THE guests on the TV chat show circuit often say that the shipyard cities of Liverpool, Glasgow and Belfast are both the toughest audience and the best audience. Béal Feirste last Friday night did not disappoint with the five-strong preview panel nearly as entertaining as the crowd.
Toalsbet.com sponsored the affair and Pamela Ballantine was compere with her hard to replicate ’Pamelaness‘ while Kevin Blake, Tony Keenan, Archie Devlin (The Punters Diary/Irish News) and Bryan Cooper were the experts.
We begin in the time-honoured fashion with the Supreme Novices. Tony Keenan thinks there is no stand-out in the Mullins ranks.
Kevin respects Old Park Star, ‘a chaser in the making’. He says Talk The Talk ‘very talented’, they thought he was beaten at the DRF yet he made up loads of ground. Kevin goes on to say that “Joseph is allergic to being positive about his own horses but made a very favourable comment lately about Talk The Talk.”
Bryan Cooper thinks El Cairos is a “weapon” (in the positive sense) he thinks Jack Kennedy will keep El Cairos buried and then use his speed, the horse having clocked 38mph at Thurles. Archie likes Old Park Star, the Old Park being a sizeable area in North Belfast where ‘piggy banks will be emptied’.
In the Arkle Chase, Bryan is all over Lulamba – “Nico will be positive on him”. Several of the panel are against Kopek Des Bordes. Archie likes to tip fat-priced ones each-way or without one or two and throws in Jax Junior, while Tony likes Lulamba.
The Champion Hurdle threw up three charity bets for Brighterdaysahead, and Archie is each-way on Alexei for Joe Tizzard.
All admired the ‘ballsy’ decision of the Golden Ace team to go for the Champion Hurdle as opposed to the Mares’ Hurdle in 2025.
Nearly as entertaining as the crowd: Archie Devlin, Bryan Cooper, Pamela Ballentine, Kevin Blake and Tony Keenan about to face the locals at the Belfast Cheltenham preview
Low hanging fruit
Kevin is disparaging about rich owners going for “low hanging fruit” which will hardly bother these millionaires. Archie “can’t have The New Lion”.
The panel were complimentary about the training and riding ability of Declan Queally on I’ll Sort That in the Turners Novice Hurdle. Tony Keenan thinks the Mullins stable “haven’t an effing clue what they have”. Tony likes Zeus Power at a price, and also likes Road Exile.
Bryan Cooper was very positive about his father’s Shuttle Diplomacy and Tom’s swans are never geese.
In the Brown Advisory, Cooper is with Kitzbuhel while Archie favours Wendigo and Kevin plumps for Oscars Brother.
With reference to the Queen Mother Chase, it’s a game of opinions. Bryan Cooper can’t see Majborough being beaten while Archie wouldn’t trust his jumping around this track.
Kevin Blake thinks Il Etait Temps is value. Tony Keenan thinks the front ones are skinny enough. Ever the optimist, Archie puts up Quilixios each-way.
The bumper as usual is a lottery. Bryan Cooper likes Keep Him Company. Tony Keenan tips The Mourne Rambler who will have one Colin Keane in the plate. Kevin Blake makes scurrilous remarks about the various flat jockeys who have tried the bumper and their post-race comments.
Bambino Fever gets most of the votes in the Mares’ Novice Hurdle. However, both Kevin and Archie make positive noises about Echoing Silence.
Stayers
Kevin makes a strong case for Home By The Lee in the Stayers’ Hurdle as he did last year, unluckily brought down. By the sound of things, Kevin wouldn’t be queuing up to wash down Home By The Lee, “a hooligan of a horse”. Tony Keenan thinks Ma Shantou is a cracking each-way bet.
The Ryanair Chase looks like an easier option for Fact To File. ‘If he runs, he wins‘ seems to be the view of Archie and Bryan Cooper
Just after the interval one burly Belfastman who had assumed number one pitch on the rails (i.e. front row centre) had gotten into a nice jumping rhythm with his heckling. His main job seemed to be reminding Kevin Blake of all the wides he had kicked at this fixture last year.
Bryan Cooper likes Proactif for the Triumph. Tony is already on Mon Creuset at 100/1.
Gold Cup
On the subject of the blue riband, the Gold Cup, Archie makes a strong case for Rebecca Curtis’ Haiti Couleurs, “a proven stayer”. There was much coughing and smirking in the hall around the subject of Inothewayurthinkin coming back to form at the right time. Kevin Blake has a good word of Jango Baie.
Toalsbet.com are nothing if not enterprising and with specials like ‘3/1 Willie three winners or more; Gordon, two or more and Henry, one or more’ and ‘2/1 the double, Willie leading trainer, Townend leading jockey’.
They were giving punters a fair crack of the whip, albeit for 24 hours only, which is long enough for any bookie to be at the fairness lark.
As ever, at these previews, the punters tend to arrive with their minds made up and are merely seeking an endorsement. They applaud the panel when they ‘get one right’.
The panellists placed charity bets all night long, a generous gesture by Toalsbet.com The beneficiary is ‘Cash For Kids’ NI an organisation that works on a local level for families in need.
Incidentally Archie Devlin, Rory Delargy and I all attended the same seat of learning in the Antrim Glens.
This means that Garron Tower has produced three journalists of varying handicap grades. Throw in clerk of the course Paddy Graffin for an unlikely racing quad.