#Hollow Games

7 February 2022 By Roger Kennedy [email protected] Starting on Tuesday, 15 March and continuing till Friday, 18 March, the Cheltenham Festival is almost upon us. If you want to get your ante post bets in, now is likely the best time to start picking your horses for each race. Of course, you will need some information on the favourites to win major…

After a week of action, elation, tears and turmoil, the Cheltenham Festival concluded with the Gold Cup. The Gold Cup is one of the richest races in Britain, and this year's crown went to A Plus Tard as Rachael Blackmore created history. Blackmore had a dream 2021 though she made the decision to go with A Plus Tard last year when stablemate Minella…

Okay, it wouldn't be quite as dramatic as Lester Piggott at the 1990 Breeders' Cup. "I have decided to come out of retirement and ride for the short period while Jack [Kennedy] is on the sidelines," Russell said in his statement. But, with Kennedy breaking his leg for a fifth time at Naas on Sunday, the Cheltenham Festival, just two months away,…

The weekend's action at Leopardstown provided further pointers towards the Cheltenham Festival with plenty of movers in the betting markets ahead of the four-day extravaganza at Prestbury Park in March. Who are the big movers following the sixth renewal of the Dublin Racing Festival? We've taken a look at their impact on the big Grade Ones…

It's the final day of the 2022 Cheltenham Festival and there's seven more races taking place. The Gold Cup is the feature contest at 3.30pm and Rachael Blackmore is bidding to become the first female jockey to win it. On her chances, she said: "The Gold Cup is what the whole week of Cheltenham builds around. It's the pinnacle of the racing year and…

What a week it has been! The racing has been phenomenal, the weather largely clear and most crucially of all, fans were back where they belong on the terraces. Cheltenham felt like it was truly back this week as a result. See you in 2023! It's the seventh Irish-trained winner from seven races on Friday! Mark McDonagh did an excellent job steering…

It was another fantastic festive period of equine action as Leopardstown and Limerick took centre stage at the end of December. Not surprisingly, Kilkenny trainer Willie Mullins continued to dominate the training sphere over the days after Christmas as he saddled 16 winners, of which were five Grade 1's. In total Mullins had 73 runners over the…

28 races over four days of action inside Cheltenham Racecourse will come to an end on Friday afternoon, with the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle concluding the 2022 Festival. The Martin Pipe was established in 2009 in honour of the master trainer who saddled 34 Festival winners and is the only hurdles race at the Festival restricted to conditional…

Aside from everything that goes with the Cheltenham Festival in March, there is no better time of the year for racing disciples than Christmas with the finest of equine action everywhere you look. he cream of the Irish crop is certainly at Leopardstown over the next four days, although the opening show is a bit of a slow-burner at the Foxrock…

Racegoers arrive for the first day of the Cheltenham Festival The finale of the Cheltenham Festival saw Rachael Blackmore make to become the first female jockey to win the blue riband event of jump-racing as Minella Indo's attempt to secure back-to-back victories fell short. Despite a bright and sunny day three, the going is soft again after the…

Well, time to round up our live coverage from an epic four days. From the moment Constitution Hill romped home to huge cheers in the opening race on Tuesday, the action and atmosphere have both been electric. It's been a pleasure keeping you all updated and thank you so much for following. It has been a Festival for the ages. Last year, crowds…

Reigning champion Minella Indo will be hoping to make it successive Gold Cup wins toward the end of the 2022 Cheltenham Festival, but will face plenty of competition from the likes of last year's National Hunt Chase winner Galvin and previous two-time winner of this race Al Boum Photo. That all comes after four full days of racing though, with…

RACHAEL BLACKMORE has cemented her place as Queen of Cheltenham with victory in the Gold Cup. Grand National winner Blackmore was second in the prestigious race last year in the Gold Cup and has gone one better in front of the returning punters this year. All eyes were on Prestbury Park for one of the highlights of the horse racing calendar. The…

Galvin, Conflated and Fil Dor are among the big names set to be in action for Gordon Elliott over the festive period as the Cullentra handler shuffles his pack for Leopardstown's Christmas Festival. Elliott has enjoyed huge success at the four-day meeting in recent years, with Galvin's thrilling Savills Chase victory over A Plus Tard a clear…

Willie Mullins takes this Morgiana Hurdle business seriously. We know that he does, because he has won it 11 times in total, and 10 times since 2011. His one lapse in the last 11 years was in 2020, when Abacadabras beat Saint Roi by a neck. If you had to nominate a point in the season, a weekend in the season, at which the Willie Mullins wheel…

Go for GALVIN in the Cheltenham Gold Cup as the Festival reaches its grand finale. Gordon Elliott, already with a winner of the feature on his CV, looks to have an ideal candidate. The son of Gold Well has stamina in abundance - and scooped the National Hunt Chase prize at last year's meeting. A narrow verdict over A Plus Tard at Leopardstown over…

Rachael Blackmore can make history and win her first Cheltenham Gold Cup riding A Plus Tard. Henry De Bromhead's chaser, second last year, was extremely impressive in the Betfair Chase at the start of the season. He was then pipped by Galvin, when Blackmore probably hit the front a little sooner than ideal against a strong stayer, at…

Mighty Potter: dual Grade 1 winner makes his seasonal reappearance at Down Royal Friday: Down Royal Gordon Elliott unleashes some of his biggest stars across Friday and Saturday's action at Down Royal, with dual Grade 1 winner Mighty Potter one of his standout representatives. Elliott has won Friday's 2m3½f Tote-sponsored beginners' chase (3.15)…

Gordon Elliott's domination of Down Royal's two-day festival looks almost guaranteed to continue after the trainer declared a host of his most talented troops for battle at the track on Friday. Among them are leading Cheltenham contenders American Mike and Mighty Potter. Some 15 of the 28 races staged at the meeting over the last two years have…

Plenty of horses trained in Ireland understandably catching the punters' attention after the recent festive action. Shorteners with Sky Bet include Sunday Naas winner Ginto who looks a player in the staying novice hurdle division in March - and a Willie Mullins-trained, Sussanah Ricci-owned French import in Allegorie De Vassy. She impressed with…

1.30 JCB Triumph Hurdle - Vauban/Fil Dor 2.10 County Handicap Hurdle - State Man (NAP) 2.50 Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle - Hillcrest 3.30 Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup - A Plus Tard 4.10 Hunters' Chase - Billaway 4.50 Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase - Elimay 5.30 Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle - Grand Jury "I'm in the Elimay camp, she was unlucky last…

A PUNTER whose friends thought he was mad for placing a monster bet is staring down the barrel of a £167000 payout after the odds on his horses plummeted. One of his Cheltenham Festival picks has gone from 50-1 to a best-price 5-2. Another has gone from 50-1 to 14-1 while the other two are now 6-1 and 3-1 from 20-1 and 12s respectively. He put…

TEMPLEGATE takes on the final day of Cheltenham Festival confident of banging in a few winners to end the week on a high. Our man delivers all his tips below - back a horse by clicking their odds. And while you're here, don't forget to check out the Sun Racing Lucky 15 for Friday and why we fancy this huge outsider. Good luck! CHELTENHAM…