How I’m Finding Cheltenham Festival This Year (2021)

This year is turning out to be one of those marmite Cheltenham’s for me…

I often look forward to it for a number of different reasons. Enhanced liquidity, extra media coverage, stable markets and the chance to have a 4-figure race (hasn’t happened this year, so far).

This year has felt a little different though, the festival seems to be missing some ‘fizz’. The atmosphere and excitement just doesn’t feel the same.

A Quiet Year…

It’s not just the crowds that have been quiet this time around either. On the trading front, I’ve found it quite frustrating.

Several times I have been on for a sizeable profit, shortly before a major jilt to the market should half the greens on one ladder and plunge another into the red…

And whilst it’s been a frustrating one so far, it’s important to remember that Cheltenham is just one week of the year. It’s easy to get tangled up in the hype (I’ve done it in the past) and then feel deflated if you don’t produce mind-blowing results.

Scale v’s Consistency:

In the week, a journalist called me regarding the current Football Index fiasco. The chat wandered toward the broader topics of betting, trading and the issue of scaling up profits. It’s been on my mind ever since. It’s a very modern problem; exchanges are somewhat limiting in terms of staking, yet sportsbooks won’t take a value bet.

Cheltenham’s appeal to traders is the ability to scale for a limited time, but only if it suits your style.

To me, consistency in day-to-day racing has become far more important than a week of bigger wins. I’d rather plod away picking up £20 or £30 from a standard racecard than have the anxiety of edge-of-the-seat trading for big win. In fact, I’d go as far as to say, the filler races between Cheltenham this year have been more enjoyable.

Let’s see what Gold Cup day brings tomorrow…

Related: Trading Public Perceptions and Reaction