Month: October 2010

Selections for Friday

Ayr 2.55 Cheyenne Red

4.05 Exemplary

Donvaster 2.45 Red Lover

3.20 Golden Blaze

3.55 Knot In Wood

4.30 Regal Park (danger Royal Riviera)

5.05 Zahoo

Fakenham 3.10 Carrib’s Leap

Wolverhampton 7.15 King’s Realm

 

Selections for Thursday

Carlisle 3.25 Tara Royal

Kempton 6.10 Tomintoul Singer

6.40 Think It’s All Over

7.40 Lombok

9.10 Slugger O’Toole

Ludlow 2.40 William’s Wishes

 

I had John Dunlop’s Munsarim down as a horse to follow this season and he duly won his maiden in July at Haydock. On the debit side he won by 11 lengths eased down and as a result got no favours from the handicapper. He has gone down a bit in the weights since then and tomorrow he will have top apprentice Martin Lane on board to take off a valuable 3 lbs in the 3.40 at Ffos Las. He will be running over the trip and on the same going as his maiden win and at 12/1 looks to have an each way chance. Another horse that has slipped to a winnable mark in this race is The Cayterers, a winner of 10 races in his career, 5 of them when ridden by tomorrow’s jockey. At 25/1 he is another interesting outsider.

At Kempton Gay Mirage looks the one to be on in the 8.50. My only selection at Worcester is Spot the Ball in the 4.20 although the form of the stable is a slight concern.

Today’s picture is courtesy of the artist Jane Dunn.

Fieldgunner Kirkup won at Pontefract this afternoon keeping up quite a remarkable record for his owner Kevin Kirkup. Mr Kirkup only has 4 horses in training and they seem to win on quite a regular basis. The other three are Osteopathic Remedy, The Osteopath and Kaptain Kirkup.

Jumps racing takes centre stage tomorrow with a good card at Exeter.

My first selection is from the Philip Hobbs stable in the shape of Quinz in the beginner’s chase at 2.40. Quinz looked a bit iffy over fences last season but won a competitive handicap hurdle at Kempton and clearly has ability. As long as his jumping has improved he can give us a winner here. The same trainer can supply the winner of the 3.40 where Dare Me who was 6^th in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham and makes his hurdling debut here.

Philip Hobbs seems likely to have the favourite in the 4.10 but I am going to oppose him in this race. Royal Max has been knocking on the door for his new trainer. He has a good chance along with Maurisca who improved during last season and should be even better this time round.

My thanks to Emily Russell for use of today’s picture.

After a miserable day on the tipping front on Saturday things went much better today. Medicinal Compound certainly proved efficacious at Newmarket while Rainbow Peak completed my second Italian Job in a week.

They race on the flat at Pontefract and Windsor tomorrow while the jumping action comes from Plumpton. In the nursery at Pontefract (2.40) Tahaamah could be the pick. He comes into the race on the back of a win on his racecourse debut.

Bollin Judith is a consistent stayer who won on the 16^th of October last year. She should give us a run for our money in the 4.40.

Kenyan Cat has won his last two races so could not be in better from. He goes for the hat trick in the 5.30 at Windsor.

I don’t have any tips for the Plumpton card but now that the jumps season is getting going you could do worse than invest in a guide to the new season. One that I can thoroughly recommend is Jumping Prospects written by John Morris.

LATEST REVIEW (Chris Wright is currently standing in second place in the Racing Post Tipster Competition) (he’s won this before!)

John Morris’s Jumping Prospects book can give punters an edge in finding winners
Oct 7 2010 by Chris Wright, Liverpool Daily Post

The new National Hunt season really starts to get under way over the next few weeks.
Punters attempting to discover an edge when looking for winners, could do worse than turn to John Morris’s latest book, Jumping Prospects.
The Radio Merseyside racing pundit has just brought out the 19th edition of his popular book, Jumping Prospects, and it is as entertaining and informative as any of its previous incarnations.
John is a well-known and popular character around the tracks of the North West and beyond. And he leaves no stone unturned in his pursuit of trying to find winners for the new jumps season.

Morris travels up and down the country interviewing trainers and their staff to glean as much information to arm punters with the right ammunition for the annual battle with the bookmakers.

This year the trainers featured are Willie Amos, Kim Bailey, Rebecca Curtis, James Ewart, John Flint, Warren Greatrex, Martin Keighley, Alan King, Emma Lavelle, Charlie Longsdon, Charlie Mann, Don McCain, Ferdy Murphy, Paul Nicholls, Nicky Richards, Lucinda Russell, Tim Vaughan, Evan Williams and Ian Williams.
Last year’s Jumping Prospects produced more than 200 winners throughout the season including Swansbrook (33-1), Black Apache (25-1), Tranchant (20-1), Makhzoon (18-1), Daldini (16-1), Kilmackilloge (16-1) and Monet’s Garden (12-1) among them.

This year’s will no doubt provide something similar among the 132 pages.
Jumping Prospects is a must-have for punters.

