Any of these can win this. I gave these 5 a third of the market - which is obviously wrong. Can think of worse ways to play the race though. I graded the form of last year's race over what's happened since, focused on horses under 11 stone in worsening ground, had an eye on horses coming from off the pace, and think Robin's Command's improvement in form may have been overly dismissed. Oh, and obviously I've gone for the two impossible to spell.
Anay Turge 3pts win at 12/1
Ut Majeur Aulmes 3pts win at 16/1
Robin's Command 3pts win at 20/1
De Faoithesdream 3pts win at 22/1
Sew on Target 3pts win at 25/1
2nd, 4th and 5th. Ho hum. Wasted another three points on forecasts also. Leaving me overstaked but not overly disappointed.
Cheltenham 2:25
Itching to play this race. It's one of my favourite races of the season - what a roll of honour. Obviously I'd be keen to take on Colour Squadron who seems to find all manner of ways of losing. But I can't unpick the market after that, it being exactly as I priced it. Watching brief for now.
Played in the end of course. By backing all three contenders (I didn't fancy Splash of Ginge). This meant I was dutching odds-on, which is rather against my own rules but seemed the most obvious way of opposing Colour Squadron. Urban Hymn might have gone close had they jumped the 8 fences they omitted.
Cheltenham 3:00
Blaklion rock solid, but surely opposable with the penalty. Minella Present needs to hurdle better and I'm a bit biased against these Ferguson flat horses on this course. Which leaves the two getting the most weight.
Champagne Present 8pts win at 4/1
Port Melon 4pts win at 6/1
Poor ride from the front on Blaklion really - letting it turn into a sprint and playing into the hands of Parlour Games. So much for my prejudices!
1pt win treble Ut Majeur Aulmes/Champagne West and Champagne Present at around 420/1
Running Totals
Out 353pts
In 398pts