Winston's Tips 2011 the dog that nose?

My animal instincts were a little out of kilter with my equine friends running in The Festival last week, it seems.

Just the one winner, five placed each way selections and several near misses this year giving a return of £158.13. As ever, a really enjoyable week but I should have listened to my master's wife, Janet, who had an astonishing 11 winners!

My friends at Target are going to make this up to £200 as a donation to T-Day, Gloucestershire's only dress down day that raises funds exclusively for children's charities in the county. T-Day takes place on Friday 6th May 2011. For more details log onto http://www.tday.co.uk/.

Woof, woof

Winston

Winston's Tips for Day 4 of The Festival

Good morning and a very warm welcome to the final day of my FREE tipping service for the Cheltenham Festival.

A small each way return on Mourad yesterday takes our fund for T-Day to £133. Lets see if we can get it well past £200!

1.30 Triumph Hurdle

SMAD PLACE £5 each way @ 10/1

Alan King won this race in 2005 and 2007, and trained the runner up in both 2008 & 2009, so it pays to follow his well fancied Smad Place

2.05 County Hurdle

ALARAZI £5 each way @ 8/1

Alarazi won the Imperial Cup at Sandown on Saturday and now goes for a £75,000 bonus by winning this race.

2.40 Albert Bartlett

KILCREA KIM £5 each way @ 9/1

Kilcrea Kim is a proven stayer with winning form and can go well for the Hobbs/Johnson combination who have already had two winners this week.

3.20 GOLD CUP – Feature race of the day

MIDNIGHT CHASE £5 each way at 14/1

The last three winners of the Gold Cup all line up for this race. Imperial Commander is favourite to retain his crown and I give him a big chance. The Paul Nicholls former winners Denman and Kauto Star are getting on in years and I prefer Denman of the two to go closest. Long Run is the young pretender having won the King George impressively at Kempton in January, but he has two bad runs at Cheltenham to overcome and I do not think he is very good value.

Kempes won the Irish Hennesy Gold Cup and could go well for AP McCoy, but I am tipping Midnight Chase each way. He has won four times in a row at Cheltenham, and was placed at the Festival in 2009. He is stepping up in class but he is improving and his bold front running will make this a true test of stamina.

4.00 Foxhunters

DANTES STORM £5 each way @ 8/1

This is for amateur riders and hunter chases. Last year Baby Run was a thrilling winner ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies. This year he is a hot favourite and will be ridden by Sam’s younger brother Will. Another exuberant front runner, he should go close, but I like the chances of Dantes Storm who has an impressive point to point record.

4.40 Martin Pipe

FIRST POINT £5 each way @ 20/1

Trained by Nicky Henderson, who trained the winner in 2009 and the second last year.

5.15 Grand Annual

OH CRICK £5 each way @ 10/1

The 27^th and final race of the Festival! Oh Crick won this race in 2009 and hopefully will run well again this year.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog – I hope you’ve enjoyed a wonderful week of racing.

Good luck!

Winston

Winston's Tips for Day 3 of The Festival

Good morning and welcome to Day 3 of my FREE tipping service for the Cheltenham Festival.

A 10/1 winner (as we placed our bet with Paddy Power we were paid out at the starting price, which was higher than the price when we placed our bet – Best Odds Guaranteed), a 10/1 third and a non runner have boosted our funds for T-Day 2011 (www.tday.co.uk) to £116, and after two days we are showing a profit of £11 on recommended stakes.

Yesterday was Ladies Day and the Irish had six winners. Today it is St Patrick’s Day and I think the ladies could have a good day!

1.30 Jewson Novices Chase

WISHFUL THINKING £10 win @ 3/1

Yet another new race at the Festival so no previous trends. Wishful Thinking was very impressive when he won a competitive handicap here in January and should go close for the Hobbs/Johnson combination who have already had two winners at this year’s Festival.

2.05 Pertemps Final

PAUSE AND CLAUSE £2.50 each way @ 25/1

The last seven winners of this race have won at odds of over 10/1. Pause and Clause, trained by the lovely Emma Lavelle, won at the Festival last year, and can make a bold show at long odds.

