Take A Pull Podcast

Here's a little snippet of our thought process in today's opening race at Gowran 🧠 Here is what you can pick up when listening to tAP that you will not get anywhere else 👇🏻 1) @dec_car targets a novice handicap run at Leopardstown on Dec 26th, won by Ataboycharlie as a potentially strong piece of form. 2) Given the clip they went in the above race, some horses that were up with the pace (i.e Zeeband), may have run better than their position suggested that day (41L back in 18th, which @Handy_Andy96 found amusing). 3) Andy then mentions the three horses that won/placed that day at Leopardstown (Ataboycharlie, Woodstream Lad and Park of Kings). Three horses you could back when upped in class next time (cough Ataboycharlie in the Liffey Handicap next week, cough 😷) 4) Andy then picks out Kilbarry Saint, who looked a non stayer over longer trips, she was having her first start at 2 miles today. 5) Zeeband finished third🥉 and get this, 66/1was freely available this morning about this chances. He was even 80/1 in a place. Kilbarry Saint was available at 25/1 this morning and returned a good second at 20/1 🥈. In this segment alone, you would have found 2 nice placed finishers and a race race you can refer back to when studying future races in this grade. 📝 Why not tune into TAP 26, which will drop tomorrow! Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/29NHF38Zb… YouTube: @TakeAPullpod?si=4Vef0MryAcDfxWIy" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">youtube.com/@TakeAPullpod?…

Back to the good stuff! @Handy_Andy96 & @dec_car get stuck into a really nice card at @NavanRacecourse this Saturday on #TAP152. A perfect cure for your Cheltenham hangover youtu.be/uL_IS5rUpr8?is…

We are back recording tonight where @Handy_Andy96 & @dec_car will briefly review the Cheltenham Festival before getting back to the proper stuff with a preview of Saturday's card from @NavanRacecourse

The Besty Woman is an interesting runner in the bumper tomorrow at Cork with 2 hurdle runs to her name. She split subsequent winners Barley Lane and Healys Pub the last day and they're prob 2 nice enough horses themselves @TakeAPullpod

“Up that Tap” 😂😂😂 @dec_car good to talk to you last night fella! Never know who you’ll bump into at midnight in the Cotswolds! Some craic 😂😂👌 @TakeAPullpod

Been traveling all day, but I was going to reply. For a start, I think you misinterpreted my original post. So I'll quote tweet it (below). It was far from complaining. I'll elaborate below. I was only saying british handicappers should target Punchestown, which they really should. However, I did mention Irish horses not coming down the weights as fast as British horses, this is undeniably true. No1 has even mentioned the lack of Irish horses at veteran age running in conventional Cheltenham handicaps this week (with the exception of the XC, but that is a completely specialist discipline). I only counted 3. Ballyadam - who's been consistent, but he's been the handicappers grasp since 2021. No relenting on his mark despite his advancing age. Colonel Mustard - who has had a good season. No issues with him. Midnight It Is - who was third in last year's Grand Annual, beaten 3L. He's had 3 runs this season - 11th beaten 34L, 9th beaten 54L and 7th beaten 35L. He ran in this year's plate off *checks notes*, 1lb HIGHER than he did in last year's Grand Annual. He ran like a horse that needed some compassion from the assessor. A similar campaign in the UK and I've zero doubt he'd be on a lower mark than he ran off last year in that Grand Annual. That is why we see no Irish veterans in the conventional handicaps and it's also probably why we see most of them have a go at the Cross Country discipline. From your numbers, out of the 119 Irish horses (minus the Fred Winter and XC), 98 ran in the other handicaps. 3 were of veteran age. Why do you think that is? Because the handicappers don't give them a prayer. That's where my issue lies. Not sure what this "agenda" you speak of means, but there's little doubt Irish horses get a different treatment. x.com/i/status/20324…

@ciaranodeorain @kevinblake2011 @Handy_Andy96 @dermonolan91 I’d have wagered not getting a counter response to be fair. Goes against the agenda.

