I’m wondering whether to get a decent webcam so that I can contribute to important face-time remote meetings, looking serious, full of wisdom and yet somehow avuncular. My concern is that no webcam is going to give me the look of a George Clooney offering Madame a cafe au lit. (yes I can spell). Aside from that small issue, those of us who give life something of a battering, find it hard to do gravitas.
Perhaps Gravitas can be found within an honest appraisal of Raceweb’s profit and loss account from Jan 1st to date. Cheltenham was fun, no denying it, but we, and I’m including the trainers, probably placed too much reliance on the ground drying out. There were many decent results and some very exciting racing, but Rain equals Irish and Heavy equals Ireland. We last looked at the results, following a cracking weekend, on February 17th, where we carried forward a profit of 15.10 points. Since then we have had several weekends and of course Cheltenham.
The Festival didn’t decimate us – it destroyed us. We lost almost 170 points over the four days, with two reasonably sensible men making two or three selections in each of the seven races over each of the four days. As can easily deduced that is 112 opportunities to be correct. What unshipped us, was my fondness for the exotic. That cost us almost 70 points and I think post CV-blight we will swerve the exotic in favour of the simple.
20th Feb: Total Loss = -5pts Cfwd +10.10pts
- We made selections in the WGC MEXICO and lost all three bets for a stake loss of 5 pts.
22nd Feb: Total loss = -23.5pts Cfwd -13.4pts
- 1:15 KEMPTON: SOUTHFIELD STONE 2nd -2 – ERIK LE ROUGE Lost -2 = -4
- 1:50 KEMPTON: SOLO Won +1.5 – BLAME IT ON SALLY Lost -2 = -0.5
- 2:05 LINGFIELD: WATCHABLE 3rd -2 – CORINTHIA KNIGHT Lost -2 = -4
- 2:25 KEMPTON: ELGIN Lost -2 and CH’TIBELLO 3rd -2 = -4
- 3:02 KEMPTON: BUZZ Lost -2 = -2
- 3:15 LINGFIELD: BANGKOK 2nd -2 – COURT HOUSE 3rd 16/1 +3 = +1
- 3:35 KEMPTON: BLACK CORTON 2nd -2 – KILDISART 5th -2 – HIGHWAY ONE O ONE pu -2 =-6
29th Feb: Total P&L this weekend +14.68 CFwd +1.28
- 1:50 DONCASTER: GEORDIE B Lost -2 – CODED MESSAGE Lost -2 = -4
- 14:12 KELSO: PROTEK DES FLOS e/w Won 15/2 +9.38 CALIX DELAFAYETTE ur -2 = +7.38
- 2:25 DONCASTER: DALILA DU SEUIL e/w -2 = -2
- 2:45 KELSO: CHEDDLETON 3rd -2 – rfc with CLONDAW CAITLIN -2 = -4
- 3:00 DONCASTER: ELEANOR BOB e/w Lost -2 = -2
- 15:22 KELSO: Advised no bet, but called first three.