2.40 Ryanair Chase

VOY PUR USTEDES £5 each way @ 14/1

The favourite Pocquelin is the clear form and trends choice, but I am backing a massive hunch with veteran Voy Pur Ustedes. He is a two time winner at the Festival and I am hoping that his move to Nicky Henderson can galvanise him to his former glories. If he is anywhere near his best he will walk this!

3.20 WORLD HURDLE – Feature race of the day

MOURAD £5 each way at 9/1

Big Bucks is favourite to win this race for the third time in a row. Grand Crus has won all his three races this season by large distances, but he prefers softer ground. Better value is to have an each way bet on the Irish challenger Mourad.

4.00 Byrne Plate

QUARTZ DE THAIX £5 each way @ 13/2

EDGBRIAR £2.50 each way @ 14/1

A difficult handicap chase, to say the least. The prices of the last 10 winners have been 16/1, 33/1,66/1,12/1.14/1,25/1,12/1,16/1,25/1 and 14/1 so it pays to look for an outsider, so I have had an each way bet on Edgbriar, who won a competitive handicap here in October.

I have also had a bet on Quartz de Thaix, who is trained by Venetia Williams, who has trained two of the last four winners of this race.

4.40 Kim Nuir

GALANT NUIT £5 each way @ 7/1

This is a race for amateur riders, so it pays to stick with the best jockeys - so I have backed Galant Nuit, ridden by the delightful Nina Carberry.

Good luck!

More from me tomorrow

Winston

Winston's Tips for Day 2 of The Festival

Good morning and a very warm welcome to my FREE tipping service for the Cheltenham Festival on Ladies Day.

Two each ways thirds yesterday giving a modest return of £21.38 for T-Day 2011 (www.tday.co.uk) . Let’s see if we can do better today!

1.30 National Hunt Chase

SOME TARGET £5 each way @8/1

Trends and formbook of no relevance here; I just like the fact it’s named after a progressive PR led marketing communications agency in Cheltenham…… He should give us a good run for our money and, to be fair, he has a very good chance.

2.05 Neptune Novices Hurdle

SO YOUNG £10 win @ 5/2

Not very original going for the favourite, but well fancied Irish runners have won three of the last five runnings of the race, with the trainer of So Young, Willie Mullins, being responsible for two of these.

2.40 RSA Chase

WAYWARD PRINCE £5 each way @ 10/1

Time For Rupert is a hot favourite for this race, and he is a very talented up and coming chaser, but this race is often won by a tough unspectacular horse with winning form. Wayward Prince fits the bill and won earlier this season at Cheltenham.

3.20 QUEEN MOTHER – Feature race of the day

SIZING EUROPE £5 each way @ 7/1

Big Zeb won this race easily last year and is a worthy favourite. Master Minded is bidding for his third win in this race, but his better days are probably behind him now. Sizing Europe won the Arkle last season and the last twelve winners of the Arkle who went on to run in this race were placed at least, so he is our each way selection.

4.00 Coral Cup

ORZARE £2.50 each way @ 33/1

Taking a chance here as Orzare has not run for 394 days, but he has won his last three races and is trained by Gary Moore, who is excellent with his handicap hurdlers.

4.40 Fred Winter H’Cap Hurdle

WHITBY JACK £2.50 each way @ 11/1

Last time out winners who have had three runs over hurdles have an amazing record in the race, so Whitby Jack is our selection, like Orzare, trained by Gary Moore

5.15 Champion Bumper

DIVINE RHAPSODY £2.50 each way @ 12/1

Irish trained horses have won 14 out of 18 runnings of this race, with a win last time out a must. Divine Rhapsody has not run since last April, but he did win very impressively and can go close.

Good luck!

More from me tomorrow

Winston

Winston's Tips for Day 1 of The Festival

Hello and a very warm welcome to my FREE tipping service for the Cheltenham Festival. I'm Target's pooch punter, Winston, the dog that 'nose' the form and loves a flutter.

This year I will be placing charity bets each day with any returns at the end of the week donated to T-Day 2011 (www.tday.co.uk), Gloucestershire’s only dress down day that raises funds exclusively for children’s charities in the county.

All bets that I recommend will be placed with Paddy Power (www.paddypower.com) who are offering best odds guaranteed on all races. This means that if you back a horse at 4/1 and it wins at 6/1 then you get paid out at the higher price.

