The amount of hard graft I put into producing the Spring Festival Contenders book and then put together the Daily Selections over the four days really paid off.

Before the meeting started my members warmed up on the Saturday with yet another winner of the EBF Final, when it was hats off to the Queen and her horse Close Touch an 8/1 winner.

It set them up for the four days of Cheltenham.

From the 19 selections put up on line, text or email.

2 winners BENEFFICIENT 20/1

& OUR CONOR 4/1
(Strongest message of the week ‘This is the best juvenile hurdler in Britain & Ireland and I’m giving you a strong message for this one’ I told them on the line!)

5 seconds @ 9/4, 11/2, 12/1 (adv), 12.1 (adv) 12/1(adv),

2 thirds @ 12/1 & 5/1

Making an overall 15pt profit.

Depending how people staked they might well have made over £300 with £10 ew bets.

Let me put it this way, judging by the emails & texts sent to me, there are a lot of very happy punters who joined me during Cheltenham.

The Spring Festival Contenders book also produced some interesting results with Holywell won 25/1, Big Shu was mentioned in the Cross Country and won 14/1.

Bobs Worth & Sir Des Champs were 1st and second choices in the Gold Cup.

Salisfy advised in the Foxhunters.(Very lucky winner though!)

There was also featured an Ante-Post Short Priced Favourites Heinze Bet recommended @50p that returned 5 winners paying £142.16

When you consider the book was written over 2 weeks before the Festival began, it really proved to be a valuable publication.

This game is never easy.

When you think about the tragedies that have hit J. P. McNamara and also the devastating loss of Dominic Baker (21 year old) son of Paul Nicholls long serving Head lad Clifford Baker, who I will add has always given me a warm welcome when I visit the Nicholls Stable at the start of my annual stable tour.

The Cheltenham Festival is never easy, but if you were involved with me during the four days, I tried my best and we did it well.

The highlights were cheering home those two winners from the stands and making myself a little hoarse!!

Jockey Bryan Cooper looks to have a very bright future in the saddle.

Now we have Aintree to look forward to.

The Northern Racing Club are holding an Aintree Preview Evening on
Wed 3rd April @ 7.45.

Venue: Old Railway Club, Melling Road, Aintree L9 0LQ

Entry £6

Panel: Darren Owen Racecourse Commentator
Andy Holding Wm Hill Radio 7 ‘Time expert’
Keith McHugh Old Chronicle Former winner of the Racing Post Naps Competition
Andy Richmond RUK
John Morris Jumping Prospects

The Jumping Prospects Cheltenham Preview Evening in Aintree was a complete success.

Thanks to everyone who attended, what was an entertaining, amusing and informative evening. The panel was in great form.

Charlie Longsdon, Ben Pauling, John Parrott, Andy Holding and myself trying to keep order and stop the electrical feedback from the mics from making the show look like a new version of ‘The Prisoner’.

We raised a decent sum of money for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital from the raffle. Now all we have to do is find a few more winners to boost the total even further.

If you came along, spend your free £5 Ladbrokes Betting voucher wisely during Cheltenham!!!
I’m already working on next years event, but it might be that the same team will be on show with another well known potential guest on my radar.

It really was a very special night made by a fantastic and knowledgeable panel, along with an exceptionally brilliant crowd that turned up.

On the subject of Cheltenham. I’ve been digging deep into the handicaps at Cheltenham.

What has struck me most is the fact that in my opinion the British Handicappers have gone out of their way to stop the best of the Irish handicappers from running at Cheltenham.

I’m bemused as to why the handicappers have dropped so many Irish horses down the ratings creating a British handicapping version of the Bermuda Triangle.

What is going on is completely mind boggling.

I’ve found horses from Ireland on 137 in the British handicaps that are 142 in Ireland, Surely they should be 147 in the current handicapping list for Cheltenham?

One of the top Irish handicappers over hurdles is on 132 in Ireland but off 130 in Britain and can’t possibly get a run.

The situation favours the bigger owners and in my opinion I’m smelling a dirty big rat.

Let’s just see who missess out next week and then look to opportunities at Fairyhouse and possibly Aintree being next on the agenda.

VENUE:OLD RAILWAY CLUB, MELLING ROAD, AINTREE L9 0LQ

Doors 6.45 start: 7.45 £10 entry

Free £5 Ladbrokes betting voucher (while stocks last) will be given out on entry.

Panel: Andy Holding ( Hills Radio), Charlie Longsdon (Trainer)
John Parrott ( President of the Crown Green Bowling Assco) Ben Pauling ( Assistant to Nicky Henderson)

Hosted by John Morris who will be mingling with the audience, who will be invited to put questions to the panel.

