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Cheltenham updates

Day 1: Four bets. My Way de Solzen got me off to a great start winning The Arkle at 7/2. Hardy Eustace let me down for the Champion Hurdle but at least we had an Irish winner with the John Carr trained Sublimity. In the 4:00, Juveigneur got a nose past his opponent on the line but unfortunately Joe’s Edge pulled the same trick on my horse and I lost out to a 50/1 shot. After her brother had won on Sublimity, Nina Carberry gave Heads On The Ground a fantastic ride in the Cross Country to win at 5/2.€20 wagered. €40 collected.

Day 2: Not so good. Four bets, five if you count the free bet with Ladbrooks. Just one second. Dempsey at 20/1. Luckily I had him each way so I’ll get something back. He looked like winning. The funny thing was all the experts had him written off saying the track wouldn’t suit him.

€20 wagered. €12.50 collected. Actually, that’s not bad.

Day 3. I learned an important lesson on day 2: Never shout at the TV. The dog interprets it as me being savagely attacked and comes barreling through the door, growling and teeth bared knocking over everything in his path. I didn’t make that mistake today and whispered my horses home instead. It’s not the same craic, but it did work for one of of my four selections: Taranis at 9/2.

€20 wagered. €27.50 back.

I didn’t get to use the free Ladbrooks bet today. Both the Irish Independent and the Mirror printed the voucher on the back of the racing page. The wankers!

Day 4: The bookies got hammered! But not by me. I decided to go for long-shots each way instead of favourites. Still, it was a great day’s racing. Especially when local hero Ruby Walsh rode Kauto Star to victory in the Gold Cup. I cheered him on even though my few bob was on Cane Brake. Eh, another local hero. Yes, my heart was ruling my head.

€20 wagered. €0 back.

Overall - Wagered:€80. Collected:€80. Profit:€0. Excitement: Priceless.

So why bore you with all of this? Just to reiterate the point I was trying to make below: For me the love of horses and racing is greater than betting. Whether you make nothing, make a fortune or lose (as long as it is what you can afford to lose), the thrill of the race is the same. There is a big distinction between those for whom the horses come first and the betting second, and those for whom there is only the betting.  Please don’t confuse us when you talk of gambling.

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This entry was written by Primal Sneeze and posted on March 15, 2007 at 7:35 am and filed under:
Commentary, Local, Occasions, Racing.
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3 Comments so far (Add 1 more)

  1. Over here in America I miss Horse Racing, and when I try and tell people about it they treat it like you are talking about the Lotto. But you know, I smiled when I checked the results of the Gold Cup and saw that Kauto Star won. And that was without a bet - which I never would have done anyway, not at 5/4.

    Reply
    1. Eolaí gan Fhéile on March 17th, 2007 at 11:12 am

  2. I’m with you on the horses. I grew up reading the racing page with my grandfather and he placed my first bet when I was 5. Nope, I don’t remember what happened, I just remember loving watching the horses. I wanted to be a jockey for a good long while after that.

    Reply
    2. Ann on March 22nd, 2007 at 6:15 pm

  3. Eolaí & Ann, I love you lads! You understand the love of horses.

    Reply
    3. Primal Sneeze on March 22nd, 2007 at 7:17 pm

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