/ Geoffrey Riddle / 14 November 2009 / Leave a Comment

Geoffrey Riddle is back in the hotseat at a wet and windy Prestbury Park for the second day of Open Meeting action. Stay here for betting updates and more throughout the day

4pm
Okay everybody. It's time to go. The crowds have left and the gloom has descended. "Oh, and one last thing," as Columbo might say.

The attendance here was around 29,000. Cheltenham racecourse gave those booking club tickets for today an advance option - pay the full price on booking of £30 and get your money back if an Irish-trained horse wins the Paddy Power. Remember, there hadn't been one since 1980. Alternatively, you could pay the discounted price of £27. That means that, effectively, you had £3 on Tranquil Sea, and Northern Alliance at 10-1. Guess how many people got their money refunded? I'll give you 10-11 over/under 500.

The answer? 200.

See you back here tomorrow at 11am.

3.45pm result:
1: Zafranagar
2: Sweet World
3: Coeur De Fou
The Paddy Power Gold Cup still eludes Champion trainer Paul Nicholls. Poquelin's staying-on second in the feature race was the fourth time that Nicholls has saddled the runner up. Poliantas was the bridesmaid twice, in 2002 and 2003, while Thisthatandtother chased home Celestial Gold in 2004.

Nicholls was happy with Poquelin, who proved the best of his trio after Chapoturgeon fell and Tatenen unseated jockey Christian Williams. He said: "He looked fantastic and he has run a blinder on the ground - it's just a shame the going was against him."

Poquelin is unlikely to get the going he needs until the Festival, and Nicholls outlined the six-year-old's Festival target. "I'll not run him during the winter; we'll put him away until the spring and bring him back for the Ryanair Chase. He could run in one of the other handicaps, but the Ryanair will be the target."

Poquelin is 14-1 with Skybet for the Ryanair but you can get [15.5] to back and [17.0] to lay on Betfair. Considering he's not a certain runner, and he may not even be seen on a racecourse until March, you might as well leave it.

3.35pm
The layers' electronic odds boards glow in the dimming darkness that is enveloping Cheltenham. Listen out for the commentary on the lucky last. Remember the lather that Simon Holt and Mike Cattermole got themselves in earlier about PSI? Or is it pronounced 'sigh'?

Vinne's Friend just edges favouritism on Betfair for the lucky last at [6.2], with Alazan closing in fast at [6.2]. With the race due to be off in ten minutes and with the support for Alazan, I wouldn't be surprised if the bottom-weight went off favourite.

PSI drifts having been backed earlier in the day.

3.10pm result:
1: Lie Forrit
2: Earth Planet
3: Grand Endevour
Lie Forrit makes up for his howler last time out, when he ran around. The five-year-old was described by Alistair Down a few weeks ago as: "Just about the toughest thing that has raced over hurdles in recent years. He stays on and battles." He certainly did that today, out-gunning Earth Planet and Grand Endevour, who looked to have nicked it during the latter stages.

Despite all of his success at the Cheltenham Festival, Tranquil Sea was only Edward O'Grady's second winner from 28 runners at the Open meeting. The Paddy Power Gold Cup favourite ended a 29-year wait for Ireland, and a startling losing run for his trainer, when he galloped up Cheltenham hill to win the feature handicap."It's been a while since I've won a race at this meeting," said an understated O'Grady. "I'm fed up with not winning a god damn race here."

Tranquil Sea injured his shoulder after winning the Grade 1 Novice Hurdle at Punchestown last year, and just five days after that victory, O'Grady had to stand down his gelding from racecourse action for four months. O'Grady explained: "We don't know if he broke his shoulder. We would have had to do a bone scan, which would have cost us £5,000 and the vet would tell us to rest him anyhow. So we left him in a box for three or four months instead."

Tranquil Sea was heavily backed before the off, partly due to his ability to handle the heavy going here, but O'Grady insisted that it doesn't suit his seven-year-old. "I don't think the conditions helped him," he continued. "I think he handled it better than most, and he's a better horse on better ground.

"I couldn't have got him any better. If he was good enough, and things went right, he was going to run his best race. I think we got him right today!"

O'Grady has no immediate plans for his winner, although several of the high street bookies priced up Tranquil Sea at between 6-1 and 10-1 for the Ryanair Chase at the Festival. He's not quoted on Betfair at the moment behind favourite Voy Por Ustedes at [5.8].

"I was hoping he'd make a Ryanair horse, that's what I'd aim him for and after that he can always step up or step down," O'Grady added.

"He's not a champion chaser, he wouldn't be good enough, this was just a handicap and probably not the best renewal so I thought there was an opportunity there - nothing stood out and if anything did, it was him."

2.35pm result - Paddy Power Gold Cup
1: Tranquil Sea
2: Poquelin
3: Hold Em
4: Ballyfitz
The grey clouds have dispersed and the sun bathes the first Irish winner of the Paddy Power Gold Cup since Bright Highway in 1980. The late money came flooding in for the Edward O'Grady runner on Betfair, and when I looked at the market just before the off, the seven -year-old was favourite.

