THE Cheltenham Tipster Competition 2014

[MereNovice]

Spreadsheet link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aia1Hxq-NDNWdDE5b2xWdWxqXzBvVjZmMEpNV2VaN1E&usp=drive_web#gid=5

I am pleased to announce this year's Blonde Cheltenham Tipster Competition.

The rules are as follows:

1. Entry is open to everyone upon payment of a £25 or £10 entry fee to me. I will PM my bank details to everyone who has expressed even a remote interest (see post below). Payment must be received by me before midday on Tuesday 11th March. If you are interested, please indicate below or PM me. Each person may enter up to a maximum of two times. Each entry costs £25 or £10.
In a deviation from previous tipster competitions that I have run, there will be two pools for this event. One costing £10 and one costing £15. It will not be possible to enter the £15 pool on its own. The same selections will be entered in both pools. The object for this is to try to encourage more people to take part.

2. The competition will be run over the 27 races from Tuesday 11th March to Friday 14th March.
The charity race on Thursday will not be included in this competition.

3. Each entrant will pick one horse per race. The selection must either be for a £2 win or a £1 each-way bet. Winnings will be settled on the basis of Starting Prices.
If you fail to make a selection or select a non-runner it will be counted as a £2 win bet on the SP favourite (lowest racecard number if there are joint/co favourites).
I will take instructions for "random" selections (e.g. first horse alphabetically) for each race if you do not have the time/inclination to make your own selections but, in a rather dictatorial manner, I am not going to allow selections such as "pick the SP favourite for every race" or attempts to circumvent this rule. For anyone who has entered but not submitted their selections by the deadline on any day I will make random selections.

4. The place component of an each-way bet will be decided using the following criteria:
1/4 the odds for a place for each horse officially returned on the results for each race on www.gg.com

5. I will be using www.gg.com for the purpose of deciding the result of each race.

6. Entries must be sent to me via PM by midday on the day of the races. I will then make everyone's selections available via the spreadsheet by 12:30pm that day. This will hopefully give you time to marvel at each other's selections before the first race starts.

7. The winner will be the person who makes most profit (or least loss) over the course of the festival.

8. My decision is final in all matters (until proven otherwise).



The payout structure will be as follows:

1-10 entrants
1st 100%

11-20 entrants
1st 75%
2nd 25%

21-30 entrants
1st  60%
2nd 30%
3rd 10%

>30 entrants
tba



Have fun


***   E n t r i e s   C l o s e d ***

We have 40 + 3 entries. The total prize pool is £1030.


The prize structure for the £10 stake is:

1st     £215
2nd    £107.50
3rd    £64.5

Last    £43




The prize structure for the additional £15 stake is:

1st    £300
2nd    £150
3rd    £90

Last    £60


£515 for the person who scoops both.

The very best of luck to you all and thanks for entering.

[MereNovice]

<reserved for rule clarifications>

[MereNovice]

The races that will be used for this competition are:


      Tuesday 11th March         
               
*   1.30   The Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Race   2m abt ½f   120000   
*   2.05   The Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase   abt 2m   150000   
*   2.40   The Baylis & Harding Affordable Luxury Handicap Steeple Chase   3m abt ½f   90000   
*   3.20   The Stan James Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy   2m abt ½f   400000   
*   4.00   The OLBG Mares’ Hurdle Race   2m abt 4f   85000   
    4.40   The Terry Biddlecombe National Hunt Steeple Chase   Abt 4m   85000   
    5.15   The Rewards4Racing Novices’ Handicap Chase (0-140)   2m abt 4½f   60000   
               
               
      Wednesday 12th March         
               
*   1.30   The Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle Race   2m abt 5f   120000   
*   2.05   The RSA Steeple Chase   3m abt ½ f   150000   
*   2.40   The Coral Cup Hurdle (A Handicap Hurdle Race)   2m abt 5f   80000   
*   3.20   The BetVictor Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase   Abt 2m   350000   
*   4.00   The Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeple Chase   3m 7f   50000   
    4.40   The Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle Race   2m abt ½f   75000   
    5.15   The Weatherbys Champion Bumper (A Standard Open NH Flat Race)   2m abt ½f   60000   
               