As past performance is always a good guide to future performance I will be looking at previous trends and form to come up with some good value tips, although sometimes I may just follow a hunch!

Here are my suggestions for Day 1, Tues 15 March - Centenary Day:

1.30 Supreme Novices Hurdle

MAGENS STAR £2.50 each way at 20/1 (money back if Cue Card wins)

Cue Card is very well fancied and could be a superstar. However, short priced favourites have a terrible record in this race. Magen’s Star has positive trends in being an Irish trained, unbeaten mare and could go well at a long price. If Cue Card wins we get our money back!

2.05 Arkle Chase

MEDERMITT £10 win @ 11/4

In the last ten years, the highest rated hurdler has won this race on five occasions. Medermitt is the highest rated hurdler by a long way and is a confident selection to give Alan King his third Arkle winner.

2.40 Spinal Research H’Cap Chase

SUNNYHILLBOY £5 win @ 6/1

Well fancied runners carrying less than 11 stone do well in this race, as do Jonjo O’Neill’s runners, so I have plumped for Sunnyhillboy who has also has good course form.

3.20 CHAMPION HURDLE – Feature race of the day

OSCAR WHISKY £5 each way @ 7/1

Last year’s winner and favourite Binocular was withdrawn on Sunday, taking the gloss off this race, although it should still be a cracker. I think Oscar Whisky is great value to give Nicky Henderson his third successive win in this race. Both his wins have been very impressive this season, including a win at Cheltenham in January.

4.00 Cross Country Chase

GARDE CHAMPETRE £10 win @ 9/2

He has won five times over this course & distance, and whilst he is getting on in years like my master, he is capable of winning this race for the third time.

4.40 David Nicholson

L’ACCORDIANISTE £2.50 each way @ 10/1

Quevega is a hot favourite to complete a hat trick of wins in this race, but there is value each way with L’Accordianiste trained locally by Nigel Twiston-Davies

5.15 Centenary Novice H’Cap Chase

TULLAMORE DEW £2.50 each way @ 9/1

A really tricky novice chase to end the day. Tullamore Dew was second in last season’s Coral Cup and has never been out of the first two in her four novice chases this season.

Good luck!

More from me tomorrow

Winston

Courtney takes up first apprenticeship at Target

Courtney Conroy has joined the Cheltenham-based Target Group as its first apprentice.

Courtney, 19, was brought up in Huddersfield and South Africa and left college last year with a BTEC in art and design.

“I thought about going to university to study fashion promotion, but I decided to get stuck in and find a job instead, preferably in the media,” said Courtney.

“I checked out all the apprenticeships, thinking they’d be for plumbers and painters, but I was excited to find Target instead.”

The opportunity to join Target’s 13-strong team came about partly as a result of the Echo/Citizen 100inONEHUNDRED Apprenticeship Challenge.

Target hooked up with Cirencester College which is offering its first marketing apprenticeship, leading to a Chartered Institute of Marketing CIM certificate. Courtney will spend two days per month at college for 18 months.

Target Chief Executive, Sarah Bryars, said: “Marketing is usually viewed as a graduate profession, but with young people increasingly looking for alternatives to university, we’ve broadened our approach to recruiting new talent.

“Our link with Cirencester College is a first, and we’re delighted to have Courtney on board.”

Target comes up trumps for Sue Ryder in Leckhampton

(L-R) Sue Ryder fundraiser Pam Sewell,
Target Chief Executive Colin Spencer,
and Target PR Managing Director Sarah Bryars.

Target rounded off a year of support for Sue Ryder with a £100 Christmas bonus.

The company has raised almost £1,500 for the hospice so far, and decided to make a donation to its favourite charity instead of sending Christmas cards.

"Hospice care touches every family at some time in their lives, and we're lucky to have the Sue Ryder hospice in Leckhampton on our doorstep," said MD of Target PR, Sarah Bryars.

Fundraiser for the hospice, Pam Sewell, was grateful for the cash. "The ongoing support from companies like Target is invaluable. We couldn't survive without them,"  she said.

The hospice in Church Road has to raise £1 million a year.

Target takes up Echo and Citizen's Apprentice Challenge

Target is taking up the Echo and Citizen's challenge and hiring its first apprentice.