- 3:35 DONCASTER: CAPTAIN CHAOS to win +5.63 YALTARI and WORTHY FARM for rfc. -2 and +15.67 = +19.3
Cheltenham Day 1 Total P&L Day 1 CK -47.74 PO’T +16.66 OVERALL -31.08 CFwd -29.8
CK Selections
- 13:30 – ASTERION FORLONGE wins LOST -2 – CHANTRY HOUSE e/w 3RD +0.88 – FIDDLERONTHEROOF For forecasts -6 = -7.12
- 14:10 – BREWINUPATORM wins LOST -2 – ESPRIT DU LARGE e/w LOST -2 – GLOBAL CITIZEN e/w LOST -2 = -6
- 14:50 – CEPAGE e/w LOST -2 – DISCORAMA e/w 3RD +0.38 – KILDISART for exotics -6 = -7.62
- 15:30 – CILAOS EMERY wins LOST -2 – CORNERSTONE LAD e/w LOST -2 – EPATANTE and BALLYANDY for exotics -12 = -14
- 16:10 – BENIE DES DIEUX wins 2ND -2 HONEYSUCKLE WON -1 straight forecast. = -3
- 16:50 – CHAMPAGNE COURT e/w LOST -2 – HOLD THE NOTE for forecasts (too short to do e/w) 3RD -2 – IMPERIAL AURA for forecasts (too short to do e/w) WON -2 =-6
- 17:30 – CAREFULLY SELECTED wins LOST -2 SPRINGFIELD FOX for the forecasts -2 = -4
Peter O’Tool, The Pharoah of Galway Selections
- 1:30 – ASTERION FORLANGE LOST -2 – EDWARDSTONE e/w LOST -2 – CAPTAIN GUINNESS e/w LOST -2 = -6
- 2:10 – NOTEBOOK LOST -2 – ROUGE VIF e/w 3rd +1.25 = -0.75
- 2:50 THE CONDITIONAL e/w WON +9.38 – MISTER MALARKEY e/w LOST -2 = +7.38
- 3:30 DARVER STAR e/w 3rd +1.13 = +1.13
- 4:10 HONEYSUCKLE WON +4.40 – ROKSANA e/w -2 = 2.40
- 4:50 HOLD THE NOTE e/w +1.50 – TRAINWRECK e/w LOST -2 = -0.5
- 5:30 SPRINGFIELD FOX e/w LOST -2 – RAVENHILL e/w WON +15 = +13
Cheltenham Day 2 Total P&L Day 1 CK -20.4 PO’T -32 OVERALL -52.4 CFwd -82.20
CK Selections
- 13:30 ENVOI ALLEN with SPORTING JOHN – THE BIG GETAWAY – THE BIG BREAKAWAY – EASYWORK 4xSFC +5.60 and EASYWORK e/w. 2nd +2 = +7.60
- 14:10 COPPERHEAD e/w LOST -2 – MINELLA INDO wins LOST -2 = -4
- 14:50 CANARDIER wins LOST -2 – BURROWS EDGE e/w LOST -2 – COKO BEACH e/w LOST -2 = -6
- 15:30 DEFI du SEUL wins LOST -2 – CHACUN POUR SOI e/w LOST -2
- 16:10 DIESEL D’ALLIER LOST -2 – URGENT DE GREGAINE LOST -2 – NEVERUSHACON LOST -2 = -6
- 16:50 MICK PASTOR LOST -2 – REPETITIO LOST -2- TRONADOR LOST -2 = -6
- 17:30 ESKYLANE LOST -2- DARLING DAUGHTER LOST -2 = -4
Peter O’Tool, The Pharoah of Galway Selections
- 1.30 SPORTING JOHN LOST -2 – LONGHOUSE POET LOST -2 = -4
- 2.10 COPPERHEAD e/w LOST -2 – BATTLEOVERDOYEN LOST -2 = -4
- 2.50 EGLANTINE DU SEUIL LOST -2 – ALFA MIX LOST -2 = -4
- 3.30 DEFI DU SEUIL LOST -2 – BUN DORAN e/w LOST -2 = -4
- 4.10 URGENT DE GREGAINE LOST -2 – ARLEQUIN D’ALLIER LOST -2 = -4
- 4.50 BLACKO e/w LOST -2 – THEATRE OF WAR e/w LOST -2 = -4