Raffle with a donation being made to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

Prizes include Coral, Ladbrokes & Hills Betting Vouchers Kindly donated by those companies,

Hospitality Packages kindly donated by Aintree & Bangor, & Badges donated by Cartmel Racecourse.

This evening will attract a big crowd and you should arrive early to claim your place & free Ladbrokes betting voucher.

The panel will give their opinions along with all the latest news about the major contenders at Cheltenham.

It is guaranteed to be a lively and entertaining evening.

Don’t miss out on the winners that will be discussed.

If you know someone who will be interested in this evening, email or text them details.

An advert concerning the evening can be found on Page 34 of todays Racing Post.

John Morris

We all know how difficult it has proved to be during the winter months.

In some parts of the country the racecourses are still advertising their going as ‘heavy’, but word from my contacts at Cheltenham is that the ground is now soft with good to soft patches. Of course any further rain leading up to or during the Festival will scupper this progress, as the watertable is past its ceiling at the moment.

Over the past six weeks I’ve spent plenty of time ploughing through the form book of the British and Irish entries, plus spent hour upon hour watching the horses from both countries in running at various locations.

All this hard graft is done each year during the build up to the Festivals at Cheltenham & Aintree. The work has paid big dividends over the years I’ve produced the Spring Festival Package.

Last year those punters who took the full package were rewarded with two very special winners at Cheltenham in March.

The first won the opening race of the Festival… Cinders And Ashes at SP odds of 10/1 (11/1 easily on offer during the previous twenty four hours!).
This result gave everyone the feel good factor on the opening day.

Even better was to come on the Wednesday when SON OF FLICKA was put up and was available in places at 66/1 & 40/1. He had finished second at the previous Festival, but won the 2012 Coral Cup in grand style. That is the type of result that pays for your Festival expenses and leaves more than enough for some serious drinking sessions if you are that way inclined.

The new edition of Jumping Prospects will be published next Tuesday. Full details on the home page of this site.

It is an entertaining and informative read, that sets up punters for the Festival at Cheltenham.

The build up to Cheltenham in my local area, Liverpool will be highlighted when the Jumping Prospects Festival Preview evening is held at the old railway Club on Monday 4th March @ 7.45. The panel will be lively with special guests Charlie Longsdon and Ben Pauling, assistant trainer with Nicky Henderson, John Parrott, Andy Holding & my self hosting the event and throwing in a few pearls of wisdom!

It should be a brilliant night. Full details are in the Racing post classified Cheltenham section each Saturday over the next couple of weekends or call 0151 520 0080 if you need to know anything else about the evening.

THE OLD RAILWAY CLUB, MELLING ROAD, AINTREE, L9 0QL

Monday, March 4th @7.45

Panel: John Parrott, Charlie Longsdon, Ben Pauling, Andy Holding & Hosted by John Morris.

The latest news concerning this popular evening of entertainment is that the first 160 to turn up on the night will be given a Ladbrokes £5 betting Voucher on Entry.

The cost of the evening is £10, but you are in receipt of a £5 Ladbrokesbetting voucher, that’s a good deal!

I’m also arranging Raffle Prizes and anyone willing to donate something with a racing angle will be gratefully accepted.

Call me on 0151 520 0080

Below is a reproduction of what was written in the Dossier.

FLAMING CHARMER Trainer: Colin Tizzard
4, ch. g. Flemensfirth – Kates Charm

On his first two outings last season in bumpers at Warwick in January and Punchestown in April, this attractive son of Flemensfirth was just too weak to do himself justice. He thrived during the summer and filled out into his frame. On his seasonal debut, he made an encouraging start over hurdles at Chepstow at the beginning of November on soft ground over an extended two mile trip. Always travelling well enough during the early stages, his jumping was fluent and he made a move to track the leaders on the long swing around the bottom bend and into the home straight. However, he was never really allowed to land a serious blow, but continued to swing along on the bit without ever looking as though he would take on the front three in the race.

As his rivals came down to the second last he was well held in fourth spot, but the final hurdle fall of the Pipe horse Bladoun meant he had to stay on to finish a creditable third.
In my opinion, this was an eye-catching performance, behind the winner Orabora trained by Philip Hobbs and the race favourite Roger Beantown trained by Paul Nicholls.

On his next outing at Ascot at the end of the month, he was never really put into the race with any chance of making the frame. One more run over hurdles and he should have a handicap rating.
I will be disappointed if Colin Tizzard does not find his charge a suitable opening in the coming months. He definitely has the scope to run much better over two and a half mile trips on good to soft ground. I consider him to be capable of further progress in handicaps, should his connections choose to go down that route later in the campaign.