It is just the fifth time since 1960 that the Irish have pinched this prize and as he was prominent throughout the race, his price never really fluctuated beyond the price at which the race started.

2.30pm
I can't quite work out the Paddy Power. I think it is fiendishly difficult. I was all set for Chapoturgeon, but with the evidence of that last race, I've decided to aim for the lower weights. Ballyfitz and According to Pete it is.

Dunguib's win at Punchestown just now and Pistolet Noir's earlier victory here brings into light the Novice hurdles at the Festival.

Dunguib wasn't at his brilliant best in Ireland, and his price for the Supreme Novices' was unchanged both by high street bookies and Betfair layers at [3.5].

Pistolet Noir has been inserted at 25-1 for the Triumph Hurdle, and is broadly the same price on Betfair. The winning trainer, Jane Williams, made some very interesting points after her horse won the first race. "The only thing we had in our favour against these Flat-bred horses was that ours is jumping bred," she said of her charge, who is intriguingly by Maille Pistol

"While he is a big baby, we thought he would go on the ground. He ran very green at Chepstow on his debut when third, but he's come on from that.

"You can buy good horses [off the Flat] and improve them a bit, but you are never going to buy a great horse that way. They've all got some reason to sell them. All our young horses go on the moor, they go hunting and show-jumping before they get to a racecourse."

The Flat bred v NH bred is something that systems expert Nick Mordin has picked up on over the years. It seems that you should concentrate on NH bred types in Novice and Maiden hurdles.

1.55pm result:
1: Gallant Nuit
2: Don't Push It
3: Hello Bud
4: Russian Trigger
The winner couldn't have a more appropriate name, really. A really gallant win. Graham Lee kept plugging away and his effort really paid off. Don't Push it ran a blinder, and I really hoped that he wouldn't overhaul the winner. I think Cameron may have struggled to get out of bed tomorrow if McCoy had nicked it.

There's been a going change, people. It's now Soft, Soft to Heavy in places. Clerk of the course Claisse said: "The heavy areas are between fences eight and nine down the back straight and approaching fence 13 coming down the hill."

There's also a strong headwind that is blowing rain into the faces of the jockeys and horses as they come into the straight. "The going is heavy out there," said Sam Thomas. "The wind is strong, which makes it hard work."

The 14-times champion jockey, Tony McCoy agreed with him. He said: "It's really tiring ground, especially with that wind."

With that in mind, it may be worth revising your opinions on the Paddy Power Gold Cup, up next. Don't Push It apart, the lower weights dominated the previous race. Gallant Nuit was bottom weight on 10st, while the third, carried 11st, as did the fourth. The testing going is going to take some prisoners.

1.45pm
"I can't for a minute believe that Don't Push It will stay up the hill in these conditions," writes a bullish Cameron. "He's had question marks about his staying power all his career. He's raced 3m+ six times, and only won once, and was placed twice. He's a sure fire place lay at [2.86]."

I was thinking of backing Chelsea Harbour, because he goes on the ground, is a guaranteed stayer, and gave In Compliance 4lbs when getting beaten by that horse by seven lengths last week. Also, the Seagull has squawked his name in his Pricewise column, and the RP ratings man also fancies it. But it does look on the short side at [6.6].

Miko De Beauchene will carry my money. The Welsh National winner has been dreadfully unlucky recently, unsaddling Andrew Thornton twice and falling Punchestown and Cheltenham in the Gold Cup. He looks a big price on his best form, and he finished second to Ballyfitz in the Pertemps final over hurdles in 2008. Watch the price of Ballyfitz if he wins. He's as short as [6.8] for the Paddy Power now.

1.20pm
1: Pettifour
2: Toby Jug
3: Kanpai
Who is calling for prices on Pettifour for the RSA now, eh? He only just got home. Toby Jug was battling back into it, having looked empty (boom boom!). Toby Jug was matched at [1.21] in-running when he was cruising at the second last, but Paddy Brennan got a little more out of the favourite and out-slugged his rival up the punishing Cheltenham hill. Inspiring stuff, if you like that sort of thing.

1.15pm
There have been shameful mutterings by representatives of certain high street bookies of punter requests for prices about Pettifour for the RSA Chase at the Festival. Skybet already list Pettifour as a 25-1 shot, but there are several other layers who are not quoting Nigel Twiston-Davies' charge. Even if Pettifour hacks up in the 1.20pm, the price shouldn't really change that much. I mean there are only two other rivals. For what it is worth, Pettifour is [23.0] to back and [27.0] to lay on Betfair in the RSA market, but for little liquidity.

12.50pm result:
1: Pistolet Noir
2: Barizan
3: Olofi
A curious roar from the crowd greets a mud-spattered Daryl Jacob on board Pistolet Noir. A short-priced Tony McCoy favourite, with a string of wins to its name, you would imagine the crowd would have backed Barizan as if defeat were out of the question. But no, it seemed the grandstand were all on the gutsy winner.

