Month: August 2010

Another rather ordinary days racing tomorrow.

At Goodwood the 3 year olds Spoken and Botanist make most appeal in the 7.35. Spoken is going for a hat trick of wins. He is not surprisingly going up in the weights but may still be ahead of the handicapper. Botanist ran three times last season ending with a win at Leicester. He is lightly raced and is another potential improver. Spoken is the selection.

Botanist is trained by Sir Michael Stoute as is Warm Memories who runs in the 3.05 at Salisbury. Warm Memories is a half brother to Doctor Freemantle and although his form to date is moderate he may be capable of better.

Fair Trade is my each way selection in the 4.15 while in the 5.20 I fancy Lombok who was only beaten a short head at Brighton 6days ago.

Brian Meehan’s Field Day looks to have a solid chance in the 5.05 at Deauville.

My thanks to the artist Karen Davies for today’s picture.

The racing is fairly mundane stuff at the moment. There are plenty of meetings though if you simply must have a bet!

Fastnet Storm is the sort of handicapper that pops up occasionally at rewarding odds. He runs at Beverley in the 4.20 but on recent form he would be hard to fancy as he has only beaten 3 horses in his last 3 runs. He runs over 10 furlongs tomorrow which is probably his best trip.

Liberty Cap has an each way chance in the nursery at Salisbury (3.00) while in the 4.05 Ceilidh House returns to the track after a bit of a break. She was next to last in the Oaks where she may not have handled the track and is worth another chance.

Sir Mark Prescott has won the 8.20 at Sandown 3 times in the last 7 year s and his Tuscan Gold could well add to that tally tomorrow. He is my bet of the day.

 

Selections for Monday;

Southwell 4.00 Wulfrida

Southwell 4.30 Leviathan

Thirsk 8.30 Walvis Bay

Windsor 5.40 Tiberius Claudius

Our losing run continues although things could have been different. It is always a fine line between success and failure at this game and it was a case of what might have been with Lombok beaten a short head.

Tomorrow is Shergar Cup day at Ascot where the jockeys team up with horses that they do not usually ride. It is the sort of meeting where results can be unpredictable and my strategy is usually to look for longer priced horses. In the opener at 2.10 I will go for Captain Carey who has been running well this season with 3 wins under his belt already.

Fareej showed some signs of a return to form on his last start and at 16/1 looks value in the 2.45. Bernie the Bolt has run in the Chester Cup where he had a hopeless draw and the Northumberland Plate, where he was hampered. He looked a promising sort last season and is worth another chance in the 3.55. In the 5.05 the pair I like are Deacon Blues, who has looked a progressive sprinter this season and Star Rover who has gradually been coming back to his best and could be ready to strike.

Up at Haydock Comedy Act, a course and distance winner, goes for his fourth success this year and with Paul Hannigan in the plate looks to have a good chance in the 1.50.

Hannigan partners Our Joe Mac in the 2.20. This lightly raced 3 year old drops back to a mile after an unsuccessful effort at further. He is a little less exposed than some of his rivals and could go well.

Distant Memories has only been out of the first two twice in his 10 starts. He acts well on soft ground and looks to be in with a reasonable shout in the 2.50.

Poet’s Place was runner up to Jonny Mudball aat Newcastle a couple of runs ago and that form looks quite solid. He disappointed at Ascot last time over 7 furlongs but is back to 6 tomorrow in Haydock’s 4.35.

First time blinkers may do the trick for Putra One in the Newmarket 2.05 while in the 3.25 both Clinical and Musharakaat looks capable of further improvement.

In the 3.40 I will put forward a couple of outsiders in Mata Keranjang and Primeaval. The 4.55 looks a tricky heat. Top weight Wells Lyrical was runner up in the Northumberland Plate last season. It is worth noting that all his career wins have come on good going. I tipped Plymouth Rock when he won on his racecourse debut so he is something of a favourite of mine. He has not actually won since but is yet to finish out of the first 4. Bollin Felix is something of a mudlark and will need conditions in his favour while Act of Kalanisi come here on the back of a narrow defeat at Southwell and is another for the short list. Plymouth Rock looks the percentage call.

The well bred Cloud’s End is unexposed and her current handicap mark of 80 could underestimate her ability. She looks well treated in the 5.35.

At Redcar my only selection is last time out winner Escape Artist in the 5.20.

Today’s pictures are courtesy of the artist Jane Dunn.

 

Selections for Friday;

Brighton 5.30 Lombok

Haydock 8.00 Red Fama

6.30 Musselburgh Casela Park

Newmarket 6.45 Ebony Song

Newmarket 7.15 Harlestone Times

After a remarkably unsuccessful day on the tipping front things can surely only get better!

There are plenty of race meetings tomorrow although not a lot of quality. At Brighton in the 3.30 Aestival could get back to winning ways while in the 6.00 at Folkestone the consistent Dungannon should go close.

It might pay to side with Sweetie Time up at Haydock in the 2.40. Not only is she a course and distance winner but her win also came with some give in the ground, a handy attribute given the rain recently in the north west.

Another that will handle the soft going is Layla’s Dancer in the 4.10. He comes into the race on the back of a decent effort at Chester 4 days ago and his jockey Paul Hannigan will certainly be looking for winners. Another worth considering in this race is Think it’s all over. He handles the ground, is a winner last time out, has a good attitude and the stable seem to be running into form.

Finally I will try a bit of an outsider in the 3.50 at Yarmouth. Kenyan Cat is still a maiden but his last run was quite encouraging and he is dropping a little in the weights.

Today’s picture is courtesy of the artist Margaret Barrett.

I will start tonight’s preview at my lucky track of Kempton Park. Hamloola showed some promise in what was probably a weak back end maiden last November running on into 3^rd place. It is a bit of a concern that she her reappearance has been delayed until August but she did look a promising sort and I will burden her with my selection.

Much the same comments could be made about Too Putra in the 8.05. He won his only start as a juvenile. That was at Kempton so he has shown that he acts on the track and he is stepped up in distance here which should suit him. He is selection number two.

Burghley has been running in better company than he meets in the 8.35, he is a winner on the all weather and is reunited with Hayley Turner who rode him to victory last season. He is a sporting bet at a decent price.

Red Cadeaux and Precision Break are the pair I like in the 3.40 at Pontefract.

Today’s picture is by kind permission of the artist Ruth Buchanan.

 

As long as he copes with the ground OK Comedy Act is my best bet tomorrow. He runs in the 3.30 at Catterick where he is looking for his 4^th win of the season.

At Southwell Dandarell has an each way chance in the 8.40. He was 3^rd over course and distance recently.

 

Tim Easterby’s horses have generally been running well this season. I had hopes for both Antoniola and Bollin Judith from the Easterby yard but neither has won a race as yet. Both have dropped down the weights though and have chances tomorrow. Antoniola runs at Carlisle in the 7.55 while Bollin Judith is at Ripon for the 5.15 where Molon Labe is another worth considering although the stable is out of form.

Another from the same stable at Molon Labe is Walvis Bay who runs in the Ripon 4.15. He would have a fair chance but again the stable form is a concern.