Flaming Charmer made his novice handicap debut at Warwick on 12th January.

He was backed from 22/1 to 14/1 and was always in the leading bunch before going on to win by two and a quarter lengths. The only thing I got wrong was the trip as he was dropped back to two miles! Hey, who cares. You can’t have it all your own way. BOOOOOOOOOM

At the moment I’m working hard to complete my next project.
The SPRING FESTIVAL CONTENDERS BOOK due to be published end of February. (cost only £12 inc P&P)

Full details will be available shortly. I will be sending details to my regulars and the website will be update early February.

The amount of research and watching races from both Britain & Ireland is really taking a lot of my time.
The lack of turf action has just meant I have the opportunity to delve deep into the prospect both obvious and those all important dark ones.

As if this is not enough I’ve also organised another Cheltenham Festival Preview Evening…details below.

Monday 4th March.
Venue: The Old Railway Club, Melling Road,

Aintree, Liverpool, L9 0LQ. (Opposite the racecourse)
7.45 start. £10 entry

Panel: Charlie Longsdon (Trainer)
John Parrott,
Ben Pauling (Assistant Trainer to Nicky Henderson),
Andy Holding (Form expert)
Hosted by John Morris (Jumping Prospects).
Raffle Prizes including ‘free bets’ donated by bookmakers and Racecourse Badges, plus other prizes.
There will also be a donation made to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital

It is sure to be a popular and informative evening and thanks to my guests for agreeing to make the journey up to Liverpool.

If you can, please attend. there is plenty of car parking, it’s a big room and hopefully I’ve been promised enough microphones for the panel!

My own form this season has not been good.

I’ve not handled the exceptionally wet conditions well at all.
Usually I am able to pull rabbits out of my hat at times. Problem is that this season, I’ve had trouble finding my hat, never mind the bloody rabbits!

Of course some people can’t handle losing runs from tipsters.
Your only as good as your previous winner. When the winners dry up, but the selections finish second more than they should, it becomes a double whammy of grief.

Thankfully Saturday provided me and my followers with a glimmer of hope.
I’ve always been able to see the tunnel, but there was no light sighted until around 12.47 yesterday, when a horse I’d followed closely Flaming Charmer trained by Colin Tizzard made his handicap hurdling debut after three quiet runs.
He jumped and travelled well to land a right little touch, having been available at 22/1 in the morning, 20/1 in most places and even bigger on Betfair.

The horse was featured as one to follow in the Jumping Prospects December/Christmas Dossier. The SP was 14/1, but the real value was there for all to grab.

The feeling of relief and more importantly that overwhelming boost to the dented confidence that had surrounded the past three months was gleefully accepted.

There is a long road until the end of April, littered with many minefields and likely setbacks in the constant battle to find real value winners.

All I can do is to attempt to maintain my own self belief, ignore anyone who kicks you while you are down and just do my job.

You always win when you least expect to!

On another note. It would appear to me that racecourse bookmakers are moaning about the lack of trade on the racecourse these days.

They are either totally blind or just a bunch of tossers…probably both?

Perhaps they should look at their own marketing on the racecourse.

They have ruined all the simple principles of oncourse betting.

If you are like me, looking at the boards and you see every bookie advertising the same price, with very little variation in the prices on offer and each way terms that insult the intelligence of regular racegoers.

What are you likely to do in the long-term as a punter? Possibly walk away? Go else where?
Join the Game-Keepers and indulge in the same practice as those standing on the stools on the racecourse, by grabbing the value on Betfair from the comfort of your own home? Or even with the off course bookies, those who don’t treat you as an ‘arbor’ if you dare to snap up any real value prices.

The answer to the bleating from the bookies is simple.

Go back to producing your own prices on the racecourse.

Turn off the exchanges and offer your own competitive prices, be better than others standing in the ring on the racecourses by offering punters real value.

Give racegoers a reason to go to the track to bet.

Lay bets asked to be placed and take them without insulting your customers. Then hedge any part of the bet you don’t want with other bookies in the ring.

It’s a system used by bookies over the past 100 years to ensure trade remained solid in the betting ring.

It’s not rocket science, but some of the donuts flicking the switches on their computers within the ring have no experience of this alien way of forming the market.

They are dying on their feet and unless they choose to adapt and return to the old ways, then the following is likely to happen.
They will go the same way as the dinosaurs with extinction firmly an odds on bet.

It is something I’ve let slip, due to family, work and health pressures during recent months.

