IT’s been fun but the time has come

To bring down the final curtain….

Yes, after six months of anticipation since the stars of the National Hunt scene returned to action, our Olympics, the Oscars, the Festival, it’s here!

Those months of ante-post dabbling could come to nothing as even the weather is throwing a final potential spanner in the works, the driest February was followed by days of SNOW in mid-March. Those safely nursing tasty ante-post bets on Marine Nationale (Yes, it’s me…) are now feeling less secure.

This is a week you lose the run of yourself. Waking up after a dream, nay, a nightmare of seeing Facile Vega’s big head coming at you, worse still, coming at Marine Nationale up the run-in and robbing that 25/1 from under your nose.

Even simply driving along the motorway, the idle mind can’t help drifting into thoughts of Cheltenham. Into the fast lane to overtake and a voice inside says “and now Constitution Hill moves into overdrive ...”

In our office canteen there’s some large fake plants across the middle in rectacular boxes. Every time I pass them, it looks like you are heading for that last scattered hurdle in the Cross-Country. Yes, I need these games to begin….!

It’s a meeting where, of course, you have hopes of making a decent betting profit, but you also can stand back and hope for some heartwarming success stories.

Head versus heart

Virtually every preview I read, watched or heard still wants Honeysuckle to win, even if their heads and financial investment is elsewhere. Heads say Luccia wins the Mares’ Novice, hearts say, wouldn’t it be wonderful if Princess Zoe did it.

We all want Constitution Hill to show he’s that outstanding Champion. Edwardstone can prove anyone can still breed a fine horse. By winning the Gold Cup, Galopin Des Champs would also prove himself outstanding but wouldn’t a victory for Ahoy Senor and his connections also be something to enhance the sport. High Definition all the way in the Supreme might also make me smile.

So where do we begin? My own happy Marine day dreams also include a nice 33/1 each-way wager on French Dynamite.

Odds are that the five favourites in the championship races will not all win. We don’t really know who will go off favourite for the Stayers’ while the Gold Cup is a strong race with at least six with definite chances. But, alas, poor Hewick, I cannot see it.

Jonbon, Constitution Hill, Edwardstone and Shishkin would be my short-priced Yankee. I like some nice prices in the 10-20/1 bracket. Galia Des Liteaux on her A-game could get a few in trouble in the Brown Advisory. Comfort Zone will surely be suited by the way the Triumph Hurdle is run. A top form Greaneteen is big at 33s for an each-way bet in the Champion Chase.

You’d like the Morans to have a winner after all their investment in the sport. Riviere D’Etel is the forgotten horse in the Mares’ Chase, though I’d have liked her in a handicap. If back on song, her jumping could test the novices.

Confidence is fading slightly for Mighty Potter though a ‘wavy hands’ Russell victory would be a proper finale for his rider. Banbridge, if the ground is decent, and Appreciate It might make it difficult. Chemical Energy might be too strong for the favourite in the National Hunt Chase.

In the handicaps, I like HMS Seahorse in the Coral but prefer to see how it goes with top-weights and the going for the third and fourth days.

Lieutenant Rocco’s big white face would please me in the Cross- Country. I wish there were more fences in the later stages for Snow Leopardess.

The Boodles, the Bumper and the Mares’ Novice and the Hunter Chase are just ‘take a betting break’ races.

Hopefully, the whip will be absent from any headlines but, with so much at stake, going two strikes over the seven permitted in the Grade 1s is more than possible and I fear some 14-day suspensions will be in the offing in the next weeks. But, here’s to the roar that will begin day one. All’s right with the world for these four days.