The Cheltenham Festival by Fitzdares March 15, 2021 | Sponsored On the eve of the biggest four days in racing, it is comforting to know that Cheltenham has bookended a terrible twelve months. With work from home very much on the agenda, many fans will see this as a perfect opportunity to #CFH, or ‘Cheltenham From Home’. And perhaps the last, if we are to [...]
Allmankind has speed to shake-up Shishkin March 15, 2021 PLENTY had billed the potential match-up between Shishkin and Energumene in the Sporting Life Arkle (1.55pm) as the race of the 2021 Cheltenham Festival. Sadly, the news emerged late last week that the latter had met with a set back in training and the duel of the meeting was off, clearing the way for Shishkin [...]
Silver looks a golden bet in Champion Hurdle March 15, 2021 ONLY the 10 runners have been declared for the Unibet Champion Hurdle (3.05pm), but a genuine case can be made for all of them. Not So Sleepy is the rank outsider of the field at 66/1 but could run well if given an uncontested soft lead. The obvious starting point is with the two mares [...]
Remastered to strike for Master of Pond House March 15, 2021 ROYAL Pagaille switching to Friday’s WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup has given a completely different complexion to the Sam Vestey National Hunt Chase (4.50pm). Galvin, recently moved from Gordon Elliott to Ian Ferguson, heads the market at 2/1 with Fitzdares and it’s easy to see why after his impressive performance at Cheltenham in October. Second to [...]
EP:44 Cheltenham Festival Day 1 – Tuesday March 15, 2021 Tuesday is Day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival and the feature race is the Grade 1 Champion Hurdle, where the mare Epatante will try to hold on to her title after winning the race last year. City AM racing editor Bill Esdaile is joined by Fitzdares ambassador Cornelius Lysaght to set the scene for this [...]
EP: 43 Sandown & Hong Kong March 12, 2021 Only a few more days before the start of this year’s Cheltenham Festival. A new episode of The Punter Podcast will be available EVERY day of the Festival, starting on Monday, so please make sure you join us for four days of top class racing. Today, City A.M. racing editor Bill Esdaile previews Saturday’s card [...]
Hong Kong Racing Tips: Perfect draw for Strive For Glory March 9, 2021 AN IMPORTANT factor to take into account at Happy Valley when racing takes place on the ‘B’ course is the significance of the draw in six furlong races. Records show over the past three seasons that horses drawn in either one, two or three have won nearly 50 per cent of the 94 races run over the [...]
Hong Kong Racing Tips: Wisdom can Star at the Valley March 9, 2021 WITH arch-rival Joao Moreira sidelined through suspension over the last week, the old adage of ‘when the cat’s away the mice will play’ certainly applied to reigning champion jockey Zac Purton. Purton plundered eight prizes at Happy Valley and Sha Tin, including a masterclass of jockeyship with a five-timer at Happy Valley last Wednesday, and [...]
Hong Kong Racing Tips: Moreira to work his magic March 9, 2021 BETTORS will be licking their lips with anticipation for the return of champion jockey elect Joao Moreira to Happy Valley in Hong Kong on Wednesday. The ‘Magic Man’ has sat out the last two meetings through suspension but, with a full-book of fancied rides on the nine-race programme, it shouldn’t take him long to return to the [...]
EP:42 Newbury, Kelso, Doncaster & Hong Kong March 5, 2021 It has been a very difficult week for racing with the emergence of horrendous footage of a trainer and jockey in Ireland showing an enormous lack of respect for horses in their care City AM racing editor Bill Esdaile discusses the implications of these images as well as the public’s response as racing looks to [...]