The Tiger!!!! What a performance - if that's retirement for him, then he couldn't have finished on a higher note.
Am I the only one who thinks they've tried to scam the handicapper good and proper to win another National, it's not worked so they've come and hacked up here? Three races since Cheltenham last year - 6th of 9, pulled up and 6th of 6 at Navan. Beaten by a combined 94 lengths in the two he finished, and now he's hacked up by 18 lengths against top quality opposition? Nah, not having that, it stinks. Bet they well piled in at 6/1. Scammers.
The first of those 2 runs was on dreadful winter ground, and the second over hurdles running at an inadequate trip. If he'd have been wearing the green and gold of JP McManus then I would have questioned it, but Gigginstown tend to run their horses to its merits. I wouldn't call this "top class opposition". The fav came second - and isn't the same horse as last year and the rest of them are exposed handicappers. It's probably the worst renewal of this race for a while.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/s...00-000-5-bet-Envoi-Allen-wins-Cheltenham.html What a decision he's got to make. I wouldn't take a cash out ever. The point of putting a bet on is to see if everything you want to happen actually does.
Usually I'm a big advocate of "letting it ride". But that's a life changing some of money. I'd provably lay the fav on betfair to cover about 100k. That way, you'd be looking at 400k for the win, and 100k if it loses. However, you'd have to have pretty deep pockets to stand that bet. I'd probably partially cash out.
Good job he cashed out! Darver Star never got over being hampered by the fav - couldn't have got that more wrong!