The road to the Cheltenham Festival begins

www.racingpost.com/news/latest/rooneys-k...nder-scrutiny/359748

www.racingpost.com/news/latest/counting-...n-and-warwick/360251

IMO the best horse on the planet

Altior 11111/111111/111-111

Thanks Bob as you aware have been away and always a pleasure to watch the champ
Cheltenham now a formality

in a bigger field that jumping to the left could be a problem.

Can they train that out of the horse ??

Sly it is possible but you have left handed and right handed courses lol

I remember Lester Piggott having a problem with a horse that kept hanging to the right side and the champ suggested to the owner put a piece of lead in its left ear.

The owner asked lester "whats the best way to do it "?
Lester replied " with a gun" !!'

On serious note the trainer has no concern.

Nicky Henderson suggested on Sunday that people need to cut jump racing's biggest star Altior some slack, his jumping to the left at Ascot the afternoon before having sparked as much, if not more, comment as another imperious success.

Altior racked up consecutive win number 17 in the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase to set up the chance to equal the Big Buck's modern-day record of 18 at the Cheltenham Festival in March, and in Henderson's view his freakish talent is as much the reason for the examination of his jumping as the fact he occasionally goes left.

The champion trainer said: "The trouble with a horse like him, and I'm very grateful everyone is so interested in him as it's so lovely, but when they're as good as he is they're put under such scrutiny. If he so much as twitches everyone wants to know why.

Ireland's new racing superstar Presenting Percy lit up Gowran Park and tightened his grip at the head of the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup market as he swaggered to victory on his long-awaited return to action in the Galmoy Hurdle.

On his first start since his electrifying performance in the RSA Chase, the Pat Kelly-trained eight-year-old was trimmed into a top-priced 100-30 (from 9-2) to record a third consecutive festival victory, this time in jump racing's most prestigious event.

If you accept the fact that the Irish Trainers will be having a big input into Cheltenham,as they usually do,then due notice should be taken of the two day Leopardstown meeting next week on Sat/Sun 2nd/3rd February.
Messrs Mullins,O'Brien.J. ,Elliott and Madame Harrington are running a lot of Cheltenham horses in 7 Grade 1's including Irish Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup.
Assuming we won't be able to see .

After yesterdays results it looks like the Champion hurdle could be a cracker with Apples taking on the champ.

www.racingpost.com/news/big-race-reports...les-jade-romp/364641

Dickie Johnson going over to Leopardstown for the one ride,R5 LA BAGUE AU ROI and Willie Mullins/Ruby Walsh combo have R6 BELLSHILL.

After the flu drama we can start concentrating back on Cheltenham.
I see a few local bookies priced up.
Altior still remains the meeting banker
A few bookies in UK using no run/ money back, but just beware in ante post .
Apples Jade a good example;
It wont run in champion hurdle and mares hurdle so it cant be 2/1 and 16/10 for BOTH !!!
It will probably go against Buveur in the champion hurdle so 2/1 jt probably correct, and should be a cracker and maybe some value in the Mares to be had ? Possibly Benie Des Dieux

Good punting

Sir Erec also worth a punt 18/10