               
      Thursday 13th March         
               
*   1.30   The JLT Novices’ Chase   2m abt 4f   120000   
*   2.05   The Pertemps Network Final (A Handicap Hurdle Race)   Abt 3m   80000   
*   2.40   The Ryanair Steeple Chase   2m abt 5f   275000   
*   3.20   The Ladbrokes World Hurdle Race   abt 3m   275000   
*   4.00   The Byrne Group Plate (A Handicap Steeple Chase)   2m abt 4f   90000   
    4.40   The Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Steeple Chase (0-145)   3m abt 1½ f   60000   
    5.15   The St Patrick’s Derby   1m 5f      
               
               
      Friday 14th March         
               
*   1.30   The JCB Triumph Hurdle   2m abt 1f   120000   
*   2.05   The Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle Race   2m abt 1f   80000   
*   2.40   The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle Race   abt 3m   120000   
*   3.20   The Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeple Chase   3m abt 2½ f   550000   
*   4.00   The CGA Foxhunter Steeple Chase Challenge Cup   3m abt 2½ f   40000   
    4.40   The Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle Race (0-145)   2m abt 4½ f   50000   
    5.15   The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Steeple Chase Challenge Cup   2m abt ½ f   90000   
               
      The first five races are shown on Channel 4 each day so you can put your feet up and watch your money go up in smoke, live.         
               
      The above list is taken from http://www.cheltenham.co.uk/Fixtures/The-Festival/Champion-Day/About/Race-Schedule/ and the following pages.         
               

[MereNovice]

Those who have expressed an interest so far are:

tikay         
Marky147         
bookiebasher         
Karabiner         
ripple11         
Dubai      Number 11/6/3   
horseplayer         
exstream         
BorntoBubble         
Tal         
Nakor         
TightEnd         
kpnuts         
aaron1867         
0mm         
Eso Kral         
Booder         
jakally         
typhoon13         
Doobs         
Simon Galloway         
iangascoigne         
Big D         
RedFox         
cheapwetsuit         
edgascoigne         
redsimon         
NigDawG         
ForthThistle         
claypole         
BigAdz         

[Karabiner]

In for £25 and shipped post haste.

Looking to improve on last year's bubble.

Vince you da man.

[tikay]

Thank you Vince, & we appreciate you running this in your usual dictatorial manner.

£25 SENT by Bank TX.

[redsimon]

Thank you Vince, & we appreciate you running this .

£25 SENT by Bank TX.

+1

[Simon Galloway]

Thank you Vince, & we appreciate you running this .

£25 SENT by Bank TX.

+1

+2

[Big_D]

Money sent.

Thanks for running it again mate.

[tikay]

Mere.

Understand this.

I don't mind finishing near the foot of the list. But if I finish below EsoWalsall & Big-D, you are going to be Banned. 

I do hope I make myself clear. 

[MereNovice]

Mere.

Understand this.

I don't mind finishing near the foot of the list. But if I finish below EsoWalsall & Big-D, you are going to be Banned. 

I do hope I make myself clear. 

Bans aren't so bad.

[Tal]

Shippèd.


By way of bribe, a JCC poem:
 
You ain't nothing but a hedgehog
Foragin' all the time
You ain't nothing but a hedgehog
Foragin' all the time
You ain't never pricked a predator
You ain't no porcupine.

[booder]

£25  Shipped

No poem.

[Eso Kral]

Shipped so you are all playing for 1st or 3rd place unfortunately!!

[cheapwetsuit]

Shipped. Since I know nothing about horses, I've come up with an unbeatable, super-secret system. The wooden spoon is mine for sure.