The wet weather has caused all sorts of problems. The ground conditions have ripped the guts out of many horses that have been asked to race on going that has just not proved suitable. It is important that meetings take place, particularly as ARC have turned their back on Folkestone and Hereford. The company has also been hit firmly in the nuts with Southwell being flooded. Poetic justice?

The problem is that some racecourses appear to have looked at their Christmas bookings and made the choice to race at all cost, even in the ground was unraceable.

There have been so many horses that have just run below their true potential in recent months.

If the ground dries out and it is a massive ‘IF’ the festivals might be run on decent ground. It is a big ask, but perhaps punters should be prepared to toss the form book out of the window if it does dry out. In my opinion it is set up for a massive turn around in the overall outlook for the jumping scene.

Another thing to take into account is that some of the major yards in Britain and Ireland have just not run all of the top-notch horses during the first stage of the winter jumps season. The good ground horses have remained in their stables. they will have the opportunity to come out fresh and raring to go, if it dries out.

On another note, away from my day job, but part of my evenings for the past 14 years.

Having been the BBC Horse Racing Correspondent on Radio Merseyside during this time, due to recent schedule changes of the sports programmes on the station, the offer I was made to continue was totally unacceptable and reluctantly I had to walk away from providing listeners with access to racing interviews and special guests, along with the highly successful Charity Bets that raised over £80K during my time in the hot seat.

In my opinion those at the top end of the BBC should hang their heads in shame.
They are losing sight of what should be provided in what is a public service, paid for by the public, but at times appears to be run by donuts.
The BBC have never been renowned for being good towards their contributors. Without such people the programmes would not be as good. They have chosen to cut in all directions. In the long-term they will realise their mistake, but do they care? No is the answer.

You would not believe the strokes that were pulled during my time at the BBC on Merseyside.

One of the biggest frustrations came during the early days of my time as the racing correspondent.
The studio changed to digital recordings. When I asked if they would supply me with a machine and a mic to bring in interviews to be played on the racing slot. I was refused any such equipment. In the end I spent over £600 of my own money to gather many of the interviews that were played on the programme over a 7 year period.

I did this because I wanted to give something back to a sport that had given me a good living.

The recording machine has long since gone, but I still have the mic that cost a few bob!

My plan now is to promote and improve what is produced via Jumping Prospects.

Before anyone asks the total number of runners since 19th September when the book was published is 170. Therefore 50 winners and numerous 2nd & 3rd placed horses is some strike rate.

All the winners are on the website page ‘The Winners’ on jumpingprospects.co.uk

Over recent weeks there have been times when even I question why I put myself through the grinder, when it comes to backing horses. There have been so many disappointments among the runners, but you have to take into account that this autumn has been rather different to those we have experienced over the past few years. The ground is more like that we would expect in late December and some horses look to me as though they are not right in themselves.

On the brightside, I’ve actually had enough hits to soak up the disappointments and still show a reasonable profit.

Last week I ran a series of adverts in the Racing Post that have attracted a large number of people who did not know that Jumping Prospects actually exists.
After all its only been going for 21 years!

What really pleased me was that the Racing Post actually gave the book the thumbs up. Now that is a result if you take into consideration that Jumping Prospects is in direct competition with the Racing Post similar books.

I’m now down to the final 15% of the print run.

If you have not got a copy and would like to know what the other 250 potential winners from the book are likely to be, you know what to do…. order now.

If you already have a copy and are looking for a present for a friend or relative, please consider placing an extra order.

I have to say a massive thanks to for all of you who continue to support JP and are well aware of the advantages the book provides you with during the early months of the autumn and winter jumps season.

On a final thought, I will be producing a December/Christmas Dossier that will update and enhance the current publication, but will also provide an added edge of containing a new batch of horses and interviews to bring everything more up to date. Full details will be available in a week or so, but I’m already up at 5a.m. each day to start the project rolling.

50 winners from the book already. Now that is a blazing start.

warmly

John Morris

There is a review about the book today in the Racing Post supplement, (page 13) but it stated there were 13 interviews featured in Jumping Prospects when the actual number is 16. Also the Below The Radar section has more than the 11 horses mentioned and this new section has already produced a number of interesting winners.

What amazed me was that the review was very fair and actually admitted that the book was good value! Something my regular readers are already well aware of.

Some of the quotes from the text mention ‘Plenty of nuggets of information straight from the mouths of some of the biggest and most up-an-coming trainers.’ The book they said ‘would also offer plenty for punters looking for some long-priced winners.’

I know how good this is book, cos I write it! Many others call it their ‘racing bible.’ Why not join the Jumping Prospects flock and read, enjoy and make yourself richer.