Performance of the festival?

Well after another great week of Cheltenham just thought I'd ask for your own highlights and lowlights of the week. 1. What was your performance of the week? 2. Who was the most disappointing? 3. What was your own personal highlight of the week and why?

1. Several to choose from but I thought Sizing Europe was awesome. Won the Arkle, jumps superbly and loves Cheltenham but I still couldnt bring myself to back him. The way he accelarated up the hill was scary. Great performance.

2. Medermit really disappointed me. Really researched this race and he seemed by far the most likely in a weakish renewal. Many pundits and experts were very sweet on him but never got going. Haven't read anything since was there anything wrong with him?

3. Was delighted Boston's Angel won the RSA. I'm big into trends and he really was one of the big trends horses of the race at a big price. I never really fancied Time for Rupert at his price and Boston's Angel at 16-1 was a great alternative. Over to you.

Hi paperbag_ puncher

A lowlight was seeing Shalome having that horrible fall on the flat.......tho' it turned into a highlight when we saw he was up......he wasn't looking too brilliant at the time but I have reason to believe he was ok afterwards.

Really disappointed for AP in the Gold Cup, I expected a big run from Kempes.

Some highlights of the Festival for me were -

Buena Vista winning for the second year.....what a fantastic performance from the horse and a great ride from his young jockey.

Seeing Big Buck's and Grands Crus fighting it out up the Cheltenham hill after both having a clear run round......so we got the race we wanted and were left in no doubt which was the better horse.
It shut me up, anyway, coz before the race I'd been sure GC was going to beat BB, lol

Seeing Kauto and Denman putting in such great efforts and doing themselve's proud.

AP having three winners ( at least I think it was three....it may have been two......my memory isn't what it was )

In fact that's about all I can remember of the Festival..........isn't that awful? lol

Solerina

Just thought of another highlight!

Having my new racing mates on here to chat to over the 4 days

Solerina

Ooh....sorry paperbag_puncher.....I don't think I answered your question correctly....I just waffled on...as usual, lol

I'll try again -

1. Performance of the week - Buena Vista

2. Biggest disappointment - AP not being aboard Neptune Collonges in the Gold Cup (I've only just remembered that one).

3. Personal highlight - the fine performances of Kauto and Denman

Solerina

1. performance of the week - Quevega. It was soooo easy for her!!
actually just thought of another too - Junior. That was equally WOW!!!

2. disappointment - Master Minded in the Champion Chase. I thought he could win again but it was not meant to be. Just as disappointing was in the race before when Time for Rupert lost. That was the worst hour of the festival - the rest was great

3. Personal highlight - the Gold Cup. so many great things from this race, Kauto Star impressing again, Denman likewise and the emergence of a new star in Long Run. The memory of that race will last a long, long time.

It probably helped that I won big on Long Run as well !

Just rewatched the World Hurdle and have to give Big Bucks a mention. Great race and for one that has its knockers it really lived up to the hype this year. Grand Crus deserves a lot of credit. I really didnt fancy him but was a great effort. But Big Bucks is a beast.

Without a shadow of a doubt Long Runs Gold Cup was the performance not only of the Festival but of the season.A six year old who beats two of the best chasers of the modern era and a very good support cast must be a chaser of very high calibre himself.Horse of the Year.
Not really a disappointment but was gutted that Finians Rainbow didnt hold on in the Arkle.He ran and jumped them ragged but just wilted on the final climb to the line,if it had been run on either of the last two days then he would have won because the ground was appreciably quicker on the New Course.Hope he goes to Aintree,hes a shoe in.
Couldnt pick out one highlight,it would be unfair.The whole of the Festival was one big highlight,if theres four days of better sport anywhere in the World then ive never come across it.

In the fallout from the Festival i was quite suprised to see that as a result of his Gold Cup fourth,What a Friend was elevated to a mark of 171.This being the case then he gets into the National 15lb well in so to speak,i wish i had a pound for every so called handicapped certainty ive seen beaten in my time.Whilst im not saying he didnt put up a terrific effort in getting as close as he did,i will reserve judgement until he reproduces another effort of comparable rating.Hes a monkey,he has his own ideas and he had headgear for the first time,this might be lost on some people but certainly not me.I thought it smacked sightly of a last resort on the stables behalf and i can say without hesitation that he isnt the Aintree type in my book,hes too caffy hearted and he doesnt jump well enough.Not for The Nut.