SCOTIA ON CHELTENHAM WEEK.

Good morning to the CLAN on a busy and short week for scotia.

I am off to P.E. on Thursday for a long weekend, so have a few things to say and do before the trip.

Had an excellent weekend and a good day at the big T on Saturday, performance of the day was Merelene De Lago and well done to Charles Laird for his transparency.

The food was again 5 star and I met some overseas visitors with a Scottish accent, bit difficult to understand, but the bottom line was again the comparison on what we have basically FREE and what you have to spend in the UK for a day at the track and why cant we get people to the tracks?

Renovations looking good at the big T [ sounds a lot better than Turffontein for marketing] nice bright yellow walls in the second floor, hope you are not using Trotters Independent Traders [ T.I.T ] as the paint may be luminous [ however might be good for the night racing?].

Feel sorry for Mrs S as you will notice on my Sat post, she went to build a house in Soweto when I was at the track and the poor lass has many aches and pains, bricklaying is not a game of fun.

I must say that sportingweb has me into sports betting, and you will see on the site that my 22/10 on the Crusaders was nerve racking but profitable.

We have Cheltenham this week and glad to see we have it featured on Tellytrack on Monday night, but just as an "early" preview. Note! should be many big exotics to be won!

Day one

The Arkle: Noland and the dangers Tidal Bay and Lesingtaylor
BGC : Wonderkid and danger Le Duc
Champion Hurdle: Harchibald to beat Sizing Europe.
Fred Winter: Ashkazar from Crack Jack Away
Supreme Nov: RIPPLING RING, go SA, dangers Captain Cee Bee, Muirhead and Knyber Kim plus Cork all Star.
W.Hill: Fundamentalist from Lami

Day two

Ballymore: Breedsbreeze for Jim Lewis.
Bumper: Zaarito or Apt Approach
Chase: Master Minded
Coral Cup: Hold em
Nat Hunt Nov: Old Bonny

Day three

Fulke Walwyne: Officer De Reserve
Jewson: Mr Strachan
Pertemps: Robin Du Bois
Rynair Chase: The Listener
World Hurdle: Inglis Dever danger Lough Derg

Gold Cup day!!!!!!!!!!!

Bartlett:The Tother One
Country; Imsinging the blues
DN Mares: Chomba Womba
Foxhunter: Drombeag
CUP: KAUTO from Denman
Grand Annual: My Petra
Triumph: Franchoek.

Plenty changes to come, but my early YANKEE is

KAUTO[ best bet ] INGLIS DEVER, FRANCHOEK, CHOMBA WOMBA.

Best E.W bets: Harchibald and Rippling Ring.

Good punting and may your God be with you.

SCOTIA

Any other SA representatives at Cheltenham? I heard Zebra Crossing was meant to be there, or has he gone back into flat racing?

Only Rippling, the Zebra not good enough?

Rippling Ring ready for Supreme Novices'

CONNECTIONS of leading Cheltenham hope Rippling Ring have put the youngster through his paces at home as the countdown to the Festival continues.

Trained by Paul Nicholls, the South African import made an impressive debut over timber when winning at Doncaster and now trades as short as 13-2 with betdirect for the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices' Hurdle on Tuesday.

"It would probablyhave been ideal if we'd had one more chance to go and jump over a hurdle," admitted owner Andy Stewart.

"But he won well enough at Doncaster, beating Veloso by six lengths and the favourite Kalahari King very convincingly.

"We decided we didn't want to risk anything, we've done a lot of work at home and it's fingers crossed.

"Ruby (Walsh) rode him earlier on this week and last week as well and schooled him a lot.

"I think the going on the first day will be good to soft and Rippling Ring would be quite happy," Stewart told At The Races.

Quiet 1st 4 days of the week on the sporting front, so I will be following your ideas at Cheltenham, Scotia.

BREAK A LEG (or two)

Careful with my tips or you might burn your "fingers".

Well best price is Rippling at 9/1 and Zebra you can get around 300/1.
Plus 3/1 Rippling for a place "first 3 only" but 23 runners.

Sky Sports whole segment on the two owners of Kauto star and Denman.

BEST of luck to both. May the best horse win.