Hi
As the games kick off I will start the thread off with an example of a football ante post bet. Last Friday the relegation battle was all but done and dusted according to the old enemy. But being a life long hammers fan I decided to take a punt against them bring relegated.
The outstanding price to me was Crystal Palace at 28-1 as the club is in turmoil with players wanting to leave, the manager has fallen out with the board etc etc.
As it stands the 20-1 this morning still looks tempting and if they lose today they play Nottingham Forest next which could be a big nail in the coffin for them and a get out jail card for West Ham should they not take all three points.

Hi
With both Love Me Tender and Salsinha looking to be non runners that leaves us with just one still running which is Donnacha @ 20-1 in the Festival Plate. This was mentioned in Rob’s QUALITY RACING 2026 thread and is the only one we have agreed on so far…lol.
Rob is comprehensively covering the big boy races and I will now turn our attention to the handicaps etc still looking for a bit a value before the weights and final declarations are announced.
The first race will be the old Fred Winter Juvenile hurdle on day one which right up our street as it likely to involve an Irish raider. We have a shortlist of the following runners.
Saratoga
Madness d’Elle
Dawn Coming
Highland Crystal
Mode Avion
Bibe Mus
Kilmeaden
Saratoga is too short in the market at 5-1 and most of the others are showing no real obvious value with the exception of Mode Avion who is a stand out @ 25-1 for 4 places with Paddy Power. Mode Avion shows the fastest time albeit on treacherous heavy ground but should get involved. The second one is Kilmeaden who was firmly put in his place by both Sartoga and Highland Crystal last time out but I thought this one was not right on the day and looked in trouble a long way out. He was not given a hard ride when his chance had gone and @ 40-1 for 4 places with bet365 looks a lively outsider, both are obviously NRNB.

Hi
I am torn between a handful of runners in the Coral Cup but using the same principle as before taking the big prices now using NRNB is a shot to nothing so here goes. This again is a Handicap Hurdle and from my original shortlist I am concerned about the trip with my original fancy I Started A Joke and at 12-1 looks to short in the betting.
This leaves three and I am going with all three hoping one will line up on the day the first is Galileo Dame @ 40-1 for 4 places this one is an interesting entry and I am surprised to see her still in as I had expected her to go elsewhere. She is a dual purpose mare who has contested some decent flat races but wasn’t disgraced behind Cousin Kate last time out.
The next one is a Coyote Spirit @ 33-1 for 4 places a Gordon Elliot trained runner who knows how to set one up for this race and he gets in off 10-1 in the weights. From the same yard is Open Secret @ 33-1 for 4 places who as a bonus has had a run at Cheltenham gets in off 10-5 and this one is ultra consistent. Jack Kennedy swapped from this one and got beaten by him last time out and it will be an interesting conundrum to see who he goes for on the day having ridden both of the above.
nb. There will probably be extra places on the day etc etc but at 1/4 odds 4 places and your money back if they do not run you could do a lot worse than go in early. As a perfect example one of the earlier bets Donnacha mentioned by both Rob and myself and advised @ 20-1 is now best price 14-1 and still shortening up.

Hi
In the Martin Pipe Conditional Handicap Hurdle I have just the one bet to put up early doors which is Newbrook Diamond this one is ultra consistent having clocked four decent times on our figures and if getting a run there is no way I can see this one being available at the 33-1 currently on offer. This one hails from the Gordon Elliot yard is only declared for this race and looks to have been laid out for this. There are only the 4 places on offer at present but I really cannot see this one not getting involved.

Hi
I have been left with three of my ante post bets running and have my money back on all of the others which leaves us with the following wagers left standing.
Thursday sees Absolutely Doyen @ 14-1 for 4 places in the Pertemps Hurdle
Friday still has Celtic Dino @ 25-1 looking good value now in the County Hurdle
along with Newbrook Diamond @ 33-1 for 4 places in the Martin Pipe Conditional Hurdle
I will put a couple of others up on the To “CAP” the season off. ? thread which I will be looking to use in each way doubles along with these in my usual 5 horse Cheltenham each way doubles etc but obviously the price on Celtic Dino has dropped to 16-1 for any new bets.

Hi
All in all I spent a lot of hours selecting one runner Absolutely Doyen who was squeezed out of a place in a blanket finish and five non runners. Painful is a word I would use but hopefully a few of the selections will turn up at Aintree fresh for having bypassed Cheltenham so possibly I may yet get my just rewards….lol.
Rob still has some going tomorrow and I will link you now to his last post detailing tomorrow’s selections (QUALITY RACING 2026)

Hi
As the site is still short of a football pundit but still goes by the “goalpoststowinningposts” title I thought I would throw in a couple of bets for the forthcoming World Cup.
Firstly Argentina to win outright @ 10-1 looks overpriced especially with the European countries prone to under performing when playing outside of home soil. The Argentine squad is a little bit older this time around but they know how to grind out a result and as is often the case especially in the group stages when teams play not to lose rather than to win they look a solid option.
The second is the surprise package every World Cup has one and I am going in with Sweden @ 10-1 to reach but then be eliminated in the quarter finals. I know the foreign manager stats I did a full run down on this years ago for another site but Graham Potter has coached clubs in Sweden for many years speaks the lingo and has put together a good group of players who seem 100% behind him.
This brings me to the obvious as it also brings up my usual big punt which is by throwing in the double you get just over 110-1. I would split stakes on the double which would give you the cash out option on one of them should they both start off well.
I am revising and updating the site and threads but the name will as stated earlier remain the same, so if you are keen on your football get in touch the “goalposts” seat is still vacant…lol.