Fantasy Festival: Day 1

Following the late defection of the quietly fancied Lady Brickett, a field of 12 lined up for our 2013 renewal. If you’d told me we’d have as many runners as the Supreme Novices...

This was the smallest field for the Festival Opener since 1976.  Hopefully William Hill, who in their scrap for business had already guaranteed each-way terms for the first five home, were up to their throats in frantic thievery all morning.

There’s nothing quite like Festival form and Champagne Fever returned to the scene of his gutsy win in last year’s bumper to land another big one, outstaying My Tent Or Yours – the latest in a long line of doomed Supreme Bankers. Ruby Walsh rode a master class from the front: stealing away at the start, maintaining a pace that was just searching enough, while keeping a bit back for the climb home. Jezki, the one I liked at the morning prices, got chopped up by Cheltenian early doors and then paid for some scratchy leaps at the business end and could only scramble third.

The Arkle failed to serve up the treat we’d all hoped for. Arvika threw in a couple of magnificent leaps down the back but just as you thought he might make them all go he went out like a brief candle.  Overturn – in turn - then failed to heat up the hotpot.  And so it was left to an unlikely hero to keep Simonsig honest: Mouse Morris’s Bailey Green, who seems to have been on the go non-stop since they called time on last year’s Festival. But the grey, who on this evidence is no Sprinter Sacre over the big black ones, was classy enough to hold on.

The Champion Hurdle was the searing tussle we’ve all come to expect these days, with the blinkered and brave Rock On Ruby getting stuck into them from the off.  Half way round Hurricane Fly appeared to be struggling to go with them. Then Grandouet, who’d had no difficulty holding his place, made a hash of one and came down. While Mike Cattermole was making yet another shambolic job of the on-course commentary, Walsh managed to nurse The Fly back into the brawling ruck. And when they turned for home he asserted, finally quietening those who’d doubted he truly stays. The first to regain the title since Comedy Of Errors back in 1975. Countrywide Flame, shamefully neglected by Paddy this year, stayed on like a good Cesarewitch horse should to deny Zarkandar for third.  

There must have been some late money for The Fly because it looked at one point as if he’d be sent off an insulting price. The returned SP of 13/8 will have irked some shrewd Fantasy players.

And so to the competition.

Fantasy Festival wouldn’t be the same without Nick wagering a minimum £5 bet on an odds-on 8/15 shot. Spawny twat! And this year he wasn’t even alone. Davoski’s brother Paul, allowed to enter the competition in the belief that he played the game straight, played the same card! An inglorious Boycottian debut and no mistake.

Steve M (whose swaggering confidence was betrayed the moment he described his selections as “burgers in waiting”) has sauntered clear after landing a rare JOKER DOUBLE. It was a cautious one alright but the Simonsig/Hurricane Fly combo paid out at just over 3/1 before the addition of his 20% bonus. He also picked out Champagne Fever at 5/1 – so he’s well clear with over £300 in the tank.

BUT!

Colin, who’d earlier snaffled a nifty little each-way pot on Tullamore Dew, is sitting on a monstrous double after landing over £80 on The Fly in the first leg of his JOKER. All that remains is for him to make a complete bollocks of that all-important second choice. I’d get it out of the way soon, Col. The more you wait, the more we'll get inside your headspace, taking you to uncomfortable places. For pity’s sake don’t leave it till Friday.

Nick also found three winners. His strategy of conservatism has not altered in 13 years, and that’s why all those lovely winners won him a mere forty quid. It’s Day 4 that matters, not Day 1, I can hear him say.

In a day notable for successful JOKERS, Si and I also pouched our first legs, albeit less audaciously than Colin.  We now just need to remain calm, unflinching and strike when the moment is right.

This is Si’s debut and a big shout-out to him for landing one winner and finishing second with all three of his other selections.  He’s bagged the whole week off work too. Clearly a lad who means his business.

Nev and Tim ended the day ahead, mainly thanks to The Fly, and Paul just about broke even.  

This is all very well from you boys at the front, but whatever happened to carefree bets at big prices? Well done if you won a few pounds and sixty-seven pence.  Take a bow if you robbed the bookie of a few quid and thirty-three pence. Man up! I've had to reformat far too many Excel cells to two decimal places and we've only just begun.

The rest of us are playing catch up. Benaldo Faldo has been off the track for hundreds and hundreds of days, and he’s out the back again. It’s a game of margins though. If only Rock On Ruby had held on...

On a personal note it was one of those days of sinking feelings as the ante-posters foundered in their turn: Dodging Bullets – OUTCLASSED; Arvika Ligeonniere – UNSOUND; Grandouet – going alright when FELL.

Turning to the day of race bets: Jezki – THIRD! UNTIDY IN RUNNING; Our Mick – SECOND! GAME BUT WELL BEATEN...

So it was massive relief in the last when Rajdhani Express managed to hold off the closing Ackertac (just!) in an arduous lifelong ascent to the line. To have been shortheaded would've rounded the day aptly. Instead of which I can type this up without screaming and look towards Day 2 with relish.    

1. Steve M  312.60

2. Nick  242.05

3. Neville 238.96

4. Colin 221.25 (plus £81.25 double yet to be committed)

5. Tim 215.63

6. Paul 195.17

7. Si 180 (£26.67 double yet to be committed)

8. Steve C 165 (£32.50 double yet to be committed)

9. Dave 160

10= Bryn/Paddy 150

12. Ben 135

apologies in advance for any settling errors