With my shield or on it

After 3 tough days without a winner since the first race I'm sure you are starting to doubt me. I was starting to doubt me. It's only natural in the face of such horrors of war. Times like these it is always good to take time for quiet reflection which is largely what I've been doing in Mulligans for the last 2 hours. Sitting there staring at the wood paneling though it wasn't the  thoughts of the Somme or Rezorbi that cam flooding back but the thoughts of 5 years ago sitting in O'Neill's at this exact point dreaming of a horse called Our Conor. That day were we close to beat  but found the strentgh to fight our way back into the light and some healthy profit on the Friday. Today is no different. I could have written this blog a month ago so steady is my conviction in 3 of my 3 picks for tomorrow. I can't claim I am as confident on the Triumph as i was that fateful day but I can say if neither of my picks win I will be carried out on my shield.

Triumph:
Oppose the hype. The real substance of this race ran in Leopardstown the last day and if run in the same race would have finished somewhere between Samcro and Duc de Genevieres. That is more than enough for tomorrow. I think Mr. Adjudicator will confirm the placing with Farclas but both should be backed and a reverse forecast is imperative.

2.5pts e/w Mr Adjudicator 9/1
1pts e/w Farclas 8/1
.25pts reverse forecast

County:
Bizarrely the only horse Ruby talked about in the run up to Cheltenham was Meri Devie. Paddys taking no chances as 9s. I've nibbled at 14's. Low conviction though

.5pts ew Merie Devie 14/1

Albert Bartlett:
If you liked Black Ops at 10s how can you not like the horse that beat him on trials day against a much weaker field. I personally have a decent double rolling over onto this but still great value at the current prices as I expected to see him more like 2s here

2pts win Santini

Gold Cup:
Tricky one as I have been torn between Road to Respect and Might Bite for a long time. In the end I just backed both of them. 4 places in a lot of shops and 9/2 Might Bite looks a shot to nothing. R2R had the form of Leopardstown franked in style  today to Balko des Flos and has festival form already. The only 2 horse with perfect preparation and a real touch of class to them

2pts e/w Might Bite 9/2
1 pts e/w Road to Respect 12/1

Foxhunters:
Wonderful Charm was beaten a head last year and should go one better this year. SWC is a solid if not spectacular jockey who increases the place chances and only slightly reduces the win chances so happy to lump in each way here. An added bonus is that Foxrock - the only creature who hates Cheltenham more than the people who've followed this blog this year - is 3rd favourite. For those with the stomach lay him to place as he is at least a stone worse any time he travels here than when you go watch him at Leopardstown.

Hopefully that will be enough to have us in clover for St.Patricks Day as I haven't had a chance to trawl through the last. When you're half way through hell keep on going! Happy hunting