Priced at £12 (including P&P), you can purchase the book by phone on 0151 520 0080;
from Jumping Prospects, PO Box 23, Maghull L31 0EA or at http://www.jumpingprospects.co.uk

Selections for Sunday

Bath 3.15 High Ransom

4.25 Lombok

Kempton 2.50 Vino Griego

4.35 Noble Alan

Newcastle 2.30 Medicinal Compound

3.35 Rock ‘N Royal

San Siro 3.35 Rainbow Peak

There was a time when you would be pretty reluctant to back a horse that had been off the track for a long time. Improvements in training facilities have largely changed all that and this has been amply demonstrate this week. First Pekan Star won at Nottingham on Thursday having not run since August 28 2009 and then this afternoon Modeyra won the listed race at Newmarket having his first run since 23 October 2009.

It has been a reasonably successful week for me. One of my winning tips was Byrony who has done really well for these pages with 4 wins this season. She is by the sire Byron who won 3 races back in 2003 & 2004 and I tipped him each time!

Tomorrow we have racing at the HQ of both codes with action at Newmarket and Cheltenham. I will start at Newmarket where it is Champions Day and one of the best cards of the whole season.

Delegator will take some beating in the 1.50 where High Standing and Cat Junior have each way claims.

The Dewhurst at 2.25 looks one of the strongest renewals for many years. Frankel has been most impressive in his two wins so far but at 4/6 his price looks skinny and I am inclined to take him on with Dream Ahead who looks better value.

The Champion Stakes at 3.00 is maybe not the strongest renewal. It may pay to side with Vision D’Etat who has proven form at this level with 4 Group 1 wins on his CV. In addition French trained horses have a good record in the race in recent years.

The Cesarewitch at 3.40 is as competitive as ever. Precision Break comes here on the back of a win in the Mallard Stakes at York but there may be slight stamina doubts. He does have a favourable draw however. Hawk Mountain does not have too many miles on the clock and is another that comes into the race on the back of a win at York. He may have further improvement in him and appeals as one that might stay. Royal Trooper has won his last two racing from the front. If the same tactics are used he will at least avoid traffic problems in this big field. Act of Kalanisi is another last time out winner his success coming at, you’ve guessed it, York. That was over 2.25 miles and he looks certain to get the trip. Cosmic Sun won at Ayr last month and the runner up has franked the form by winning since.

Red Cadeaux proved his stamina when runner up in the trial for this race last month and is one for the short list. Dayia was 4^th last year and although higher in the weights she will relish the stamina test. For my selection I am going to with Hawk Mountain at 25/1 but I will also have a little each way saver on Jim Old’s Gala Evening who has been running well this season, should be OK for stamina and looks as though he has been saved for this race.

Rumoush and High Heeled are my two against the field in the 4.50 while Patkai can defy a long absence from the track and prove my point made earlier in the Jockey Club Cup at 5.25.

The jumps season steps up a gear with the first meeting of the season at Cheltenham. Aiteen Thirtythree went into last season with quite a lofty home reputation but failed to win a race. He should be able to atone for that in the 2.05 when he will be ridden by Ruby Walsh in a race to promote that jockey’s autobiography.

Wayward Prince enjoyed a successful season over hurdles in 2009/10 culminating in his success in the Grade 1 Sefton Novices. He looks the type to make a decent staying chaser and can get off the mark in that sphere in the 3.50.

Scampi Boy should give us a run for our money in the 4.25 while Captive Audience for up and coming trainer Rebecca Curtis should go well in the 5.00.

At Catterick Johannes is potentially well treated in the 3.25 and is also a course winner. Star Rover and Our Jonathon are others to consider. My selection in the 5.45 is Captain Macarry.

Today’s pictures are courtesy of the artist Lisa Miller.

The last few days have gone pretty well for us with a nice little batch of winners.

Selections for tomorrow;

Newmarket 1.45 Desert Law

3.30 Distant Memories

4.05 Timepiece danger Modeyra)

4.40 Wake Up Call

5.15 Leviathan (danger Webbow)

5.50 Chiberta King

 

Selections for Thursday

Kempton 5.20 Trecase

Nottingham 2.10 Defence of Duress

3.40 Pekan Star

4.10 Plaisterer

Punchestown 4.15 Loosen My Load

 

Byrony has won 2 of her 3 starts at Kempton and is ridden by Richard Hughes who needs winners in his pursuit of the jockey’s title. At 11/4 she seems fair value in the Kempton 7.40.

Loden ran with plenty of promise when 3^rd at Kempton last time out and will have the benefit of K Fallon in the saddle in the 8.10 tomorrow. With few miles on the clock the colt looks capable of improvement.

King’s Realm showed nothing on his last run but that was his first race for a year. He should have come on for the run and is worth another chance in the Lingfield 5.15. Azaday has been the model of consistency but is still without a win. George Baker rides for him the first time tomorrow in the 5.45 and the combination should go close.

Over the jumps at Uttoxeter Miss Miracle is an interesting runner in the 2.10. A winner on the flat she is a half sister to Champion Hurdle winner Katchit (pictured below).

My best bet at Wetherby is Ballybriggan while at Puchestown First Lieutenant should appreciate the extra half mile here after being 4th at Navan over 2 miles last month.

Picture courtesy of the artist Lisa Miller.