LAVERY’S Bar (est.1918) is ideally located at Bradbury Place, Belfast. The bar backs onto the University area while the front looks out towards ‘colourful’ Sandy Row.

The bar was a great haunt for Terry Hooley and the Belfast punk bands in the late 1970s.

A different customer base descended upon the bar last Friday 28th, to see compere Pamela Ballantine attempt to marshal Kevin Blake, Bryan Cooper, Tony Keenan and Archie Devlin towards giving their best Cheltenham guidance for punters.

The evening was organised by Toals Bookmakers who have 50 shops from Cushendall to Kilkeel.

Pamela is universally popular with the racing public in the north, thanks to her have-a-go attitude and obvious love of racing. Those of us of a certain vintage remember her plucky second aboard Frankie Willow in 1997 in a race to find raise for Shane Broderick.

Archie writes a unique ‘one week a year’ column Punters Diary in Belfast’s The Irish News. He writes with a wry humour, but in betting matters, his approach is serious.

So, they’re off……Kevin Blake provoked gasps in the first three minutes by coming out against Kopek Des Bordes in the Supreme Novices’. Archie did throw in a useful stat: there have been false starts in three out of the last five runnings of this. Would Kopek Des Bordes have the temperament to cope with the tinderbox atmosphere of a Supreme?

Tony Keenan has a liking for Henry de Bromhead’s Workahead. Bryan Cooper informed us that The New Lion has clocked some impressive times.

Waxed lyrical

In the Arkle Trophy, Blake swam with the tide and likes Majborough. He waxed lyrical about the J.P-owned jolly: “He has a brain and he goes long and low at his fences, just what you want in an Arkle horse.”

Bryan Cooper felt that Nicky Henderson’s Jango Baie “will make the frame.”

Majborough - just what you want in an Arkle horse? \ Healy Racing

Kevin Blake described Constitution Hill as a proper racehorse. There was some debate around “what if” and Lossiemouth’s fall at the DRF. Blake wondered if the owner do a “Switch Switchie” and avoid the unbeaten terror, and indeed it looks like he will.

One of the pundits set great store by the fact that Henderson went back to Cheltenham for another run after Constitution Hill’s successful comeback, also the recent gallop at Kempton with the media circus would suggest atypical confidence in Seven Barrows.

The feeling was that Paul Townend will stay with State Man. Bryan Cooper was adamant that State Man cannot win the Champion Hurdle.

Kevin put up Joseph O’Brien’s Beyond Your Dreams in the Fred Winter Handicap as his nap for the Tuesday, to great cheers from the ‘Belfasties’ who had already backed this runner.

To the Wednesday and Archie mentioned that the 2/1 Toals are offering about J.P. McManus owning five winners or more over the week “sounds like value,” Both Kevin and Brian like Final Demand for the Turners Novices Hurdle. Kevin does not fancy The New Lion for this contest.

Good thing

The experts concurred that Ballyburn is a good thing in the Brown Advisory Novice Chase.

Archie Devlin drew some laughter when he stated that Stellar Story “jumps like an elephant on skates”. When the Stayers’ Hurdle came up, one of the panellists thought that Shark Hanlon would have been a good addition to the gig and that The Shark would go down well in Thompson’s Garage (well-known night club) which conjured up images equally as elegant as Stellar Story!

In the Queen Mother Champion Chase on Wednesday, Archie is not scared to stick his neck out and stated very coolly that Jonbon does not like Cheltenham. By contrast he likes Venetia Williams’ Djelo.

The panel were unanimous, in fact the hall was unanimous, that Marine Nationale would be the tearjerker result given his association with Mikey O’Sullivan.

When questioned about the bumper, the four pundits ducked the question with all the skill of a TD at election time.

Blake and Keenan were keen on Kalypso’chance each-way. Cooper thinks that Copacabana has some style. Pamela can remember Barry Manilow belting out the original!

The crowd was plenty rowdy enough which always makes a good preview. Even the toughest nuts in the audience knew of Kevin Blake’s association with J.P. O’Brien. They piped down when Blake was asked about any Joseph runner, it was as if the two men share a room and the Belfast punters were hoping that Joseph would spill the running plans in his sleep. No such luck.

With regard to the Ryanair, the logic was pointed out by the panel that if Banbridge is Gold Cup class - and given that he is ground dependent - then the trick would be to back him each-way for both the Ryanair (5/1 in the pamphlet) and for the ‘Holy Grail’ (13/2).

Handful at home

On the Stayers’ Hurdle, Kevin Blake opened up with an amusing story from Camp O’ Brien. Seemingly Home By The Lee is a handful at home and was ridden by a big burly guy for a few years.

The big man left and it happened that the gelding was entrusted to a gentle lady rider, and the team attribute his improved form to the gentle touch.

There was some discussion about keeping an older type sweet. To be serious, Kevin Blake thinks Home By The Lee has a serious squeak. Archie Devlin has a notion of Lucky Place and Bob Olinger who likes the Cotswolds.

Bryan Cooper is also a Home By The Lee fan, which must stick in the craw of a Kerryman.

The Mares’ Novice Hurdle threw up a nice divergence of opinions: Kevin likes the favourite - Gavin Cromwell’s Sixandahalf - and also Galileo Dame from the Joseph O’Brien team.

Bryan Cooper suggests Karoline Banbou. Tony Keenan can forgive the form of Aurora Vega while Archie mentions Just A Rose, one of the few Ditcheat runners to come up on the night. The panel agree that Willie Mullins is in love with Maughreen.

In the Gold Cup, not surprisingly there were few alternatives to Galopin Des Champs. If rain were to come L’Homme Presse would be an each-way option.

Keenan keen on Kala

Throughout the evening Tony Keenan backed up his opinions with examples and reference to the form book. His naps for the week were Kala Conti in the Mares’ Hurdle, Joe Tizzard’s The Changing Man in the Ultima, Unexpected Party in the Grand Annual and Stencil in the Fred Winter.

Bryan Cooper will be following Firefox wherever he goes. Archie Devlin likes the look of Midnight Our Fred in the Kim Muir.

With plenty of background noise it was at times difficult to pick up what the pundits said. Toals donated five £100 charity bets per day to the benefit of Barretstown Camp in Ballymore Eustace which offers respite to seriously ill children.

The evening closed with Kevin stating that the attendance was very much in tune with the panel.