| Stars aim to put one over the bookies
 The heat
is on, the tips are in and the tension is mounting. The Irish Post and
Paddy Power bookmakers have teamed up to provide some of Ireland’s
best-known faces with £150 in free bets for the Cheltenham racing
festival — with the winnings going to the charity of our celebrities’
choice.
Fr. Ted actress and acclaimed novelist Pauline McGlynn has chosen the
London-based Inisfree Housing Association as the charity of her choice.
She said: “The Inisfree housing association provides accommodation
for Irish people in London who have fallen on hard times. It’s a
very worthy cause and one that all Irish people in Britain can identify
with.”
McGlynn is a patron of the Association.
Leading bookmaker Paddy Power has chosen the Irish Cancer Society as his
favoured charity saying: “It’s a very worthy cause as the
disease still effects a huge percentage of the Irish population. Hopefully
I can call on a few friends in the racing game to give me the edge over
the other three tipsters, it would be rather embarrasing to be beaten
by Mrs. Doyle.”
Former World Snooker champion Ken Doherty nominated the Irish-based Make
A Wish Foundation as his favoured charity.
He said: “They bring sick children abroad for holidays. It’s
a charity I have helped out before and deserves all the help it gets.
Tipping horses is a lot like playing snooker, you need the rub of the
green.”
Popular DJ and TV presenter Ray Darcy chose the National Children’s
Hospital to receive any winnings saying: “The work done here is
vital and I want to help them in anyway I can. It’s a place which
people all over Ireland are grateful for. Eventhough I live near the Curragh
I’m not a huge racing man but come Cheltenham this year I’ll
be keeping my fingers crossed that my horses do the job.”
Each of the four tipsters have £50 to spend on each of their three
tips. They can either back their horses to win or go for an each way punt
should they feel less confident.
While The Irish Post obviously have no preference as to who bags the most
money for charity we have a sneaky feeling Mrs. Doyle may serve up more
than tea for her three manly opponents.
This week’s horses to watch…
Thursday 2pm
Cheltenham:
TIP: Napolitian
Tipped to give Paul Nicholls another winner. Nice weight, good form and
looks to be improving. Irish hopes will be carried by Far From Trouble
an each-way chance from the Christy Roche stable.
Thursday 4.40pm
Cheltenham:
TIP: Don Doire
Tony Martin is an expert at placing horses to win handicaps. He has done
it several times with Don Doire who is still well weighted. Blue Business
is an each-way prospect in the race.
Thursday 5.20pm
Cheltenham:
TIP: Control Man
Martin Pipe could have a quiet Cheltenham but this is one that could
go close off a feather weight. Noel Meade’s Ballintra Boy has strong
each-way claims in a fiendishly difficult race.
Friday 4pm
Cheltenham:
TIP: Harbour Pilot
Noel Meade’s horse is the classiest act in this hunter chase field
by a mile. Won a point in Tinahely and should have the class to account
for these. Drombeag has each-way claims in a weak race.
Friday 4.40pm
Cheltenham:
TIP: Andreas
Paul Nicholls confided that this is his best chance of a winner at the
meeting and that’s good enough for me. Won last time out and just
on the right side of the weights. Tysou is next best.
Friday 5.10pm
Cheltenham:
TIP: Escrea
Lumped around a big weight when beaten favourite in the Pierse hurdle.
Off a realistic weight now could do very well in a hard race. Studmaster
and Natal could go very close. |