Irish moaning about handicaps favouring english… Let’s look at the evidence: Irish handicap runners 119 (46.8%) English handicap runners 135 (53.2%) Handicap wins: Irish 3 (25%) English 9 (75%) Irish won less than expected Handicap top 4 finishes Irish 23 (47.9%) English 25 (52.1%) Irish slightly over performed Fred winter: 1st Irish 2nd English 3rd English 4th English Irish runners: 11/22 Ultima 1st English 2nd English 3rd English 4th English Irish Runners: 4/22 (SFG would have been top 4 when unseating) Plate: 1st English 2nd Irish 3rd Irish 4th Irish Irish runners: 10/23 NHC: 1st English 2nd English 3rd English 4th Irish Irish runners: 5/17 MGM cup: 1st English 2nd Irish 3rd Irish 4th Irish Irish runners: 15/24 Cross Country: 1st Irish 2nd Irish 3rd Irish 4th Irish Irish runners: 12/14 Grand annual: 1st English 2nd Irish 3rd Irish 4th Irish Irish runners: 12/20 Jack Richards: 1st English 2nd Irish 3rd English 4th Irish Irish runners: 8/18 Pertemps: English 1st English 2nd English 3rd Irish 4th Irish runners: 7/24 Kim Muir: 1st English 2nd Irish 3rd English 4th Irish Irish runners: 11/23 County: English 1st English 2nd English 3rd English 4th Irish runners: 9/23 Martin Pipe: Irish 1st English 2nd Irish 3rd Irish 4th Irish runners: 15/24 If you look at winners only. Yes the Irish underperformed. That’s a ver simplistic way of looking at it. It’s a small sample size for a start with only 12 handicaps. If you expand that to top 4 finishes, then the Irish performed almost exactly as expected which would suggests the handicaps were extremely fair. I would also add in that Gordon Elliot who represents Irelands 1st or 2nd biggest player in the handicaps was having a particularly poor week to the most part. His horses were almost all running below par with a few exceptions. Summary: Evidence suggests no English advantage. You might say ‘ well the Irish send over their better handicapped horses’ that’s true and perhaps the top 4 percentage could have been slightly higher In my opinion that blame lies solely on the poor form of Gordon Elliott and not the English Handicapper. Hope this helps

The way Paddy O'Brien's brother was treated at the winners enclosure in @CheltenhamRaces this afternoon was a disgrace. You shouldn't talk to anyone like that, never mind just after a moment his family will treasure forever The festival wouldn't exist without those moments

Happy Birthday Cathryn. No better way to spend your birthday than with the @TakeAPullpod lot.

It's redemption time!

@evan12o1carroll Best of luck to the legend himself today 😎

Look forward to seeing @TakeAPullpod hall of famer Dancing Jeremy at Limerick tomorrow.

On their way to the start in the XC!

Congratulations @NickHorsfield84 !! You're our winner. Drop us a message and we'll sort.

For reference, some of @Handy_Andy96's selections in this bet at current odds: 1:20 Zeus Power 33/1 - Sporting each way chance. 2:00 Predators Gold 50/1 - From the previews. 3:20 Fakir D'oudaries 16/1 (still trying to speak him winning the XC into existence 🤣 4:00 Boothill 40/1 (have became quite sweet on this one. Handicapper has given him a real chance) 5:20 It's Only A Game 16/1 - Hopefully we see the proper version of him today.

Yup @betmulvaney

What’s another year @TakeAPullpod @dec_car @Handy_Andy96 #cheltenham2026

Many thanks to our panel for The Ploughs first Festival Preview Night in aid of @Racingwelfare . £745 raised with the possibility of a bit more if the charity sponsored bets from @KwiffOfficial come through! @fergalobrien07 @FOBRacing @DrSimonsTravels @CathrynFry @TakeAPullpod

All 4 Cheltenham Festival preview pods are now LIVE! 🏇🔥 @Handy_Andy96, @dec_car & @Lukekeena1 run through every day of the Festival with big-priced selections, bold opinions & the Bet Of The Millennium 👀 🎧 YouTube & Spotify links below 👇 @takeapullpod?si=BL9nExPbXzRb9TOv" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">youtube.com/@takeapullpod?… open.spotify.com/show/29NHF38Zb… #CheltenhamFestival #TAP

Some pints in this place @ODonoghues15 @Handy_Andy96 @dec_car @Lukekeena1

#TAP151 and Day 4 A marathon session for @Handy_Andy96, @dec_car & @Lukekeena1 this week. Hopefully you enjoyed the shows and good luck to everyone next week youtu.be/Q2pgDjNlzQU?is…

@TakeAPullpod @dec_car @Handy_Andy96 @Lukekeena1 thank you for 4 brilliant podcasts. A huge amount of time and effort into producing a superb insight into each race. The best in the business!! Good luck for next week!