Chance Jimmy in case odds-on Bally Burns your fingers March 12, 2024 WHEREVER Ballyburn turned up at the Festival he was going to prove hard to beat and connections have chosen the longer 2m5f of the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle (1.30pm) over yesterday’s Supreme. A winner of a point-to-point and over this trip on his penultimate start, there’s no doubting Willie Mullins’ charge will see this out well [...]
Saint can lead you on Path to gold in the Grand Annual March 12, 2024 IN THE last five years, we have seen winners of the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual (4.50pm) priced at 22/1, 28/1 and 66/1, which tells you all you need to know about the complexity of this puzzle. The one for money in recent days has been Libberty Hunter for Evan Williams and Harry Cobden. He won [...]
Ballymore and Black Bamboo look ideally Built for the Coral Cup March 12, 2024 MARTIN Brassil hasn’t had much luck in the Coral Cup (2.50pm) in recent years. An Epic Song was beaten a head by Langer Dan 12 months ago and Fastorslow, a leading contender for Friday’s Gold Cup, was headed on the line by Commander Of Fleet in 2022. I am hoping BUILT BY BALLYMORE can make [...]
Come Jalon and back Gordon’s bay in the Champion Bumper March 12, 2024 THIS looks like one of the most open renewals of the Champion Bumper (5.30pm) in recent history. It was 7/1 the field in 2013 and it won’t be much shorter than that this year, with Jasmin De Vaux and JALON D’OUDAIRIES currently flip-flopping at the head of the betting at around 6/1. My eye has [...]
Take Delta to land Glenfarclas Chase hat-trick at rain-sodden Cheltenham March 12, 2024 THERE is an early morning inspection to see whether this year’s running of the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (4.10pm) can take place this afternoon as the track is currently waterlogged. If it is abandoned, as seems more likely than not, the race will be run as the first on Friday’s Gold Cup Day card. Cheltenham [...]
Blizzard of winners heading team Size and Purton’s way March 12, 2024 RACING at Happy Valley in Hong Kong today hosts its regular mid-week slot with a highly competitive nine-race programme, featuring a number of high-flying speedsters who excel around the sharp-turning track. Form book students are finding it tough going at the Valley at present. Once upon a time, selecting horses drawn low, and likely to [...]
Whyte’s Knight could be riding towards a Majestic victory March 12, 2024 LOCAL racing enthusiasts have a treat in store, with some of the fastest speedsters in the territory lining-up in the Soko Islands Handicap (2.50pm) over six furlongs. The 11 contenders have accumulated 40 wins between them in their careers, with 23 of those coming at the iconic sharp-turning city track. The likes of Tomodachi Kokoroe [...]
EP: 258 Cheltenham Festival – Thursday March 12, 2024 Today we get to crown the champion stayer at the festival when the Grade 1 Stayers’ Hurdle takes place at 3.30. There’s also the Grade 1 Ryanair Chase to look forward to on Day 3 of this year’s festival. City AM Racing editor Bill Esdaile previews all of Thursday’s action at Cheltenham, with special guests [...]
The Punter Summary Podcast – Cheltenham Festival Thursday March 12, 2024 Here’s your chance to discover all of City AM racing editor Bill Esdaile’s selections for Thursday at the Cheltenham Festival in a short summary episode of ‘The Punter Podcast’ alongside Chris Barnett. The full preview is also available on the City AM website. The Punter ‘The Punter’ has been City AM’s dedicated sports betting section [...]
Lord is worthy rival to Willie’s solid State Man March 11, 2024 SORRY to state the obvious, but State Man is going to take a lot of beating in today’s Champion Hurdle (3:30pm). He’s 10lb clear on ratings and is currently in a league of his own, with his main protagonist in the division, Constitution Hill, sidelined through illness. Despite living in the shadows of that rival [...]