Wednesday, 24 June 2015

Wednesday 24 June

A midweek special, and I'm actually on a bit of a poor run as anyone who follows me on betref or racecaller will attest. We'll see how today goes, I've 3 at Each Way prices so hopefully there will be some return.

NOCTURN 240 SALISBURY

Has been struggling to get home, but tumbling down the weights and grades, if he maintains a bit of pace this drop to 5f could well see him back involved.

GINGER JACK 335 CARLISLE

Grabbed an overdue win last month and looked good doing it. Jockey is in a purple patch right now. Should be involved despite 5lb rise.

OPTIMYSTIC 710 BATH

Balding yard in good form at present, 6 looks to be her trip and hopefully turf debut shocker was a blip.

Good Luck

Thursday, 18 June 2015

Thursday 18 June - Royal Ascot Day 3

A shocker yesterday, it started okay with Bossy Guest and Besharah running well, but the Euro Charline refused to go in and Cannock Chase was as good as held hostage by Japanese raider Spielberg. Spark Plug clipped heels as the race kicked in, and Always Smile decided to go via Reading down the home straight. So certainly not a lucky day.
Time is a luxury today so it'll be a short spotlight simply on the horses I've backed.

205 LOG OUT ISLAND
Thrown straight into a prize event on debut and done it nicely, beating Coventry winner Buratino nearly 6 lengths in the process.

305 MAFTOOL
Disappointed in the French Guineas, but is a Group 3 winner and will fully appreciate quick ground.

340 PLEASCACH
The Irish Guineas winner is 8lb clear of her closest rival on Official numbers.

420 TAC DE BOISTRON
The best horse in the race on achievement to date, Forgotten Rules is obviously open to progress, if the ground were soft TDB would be nowhere near double figure odds, he does have form on quicker than dead ground and represents a massive each way chance.

500 ROTHERWICK
No discredit in 12 length battering when giving 4lb to Jack Hobbs last time, who is now rated nearly 2 stone heavier, he beat 2 subsequent winners that day and looks a bit price here dropped back down to a distance where he has won on 2 out of 3 starts.

535 DISSOLUTION
The New Approach colt won comfortably at Newmarket in April and only bumped into a potentially good one next time up at Newbury, should find the step up in trip no problem and could be a group horse in the near future.

Good Luck

Tuesday, 16 June 2015

Wednesday 17 June - Royal Ascot Day 2

Morning, so I found the 1st and 3rd in the Coventry and the obvious winner in the St James' Palace, it was pretty much a breakeven day for me. I've marked my card for today and I'll just have to jot it down quickly as the kids want their breakfast.

230 I really like Bossy Guest here. He was my NAP when he won a valuable race at Newmarket in April and then ran very creditably up in trip in the 1000 Guineas. He was beaten by Ivawood that day, and the favourite has done nothing wrong, but I'm not convinced there's 7-8 points between the 2 as the betting suggests. There's 9/1 available with the 3 online leaders, it's a cracking each way bet at the least.

305 For me here, the standout bit of form is Besharah's Course and Distance maiden win, 4 from behind her came out and won next time, as did she readily. Given Mark Johnston's 2yo form it would be folly to discount his pair, Rah Rah and Delizia even though their races haven't pulled up any trees. Also the Wesley Ward pair have to be considered, we saw the blistering pace these American animals are capable of with Ruby Notion yesterday, although that one did fade eventually. Shaden, for Lady Jane Cecil and Hayley Turner got a timely form boost from a winner yesterday. 2 others for a speculative each way play I could recommend are Kurland, I'm not sure she beat a lot on debut but boy did she do it well, visually very impressive and I'm informed that breeding suggests she should be a good 2yo. Only thing she wasn't asked a question at all that day so no telling how much fight she has. The other at a very big price is Jamie Osborne's Secret Tale. She's improved with each run, will love the quick ground, her sire Zoffany ran well here and sired yesterday winner Washington DC. Her second start she was within a length to Nelspruit who ran behind impressive Coventry winner Buratino at Epsom.

340 Integral is a worthy a worthy favourite on what she's achieved, but she has to give away weight as a group 1 winner. I'm backing Euro Charline instead, a 3rd and a 1st at the course last year, she then went on to win the Beverley D stakes and run a creditable 5th behind Solow in Meydan. I think she's the value in the race. If you'd like 2 against the favourite then Rizeena would definitely be my next offering. 3/3 at Ascot, in fact she's won every race in England that hasn't been at Newmarket. So strike a line through anything abroad and at Newmarket and her form is World Class.

420 My money is on Cannock Chase here. He's the only Course and Distance winner in the field abd the fact Ryan Moore has seemingly chosen to ride him simply pushes him to the forefront of the mind. He needs to step up to win this, but he has been improving so no suggestion it's truly beyond him. The Grey Gatsby is the forever underated horse and is potentially a big price again today. Free Eagle needs to be respected as Dermot Weld doesn't send his animals to these shores for shits and giggles

500 A very open handicap as you would expect. I'm going with Spark Plug, who beat GM Hopkins last time out at Newbury, he has the profile of an improving horse and finished 3 lengths behind Cannock Chase in  the Hampton Court here last year. I also have Gabrial scribbled in as an each way bet,a genuine horse, he won the Lincoln and was only 3 lengths behind Spark Plug in the Spring Cup, he's been kept busy and grabbed second in a listed event at York last time out.