- 5.30 ADRIMEL LOST -2 – THE GLANCING QUEEN LOST -2 – PANIC ATTACK LOST -2 – THIRD TIME LUCKI LOST -2 = -8
Cheltenham Day 3 Total P&L Day 1 CK -38.00 pts PO’T -13.62. OVERALL CFwd -133.82
CK Selections
- 13:30 SAMCRO WON +8 TORNADO FLYER e/w -2 = +6
- 14:10 THE STORYTELLER LOST 2nd -2 – Both Henry Daly’s e/w -4 – CFC with JATILUWIH -12 = -18
- 14:50 FRODON -2 = -2
- 15:30 PAISLEY PARK no bet PENHILL 2pt Tote place -2 =-2
- 16:10 NOT ANOTHER MUDDLE LOST -2 – DEYRANN DE CARJAC e/w LOST -2 – CHARMANT and SPRINGTOWN LAKE for exotics -12 =-16
- 16:50 CONCERTISTA WON +9 – FLORESSA e/w -2 = +7
- 17:30 CLOTH CAP LOST -2 – KILFILUM CROSS e/w 2nd +1 – MILITARIAN and BOB MAHLER for exotics -12 = -13
Peter O’Tool, The Pharoah of Galway Selections
- 1.30 SAMCRO 2PTS +8 WIN MASTER FISHER 1PT E/W -2 = +6
- 2.10 THIRD WIND 1PT E/W 4th +2 – SKANDIBURG 1PT E/W -2 – THE STORYTELLER 1PT E/W 3rd +0.38 = +0.38
- 2.50 MIN 2PTS WON +4 – SHATTERED LOVE 1PT E/W -2 = +2
- 3.30 CITY ISLAND LOST -2 – SUMMERVILLE LAD LOST -2 – EMITON LOST -2 = -6
- 4.10 LA BAGUE AU ROI LOST -2 – ROBIN DES FORET LOST -2 – BLAZER LOST -2 = -6
- 4.50 FLORESSA LOST -2 – COLREEVY LOST -2 = -4
- 5.30 LE BREUIL LOST -2 – MILITARIAN LOST -2 – FITZHENRY LOST -2 = -6
Cheltenham Day 4 Total P&L Day 1 CK -15.95 pts PO’T -17.86. OVERALL CFwd -167.63
- 13:30 SOLO LOST -2 – SIR PYSCHO LOST -2 = -4
- 14:10 THATSY e/w LOST -2 – ADJALI e/w LOST -2 – BUILDMEUPUTTERCUP CFC -6 = -10
- 14:50 JANADIL LOST -2 – FURY ROAD 3rd 5/1 +0.25 – CAT TIGER LOST -2 = -3.75
- 15:30 MONALEE e/w 5 places +4 – AL BOUM PHOTO WON +6.67 – LOSTINTRANSLATION e/w +1.50 = +12.17
- 16:10 ALCALA e/w LOST -2 – HAZEL HILL e/w LOST -2 =-4
- 16:50 LISP wins LOST -2 – ECLAIR DE BEAUFEU e/w +0.63 – THE BAY BIRCH LOST -1 = -2.37
- 17:30 FIVE O’CLOCK LOST -2 – FLASH THE STEEL LOST -2 = -4
Peter O’Tool, The Pharoah of Galway Selections
- 1.30 ALLMANKIND LOST -2 – A WAVE OF THE SEA LOST -2 = -4
- 2.10 ADJALI 1PT E/W LOST -2 – STOLEN SILVER 1PT E/W LOST -2 – OAKLEY 1PT E/W LOST -2 = -6
- 2.50 HARRY SENIOR 1PT E/W LOST -2 – THYME HILL 1PT E/W LOST -2 – LATEST EXHIBITION 1 PT E/W +0.13 = -3.87
- 3.30 CLAN DES OBEAUX 3PTS E/W LOST -2 – BRISTOL DE MAI 1PT E/W LOST -2 – MONALEE 1PT E/W +4 = 0
- 4.10 BILLAWAY 2PTS E/W -0.62 = -0.62
- 4.50 GREANETEEN 1PTS E/W +0.25 – CHOSEN MATE 1PT E/W +4.38 – LISP 1PT E/W LOST -2 = +2.63
- 5.30 COLUMN OF FIRE 1 PT E/W LOST -2 – THE BOSSES OSCAR 1PT E/WLOST -2 – ESCARIA TEN 1PT E/W LOST -2 = -6