Can't wait for Cheltenham and perhaps this is a little early but i though we could highlight some of our pre-festival tips for this year's Cheltenham.

Here are my anti-post picks so far in the non-runner no-bet races which based on recent non-runners seems crucial to 2016 anti-posts

Champion Hurdle
Nichols Canyon

World Hurdle
Alpha Des Obeaux

I did 3 anti post bets around mid november.

Yanworth at 16/1 for Supreme. So gutted he hosed u[ in neptune trial.

Saphir Du Rheu at 20/1 E.W for World Hurdle. Thought he was good value with it likely 5 horses shorter than he would not run. Although i doubt he'll beat Thistlecrack or Alpha Des Obeaux.

More Of That 16/1 for the RSA before he ran. Think he's the one they all have to beat. A world hurdle winner.

I agree More of That looks the most likely winner of the RSA, had a few more anti-posts now that NRNB bets are available for all races

Supreme Hurdle
Altior

Mares Hurdle
Tara Point e/w (Most likely Vroom Vroom Mag will win)

Neptune Hurdle
A Toi Phil (In with a real chance and no real value in Yanworth at such a short price)

i've also been topping up on Saphir De Rheu 20/1 ew. Ran like a horse crying out for a breathing op when he nearly stopped to a walk in his last run.

I think Alan King's horse Sceau Royal is in with a shout in the Triumph Hurdle

Really good from annie power but ill stick to my statement on any mare running in races against the boys. They should be running off levels. The mares races are there so run off levels.

Although it's not going to happen I would rather see the scrapping of the mares races (and a few others) as it dilutes the competition. It seems pretty obvious now that she would of won this race 2 years ago and racing was denied the chance of seeing Quevega in the stayers hurdle; Although of course not all trainers would of taken the route that Willie took.

No we need the mares races because not every horse is as good as Annie or Vrrom Vrrom Mag. I think if that was the case people would buy less mares. I just see it as if a trainer thinks a mare is good enough to run against geldings then they should run off levels, then there's no disadvantage.

I don't have a problem with mares races at all, just in them having them as championship races at the Cheltenham festival, it was far better when there were the 4 championship races. Plenty of opportunities can be made throughout the season for mares or intermediate distances but if Cheltenham is going to be the pinnacle then it shouldn't be diluting the races. I can see them adding a 2m 4f hurdle before too long and a fifth day

I couldn't disagree more with what u said, a filly running in the King Stand over 5f gets 3 pounds and yet a filly running over 2m wouldn't get any If u think that's right then they should scrap all filly races on the flat and just run every race as a open race.

I think the race planners has got 2 things right( a lot more wrong) over the last couple of years and that is to add veteran races over jumps and have more Mare races so to keep them in training longer and to win more prize money.

I don't mind what's happened the last few years but I think they should scrap the Cross Country Chase( not a h'cap this year) and have a championship 4 mile race. U have championship races over every distance apart from the Stayers and yet they have a 4 mile novice. It would be after the h'capping of the National so it wouldn't affect that plus horses run at the festival and still win that race.

I like the veteran races it gives the older horses a chance, they aren't ran at all the big tracks and i think they've been a success, they are starting to get a better mares schedule. Although i don't see mares staying in training for this, there's just more money in the stud side of things. The main trainers will just dominate these races and the normal talented mare will get some placed black type and retire.

Also if we had a 2m 4f race at the festival, we'd would have had about 5 or 6 runners in the champion hurdle. Hargam, Little Rockofella,Camping Ground, The New One would have probably went for that race as there all stayers and annie Power just had to much speed. Top Notch will probably stay 2m 4f aswell.

On another note I'm over the moon to see Jonjo's horses run well today considering I've got More Of That at 16/1 to win the RSA.

Gutting to see No More Heroes has died to be honest its Bryan Coopers fault. Gordon Elliott said Bryan felt something 3 out so why the hell didn't he pull him up. There's always another day well there's not now.

Sprinter Sacre yesterday just made the whole festival whatever happens now. It will be very interesting to see what they do with him now as Nicky admitted yesterday that they should never have gone to Punchestown all those years ago.
As for today I maintain what I said previously about the diluting of the races, the Ryanair is the worst example. I was going to back Road To Riches in the gold cup and surely that would be the right race for him, the trainer thinks so to. If Vautour was mine (wishful thinking) I would have run him in the champion chase, he looks a 2 miler. On the subject of Vautour Ricci must surely of been lying when he said that he was only 90%; I cannot believe Willie would be running the horse in any festival race if he's not right. The owner pays the bills and can run them where they want but a little honesty wouldn't go amiss.

I agree, he was a young horse with a big future but Cooper's not the most sympathetic rider out there, how many times did he hit Dom Poli in his last race?