Barizan was going well enough when Pistolet Noir joined him on the turn. McCoy looked to have enough in the tank to mount a decent defence of Jacob's audacious challenge, and Betfair punters believed it. Barizan's price plummeted to [1.5], but Jacob grabbed the stand's side rail and guided his willing partner to the line.

12.45pm
Four favourites have won this in the last ten years, and only one winner was priced in double-figures, which was Simarian, trained by Evan Williams, who trains Barizan.

Barizan's Racing Post Rating is just 4lbs shy of Katchit's when he won the Triumph Hurdle, so the opposition are going to have to be very good indeed to beat him. Likes to make all, but his win at Market Rasen in September showed he was versatile. His Racing Post Rating is already higher than anything that has won this race in the last ten years, although keep an eye out for Screaming Brave , who posted a decent figure on his only hurdle start ten days ago.

12.25pm
The perils of being a racecourse commentator. If it isn't the puerile antics of owners like Steve McManaman and Robbie Fowler, who famously sent out 'Some Horse' and 'Another Horse' in their Anfield Hombres colours, it is horses that prompt a snigger like yesterday's Sharp Novices' Hurdle winner, Loosen My Load.

So pity the mikesmith pair of Simon Holt and Mike Cattermole this afternoon, who can't work out how to pronounce the name of horse No.3 in the lucky last at 3.45pm. Trained by Gary Moore, and ridden by Jamie Moore, PSI has been backed both on Betfair and in the offices.

"I've read that PSI is the 23rd letter of the Greek alphabet," argues Holt. "That would mean that it is pronounced 'Sigh'."

"But I've got it here as the symbol of pounds per square inch," counters Cattermole. "Which would probably mean that you must pronounce it P-S-I."

Wait for the commentary folks, it's going to be a clash of the commentators.

12.15pm
Tanya Stevenson, aka 'The Femail' on Channel 4's racing coverage is biding her betting time this afternoon. "I don't fancy that much on today's card," she says. "I do like the look of Powerstation in the Hurdle [3.10pm]. The main payday is tomorrow though."

Stevenson watched Gee Dee Nen at Ascot last time and was very impressed. "He got several lengths start last time at Ascot," she continues. "And when he came under pressure two out, he was headed, but he surged back. He'll be a big price, and I'll take the place, and a win will be a bonus." The Gary Moore-trained six-year-old runs in the Greatwood Hurdle.

Noon
Simon Claisse said that at noon the wind would drop. It has. I won't persuade anyone else to sign up to his fan club. Maybe we'll get some sort of Facebook page set up?

11.45pm
The main market movers in the Paddy Power Gold Cup according to the high street layers here are Chapoturgeon and According To Pete, both proven in soft conditions. On Betfair, it is According To Pete that has a trading graph that looks like the north face of the Eiger. Look: http://uk.site.sports.betfair.com/betting/LoadRunnerInfoAction.do?marketId=100942655&selectionId=1097043&timeZone=Europe/London®ion=GBR&locale=en_GB&brand=betfair¤cy=GBP
The other one to have been backed on Betfair hails from the stable of the moment, the Nigel Twiston-Davies yard. I'd say his trading graph is more Kilamanjaro though. See?
http://uk.site.sports.betfair.com/betting/LoadRunnerInfoAction.do?marketId=100942655&selectionId=946584&timeZone=Europe/London®ion=GBR&locale=en_GB&brand=betfair¤cy=GBP
Steep, but steady.

I've been here for an hour now. The sun was piercing through a grey cloud when I arrived, and yet every time I look up from my computer, some new hack comes into the press room drenched in a passing rain shower. The sun is out again, from my vantage point now. Perhaps it's just my sunny disposition. There was £396 matched at [1.22] that racing would go ahead earlier this morning. The [1.01] gang were out in force as well, trading just over £13k at the legendary figure. I just don't think I'd have the nerve, even if it is just buying money.

11.35pm
DON'T PANIC MR MAINWARING. DON'T PANIC! It's alright everyone. Really it is. There was only 14mm of rain at Cheltenham racecourse last night. Honest. I couldn't believe it myself. I got back to my hotel at some ungodly hour, and it was still chucking it down there. But Prestbury Park has its own microclimate ladies and gentlemen. Clerk of the course Simon Claisse explains: "The rain stopped at midnight and the going is now soft all round. The forecast is for some squally showers today, but it's going to be pretty bright all of the time.

"The wind if forecast to build throughout the morning, but then subside after lunchtime - we survived last night when the wind got up to 40 miles an hour."

Claisse has to be given a medal, really. He was up at midnight still, monitoring the weather. He was then up before the crack of dawn, and walked the course with a GoingStick. The track read 6.9 at 6am. Makes you feel, sort of, useless in comparison, doesn't it?

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