Preparation for Cheltenham

[ShaunWhite]

I'll put this question out to Euler but obviously anyone can chip in:

You mentioned yesterday(?) that you were going to spend some time preparing for Cheltenham. As I'm someone who trades numbers (rather than knowledge of what horse 'should' attract support or what will be unappealing on the day beacuse of rain etc), and not having 13yrs of data to fall back on (it's my 1st trading Cheltenham). What prep could/should I be doing?

Obviously the usual caveats will apply about specifics, but I'm sat here looking at a blank page in my notebook and feeling a bit under prepared compared to the likes of yourself. I understand the basic differences between a large meetings and a small ones but your prep implies something more specific. Any clues?

[steven1976]

if your unprepared then leave it. You will see 30k sat in a queue and you think you are okay sat behind it and then 50k matches. either stay away watching for something to move 6-7 tickets and enter enough to be worth while, or dont bother is my advice. 6-7 ticks for small players is the same on any market

[steven1976]

do not get carried away by the numbers matching. Stay in your comfort zone

[Euler]

I make a lot of notes when I trade and also capture data.

The notes are so I can reflect on what I was thinking in previous years and see what was happening. I automatically collect charts and stuff and record interesting moments for similar reasons. When that first-day arrives, I want to feel ready for it and can react rather than staring into the headlights.

You can also pick up on trends by looking over a number of years.

If you look at the favourite traded range for example it seems to be widening over the years: -

18 - traded range favourite.png

[iambic_pentameter]

Euler,

When you mention:

The notes are so I can reflect on what I was thinking in previous years and see what was happening. I automatically collect charts and stuff and record interesting moments for similar reasons. When that first-day arrives, I want to feel ready for it and can react rather than staring into the headlights.

Can you expand upon how you automatically collect the charts etc, please?

And if you could post a video on YouTube for how traders with smaller stakes can trade Cheltenham, that would be great!

One of my highlights on Saturday evenings is to see what you new videos you've added to the channel!

[Korattt]

Let's not forget there will be other meetings on next week?

[Halliday]

Let's not forget there will be other meetings on next week?

Well I for one will not be trading Cheltenham or any other meeting ( well not the first three days ) as I shall be there and will enjoy the atmosphere,and the horses.sure I'll have a little bet tho .

Something's are even more enjoyable than trading .. just out of interest how many posters on here who trade the horse racing attend say 5 meetings a year . Or how many have never ever been racing ?

Would be interested to know ..

And your best hurdler of all time and chaser

Mine would be .. Hurdler .. Persian War . Three Champion Hurdles and some remarkable weight carrying performances . If you get a chance read The Persian War Story by Sid Barnes



"Any horse who wins at the Cheltenham Festival four times is a great one and that is certainly the case with Persian war in mind as he takes his place in our hall of fame. His three successes in the Champion Hurdle were remarkable in themselves and it was he who set off the golden error of Champion Hurdles who would follow in his hoof-steps. Many have said that Persian War would have been even better had he not changed trainers so many times during his career but even with that in mind, he is considered by many to be the greatest hurdler of all time.

Persian War now has a race named after him at Chepstow each season and rightly so having dominated the hurdling seen during his career, which ensures that he is a worthy entrant into our pantheon of Cheltenham Festival legends"


And my best Chaser .. having read a lot about some of the all time greats .. I'd go for Arkle's stablemate Flyingbolt


Flyingbolt won 16 of his first 18 races, including three championship races at the Cheltenham Festival.

He was a 1-5 shot when winning the Champion Chase and is still the shortest-priced winner in the history of that prestigious race.

The next day, he was an unlucky third in the Champion Hurdle, only outpaced after the last by Salmon Spray and Sempervivum.

Like Arkle, he defied crushing burdens in handicaps, carrying more than 12st to easy victories in the Massey-Ferguson Gold Cup and the Irish Grand National.

Even after the illness that wrecked his career, he was able to finish second in the 1969 King George VI Chase at Kempton Park.

He is rated 210 by the respected Timeform organisation, just below Arkle on 212. The third-best chaser in Timeform's history, Mill House, trails them on 191, with Desert Orchid (187) and Kauto Star (184+) further behind.

Probably the best performance of his career was in the Massey-Ferguson Gold Cup at Cheltenham in December 1965. A burden of 12st 6lb ought to have stopped him, especially on ground so heavy that there was standing water on the track, but the Irish horse won cosily by 15 lengths and at a canter.

[SeaHorseRacing]

And your best hurdler of all time and chaser

Masterminded say no more.

[Halliday]

And your best hurdler of all time and chaser

Masterminded say no more.

He certainly was brilliant when he beat Voy Pur Uestudes to win his first Chanpion Chase

and dont forget Golden Miller the only horse to win 5 Cheltenham Gold cups and a Grand National

"To win the Gold Cup on five consecutive occasions is one of the great records of any sport and is one that Golden Miller is likely to hold for a very long time to come. He was the King of Cheltenham during his career and in all probability would have won a sixth Gold Cup had the weather not put paid to his chances in 1937. His Grand National win of 1934 is an equally impressive piece of history coming just a few weeks after his second Gold Cup which is another piece of history without equal.

Golden Miller was rightly immortalized in statue near the parade ring at the Cheltenham Festival and he is always popular with racegoers even to this day. Many will call Golden Miller the greatest Cheltenham Festival horse of all time which is an argument for another day but the numbers don't lie and without question he deserves his place among the elite of the sport and in in our Hall of Fame."

[SeaHorseRacing]

How old are you? I wasnt even born when Gold miller was around.

[Halliday]

How old are you? I wasnt even born when Gold miller was around.
[/quote

I know all about the Byerley Turk .. but I'm not over 300 years old !!

There are books you can read on these horses!! And there's film footage of the likes of Persian War etc on YouTube.

If you've got £7 The Persian War Story is worth buying.Amazing horse given what his owner was like The Golden Miller one is a tad expensive, can't believe the price think I paid around a tenner for my copy.



https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/Book ... an%3Dalper




https://www.abebooks.co.uk/book-search/ ... l-briscoe/

[SeaHorseRacing]

Cheers I have bookmarked it.

Is it a heavy read as I am not the strongest of readers.

I read thinking fast and slow last year and found that more of a challenge than trading.

[ShaunWhite]

Thank you to those who made a positive contribution to the topic, steven1976 and Euler.

I can't quite see why this subject has illicited so much conversion about peoples favourite horses.

[Niko]

I think its because Cheltenham, of all the big meetings every year is emotive! To me, not a massive horse racing follower its a bit like the FA cup used to be, no matter who was playing it was a special day! This is only my second year trading (read doing all the bookie offers haha!!) but I still took three days off work to do it!

Made nearly £600 last year just doing the bookie offers, which this year will be supplemented with trading, some automation etc. Still learning but love the excitement of the week!

My 2p

[Halliday]

Thank you to those who made a positive contribution to the topic, steven1976 and Euler.

I can't quite see why this subject has illicited so much conversion about peoples favourite horses.

Don't be such a grump Shaun ... it is a special meeting, with lots of memories of great horses and great races ...and without them those that just see it as a chance to make money and know nothing of the horses taking part. well without them you wouldn't get get the chance .

So when your trading and number crunching just spend a bit of time reading about some of the great horses that have and will grace Cheltenham next week . And who knows you may enjoy it more next year .

I've been to one two or three days of the festival for the last 8 years I'd certainly rather be there than sat in front of a computer screen !!plenty of other days to trade

Just enjoy the meeting and the horses taking part !!!

Ungrump yourself Shaun !!!