The PR and marketing company in Cheltenham has teamed up with Cirencester College to create a new position for a full-time Apprentice PR and Marketing Assistant who will spend a day a week studying.

It is the first year that Cirencester College has run a marketing apprenticeship, leading to a Chartered Institute of Marketing CIM certificate and a Level 3 NVQ in marketing after 12 months.

The MD of Target PR, Sarah Bryars, said: "We were spurred on by the Echo and Citizen's Apprenticeship Challenge. It's a great idea and, thanks to the college, it's the first time we've been able to consider offering a trainee the chance to study marketing."

She added that marketing is traditionally a graduate profession. "But with young people increasingly looking for alternatives to university, it was time to re-think our approach to recruiting new talent.

"It's up to businesses like ours to make sure we open the door to trainees as the costs of going to university become prohibitive and there are so few other options.

"We're pretty sure there are bright people out there with a genuine interest in media, a good work ethic and a creative spark.

"It's a great opportunity for someone who wants to get on to the first rung of the PR and marketing career ladder with a top company."

Richard Ashwood, Director of Business Training and Development at Cirencester College, was pleased to team up with Target.

He said: "Cirencester College has a strong media department, so when we learned that Target was interested in creating a Marketing apprenticeship we saw it as a great opportunity – and quite a coup to work with such a prestigious agency.

"This is a first for Target and a first for Cirencester College, and we hope it will fill a void for young people keen to pursue a creative career."

The hugely successful 100inONEHUNDRED Apprenticeship Challenge was launched by the Gloucestershire Echo and Citizen with Gloucestershire College to create 100 apprenticeships in 100 days.

When 123 apprenticeships were registered, the campaign was extended.

The Challenge is up for a PRide award, organised by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, on October 29.

Romanians reign at Gloucester Rugby quiz night

The first Gloucester Rugby Sports Quiz Night was hailed a great success by the 11 teams who pitted their wits against each other – with the 'Burleigh Romanians' aka Burleigh Travel taking home the trophy.

The teams, who were aided and abetted by members of the Gloucester Rugby first team squad, battled it out during seven rounds of sporting brain teasers set by Colin Spencer, and delivered by Quiz Master Graham Spring.

Colin Spencer, Chief Executive of Target, put his love of sport to good use by compiling the new fundraising sports quiz.

Competition was fierce, resulting in a tie breaker between four teams but the Burleigh Romanians, whose team comprised Ana Piciorus, John McLellan, Lucy Huggett and Ryan Barnett, scooped first prize.

Their reward for emerging triumphant was 8 hospitality places in the 1873 club restaurant, match tickets for a game of their choice and a glass trophy.

The raffle on the night raised funds for Wooden Spoon, one of Gloucester Rugby's chosen charities, and its success is sure to be repeated in the future.

Move over Statto – Colin knows his sporting stuff

Want to know who won Olympic gold for pole vaulting 1964? Or which team won the FA cup in 1956?

Just ask Colin Spencer.

The Chief Executive of the Target Marketing Group is a walking encyclopedia of sporting knowledge.

And he has put his expertise to good use by compiling a new fundraising sports quiz for Gloucester Rugby Club.

Colin, 50, admits that sport is a lifelong obsession. His bookshelves groan under the weight of Wisden's almanacks, and old match programmes. And if he's stuck for a reference manual, he digs into his own records.

"I started a sports diary in 1983, and 27 years later I'm still doing it. It only takes 10 minutes a day," said Colin, who trained as an accountant and joined Target in 1994.

"I've also got a good memory, which helps when it comes to quizzes."

His finest hour was when he reached the semi-final of the BBC Brain of Sport competition in 1986.

Colin is now an avid Gloucester Rugby fan.

Clare Reader, from Gloucester Rugby Club, was delighted that Colin offered to compile the quiz, and also volunteered his PR and marketing teams to spread the word about the new event.

The first Gloucester Rugby Sports Quiz Night takes place at Kingsholm on September 22.

Fifteen teams, including Gloucester players, will battle it out. And Colin will be there to inspect the answers to his brain teasers.

"There'll be jacket spuds, a bar and lots of head scratching – it's going to be a great night," said Clare.

Anyone who wants a table can contact Clare Reader on 01452 872274 or clarereader@gloucesterrugby.co.uk