535 A 17 runner listed handicap for 3yo fillies, at least we can finish the card with an easy one! Osaila is the class animal in the race, at the track she came 5th in the Albany last year then won the Princess Margaret a month later. She came on at 3 to win the Nell Gwyn but was outclassed in the 1000 Guineas. If she can handle the weight she has to concede then she's a cracking each way bet certainly at the 14s William Hill are chalking up. That said I think the Godolphin inmate Always Smile should have the ability to win this. She won last time despite wandering around and the 2 behind her have come out and won since.

Monday, 15 June 2015

Tuesday 16 June - Royal Ascot Day 1

Morning, here's what I think.

230 I'm taking on the pair of hipster bets with Night Of Thunder, he struggled to make good on his promise as a 3yo after winning the Guineas but was very convincing when landing the Lockinge upon return at 4. Solow looked very good in Dubai and will be a big player, but I'm not going to pretend I know enough about Able Friend to pass judgement.

305 A very open looking Coventry, the favourite Round Two has followed a path that his trainer likes to use with winners of this race but I was very taken with the way Buratino won last time out, so much so that I immediately looked for a price for this race. I like the form of Eltezam coming in to the race and wouldn't put anyone having an each way bet on him.

340 The booking of Ryan Moore really jumps off the page for the Australian raider Shamal Wind. He makes great interest given the Aussie record in this race. Group 1 winners Sole Power and G Force offer up the obvious resistance.

420 Gleneagles

500 The Warren Greatrex trained Boite has been in excellent form this year, proving very consistant in both codes and will represent my main fancy for this race. I also cast my eye over two potentially well treated animals at each way value. Broxbourne for Nicky Henderson hasn't been seen on the level for nearly 2 years but recorded a hurdle win and then a 2nd up into listed class in the same code just last month. He's just a lb higher than his last flat win. Big Thunder for Sir Mark Prescott, 3lb lower than his last win and despite failing to record at this grade, this is the lowest weight he has competed off therein. A course win adds to his appeal.

535 You have to respect Ruby Notion, set over by the master of this race Wesley Ward. Steady Pace will make appeal if Buratino does indeed win the Coventry earlier in the day but in a race like this I'm keen to back at bigger prices. I like Sahreej, he wasn't far away on debut and seemingly didn't appreciate the step up to 6 the next time. Won with plenty handy back to 5 and comes here with that race working out well so far. Just Glamorous followed him in that day so makes some appeal at a triple figure price. Opal Tiara also I feel has to be respected, a close second with the rest of the field left, in the Hilary Needler.

Wednesday, 10 June 2015

Thursday 11 June

3 FOR TODAY

NEEDLESS SHOUTING 305 NOTTINGHAM

WHO DARES WINS 505 NEWBURY

GWILI SPAR 525 WORCESTER

Good Luck

Tuesday, 9 June 2015

Wednesday 10th June

Today's 3.

JANAAB 330 BEVERLEY

STANLOW 350 BRIGHTON

ROUGE NUAGE 840 KEMPTON

Good Luck

Monday, 8 June 2015

Monday 8th June

Today's 3.

STAMP DUTY 445 THIRSK

HANDIWORK 710 PONTEFRACT

SPRING BIRD 910 PONTEFRACT

Friday, 5 June 2015

Friday June 5

Morning, it's Oaks day. I'll pop down my 3 bets then a little ramble about the Oaks.

ABSEIL 345 EPSOM
Won this race last year and has had a mixed bag of form in better races since. Drawn high and Ryan Moore steers. Should have a big chance.

MESHARDAL 445 CATTERICK
In tremendous form, finishing in the first 2 on 10 of his last 11 starts. Has registered a win and a second in his 2 attempts over Course and Distance.

WATERVILLE ROCK 855 DOWNPATRICK
Registered 2 third place finishes to date, both times keeping on. Pushed for another furlong here and Katie Walsh always worth following in this sphere.

Good Luck

The Oaks.

Where to start, it looks an open renewal. Jack Naylor has seen the money this week after her eyecatching rattle late home in the Irish 1000 Guineas and I'll be frank is one I had pencilled down as a 2yo. Legatissimo, the English 1000 Guineas winner is bred to cope with the trip no problem but maybe at a disadvantage to those fillies who've already gone 10/11 furlongs?Also the draw in 1 won't help at all. I think the Gosden pair Jazzi Top and Star of Seville aren't without a chance with a preference to the former, winner of Newmarket's Pretty Polly stakes which has provided the Oaks winner a few times recently. The latter had to dig in to win the Musidora from a staying on Together Forever, she also was in receipt of 4lb from Aidan O'Brien's filly that day which she won't be today, combined with the extra 2 furlongs you'd assume TF has the better chance. Crystal Zvezda is progressive, I'm not sure where they've plucked her rating from though and she's not beaten a lot, I'd have to swerve at the price. Luca Cumani's Lady Of Dubai won Newbury's Height of Fashion stakes quite impressively on seasonal debut and would have every right to come on for that run, if she did you'd have to assume she'd be bang in the scrap for places and at double figure odds represents decent value. I'm going to nail my colours to the mast now. I think Jazzi Top will win, Together Forever second, Lady of Dubai third.

Jazzi Top 
Together Forever
Lady of Dubai