of Hennessy winners. Harry Findlay, part owner of Denman has nominated the 2009 Grand National as an option for Denman and what a site it would be to see Denman race over Aintree’s famous fences.
The Bankers
Just two favourites won at the 2008 Cheltenham Festival. Out of eleven favourites that started 3/1 or less just one of them was victorious and that was Inglis Drever who won the World Hurdle at 11/8. Beaten short price favourites include Noland in the Arkle (7/4), Sizing Europe in the Champion Hurdle (2/1), Ashkazar in the Fred Winter (15/8), Franchoek in the Triumph (Evs) and the shortest price at this year’s Festival, Kauto Star in the Gold Cup (10/11).
What Now?
The remaining highlights for jumps enthusiasts are the Irish, Scottish and Aintree Grand Nationals and the Sandown Gold Cup, all big field handicaps run over marathon trips. For more information on the Aintree Grand National you should check out Grand National Guide Blog which is updated regularly and for further help picking the winner of the big race visit Grand National Guide, a great site woth loads of information about the Grand National Runners, Grand National Odds, Grand National Betting, Grand National Free Bets and a brilliant winner prediction tool.
The Cheltenham Blog will now concentrate on the 2009 Cheltenham Festival and will give you all the news and views as they happen.