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Record of the blog selections

Between March 2010 and April 2017, this blog recommended wagers on 520 individual races on Jump Racing in the UK, resulting in a PROFIT of £1,525.39 on cumulative stakes of £5,726 - this is equivalent to a Return On Investment of 26.60%.

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Saturday 18 June 2011

Day 5 at Royal Ascot

This is the 304th edition of the daily blog page

A disastrous day for the blog selections yesterday, with all 3 well beaten despite me considering them all to hold serious chances in the morning. Was it the 11mm of rain before noon that put paid to their chances? Probably a contributory factor, but essentially it was also a mixture of not being good enough, being produced too early, and not settling in the early part of the race.

I was right about NATHANIEL in the King Edward VII Stakes. He has already been well-backed for the St Leger and, on yesterday’s display, he’s up to winning that classic race. Previous blog winner GLEN’S DIAMOND simply was not good enough, and a drop in class and trip should see him in better light.

The AP O’Brien filly TOGETHER came with a scything run thru’ the field before having to be checked inside, and then ran out of puff. I got the impression that she was produced too early and that, plus the softer going, meant she had nothing left in the final 150 yards and she faded from contention. She can do better than this on quicker going.

There was a huge market move for Green Destiny in the Wolferton handicap, and it did not come off. From watching the replay, I thought the horse took a knock in the 1st furlong of the race which he was feeling thereon. He could be one to be on NTO. My selection, SPANISH DUKE, was well fancied by some good judges having all in his favour. However, he could not settle, and was fighting his jockey for the 1st half of the race expending valuable energy, and when asked for an effort in the final half-mile he was already exhausted and found nothing – in fact he virtually slowed to a canter. As such, we got no sort of run but he is hugely talented and (like the winner Beachfire) he will come good again. Beachfire was phenomenal in winning this race, a terrific turn-of-foot, and it shows just what the right conditions and equipment (he was wearing blinkers for the 1st time) will do.

The rain thru’out the country will make the going unpredictable today, and as such I am giving racing a rest. I have been given a big plug for one at a long price in the Wokingham at Ascot by “The Laird” at Sprinterstogo (http://sprinterstogo.blogspot.com/) so follow the link and take a look.

That’s it from me for a couple of weeks as I am off to Ibiza, but I will be back – with the blog – in early July.

Thanks for reading this blog to all new visitors.

The blog takes a lot of effort to maintain and I hope that readers of the blog get enjoyment from it too. If you have had a successful wager on the back of what you’ve read here, then please make a contribution as an expression of thanks. Feel free to tell those who you think may find the blog of interest and value and, if you are a regular visitor, please add the blog to your list of favourites.

Betting on horseracing should be a pleasurable experience - never bet more than you can afford to lose.
Thanks from Wayward Lad

Friday 17 June 2011

Day 4 at Royal Ascot

This is the 303rd edition of the daily blog page

A great performance from both selections on the blog yesterday with BANIMPIRE winning by a short-head (but she was clearly up on the line) and DOLPHIN ROCK going down by a neck in his race to finish 2nd. So, very nearly 2 wins from 2 selections (DOLPHIN ROCK traded at 1.40 in-running) but, overall, 0.67pts profit on the day. It was no disgrace for DOLPHIN ROCK, tho’ perhaps I should have paid more attention to the eventual winner Pleasant Day when assessing the race.

PLEASANT DAY (OR88) had run well when 2nd at Ripon over 10f on 6th May (with Dolphin Rock behind in 4th). He then ran well again at Epsom LTO, despite a change in tactics which didn’t suit. If you look back, PLEASANT DAY started his 3yo season off OR104 after coming 2nd (btn short-head) in the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes in his final start as a 2yo, on soft going. He was never going to be competitive off that rating, tho’ he did run up to yesterday’s form off OR103 in the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot when btn only 7½ lengths. The “give” in the going clearly suited him, as did the hold-up ride and the trip of an extended mile, and if the same circumstances occur again he can be confidently followed, as he is probably an OR94-96 horse.

As for the Ascot Gold Cup, well I got that wrong and Fame And Glory won well in the end. He was undoubtedly helped by the soft going following 11mm of rain on the morning of the race which did not help the likes of Holberg, Duncan or Askar Tau. Quite why Blue Bajan was supplemented for the race at a cost of £25,000 is beyond me as the horse couldn’t win a hurdle race at a trip further than 2-miles (in fact, if he met Kasbah Bliss over this trip in a hurdle race, he’d have been receiving 23lb). I rated Fame And Glory at 117 in winning this which, while not the strongest of ratings even in a sub-standard Group 1 like the Ascot Gold Cup, should be enough to guarantee him winning next season if he’s still in the same form.

Lastly, I expected Belgian Bill to do the best of those from my Notebook in the Britannia and he did, coming in 4th at 10/1.

Today, the opening 2yo race is best watched on this going. Next up is the King Edward VII Stakes and this usually goes to a decent colt. The fav Nathaniel has been well-backed for the St Leger already and, if he’s up to winning that then he should win this, but I reckon he has no turn-of-foot and he’ll be caught close home. There are plenty of front-runners in this (Genius Beast, Dordogne) so this will be a race with stamina to the forefront. Even so, I really like the chance of previous blog winner GLEN’S DIAMOND. He did the business for the blog when winning at Chester LTO, and he has been given 7 weeks to muscle-up and comes here fresh. Unfortunately, regular jockey Paul Hanagan misses today with a sore neck, but his replacement is Jimmy Fortune who won the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes yesterday, and he’s an able deputy. GLEN’S DIAMOND is 8/1 (Bet365)).

I will be very surprised if the AP O’Brien filly TOGETHER is not in the 1st-3 today in the Coronation Stakes at 3:45, following running 2nd in both the English and Irish 1000 Guineas. “AP” has brought a strong team (as always) and she will be primed to run well today. At 11/2 she looks a decent wager.

Every man and his dog has been talking about Green Destiny and the horse missed the Britannia yesterday but goes for the Wolferton today for which he’s the 2/1 fav. That is too short for me in a handicap. SPANISH DUKE will love this going and he is likely to be trainer John Dunlop’s only runner at Royal Ascot this week. Ignore his run LTO as he hated the going, and he was also meeting better horses on poor terms. At 10/1, he is a worthy opponent to the fav.

There is plenty of racing away from Ascot today, and I will continue looking for value – especially at this evenings racing. So please return later as there may be another selection posted in the comments section below.

Selections:
Ascot 3:05, GLEN’S DIAMOND, ½pt eachway @ 8/1 (Bet365, best odds guaranteed, places 1,2,3 at 3rd odds)
Ascot 3:45, TOGETHER, ½pt eachway @ 11/2 (Bet365, best odds guaranteed, places 1,2,3 at 3rd odds)
Ascot 4:20, SPANISH DUKE, ½pt eachway @ 10/1 (Bet365, best odds guaranteed, places 1,2,3 at ¼ odds)
Total = 3pts staked

Thanks for reading this blog to all new visitors.

The blog takes a lot of effort to maintain and I hope that readers of the blog get enjoyment from it too. If you have had a successful wager on the back of what you’ve read here, then please make a contribution as an expression of thanks. Feel free to tell those who you think may find the blog of interest and value and, if you are a regular visitor, please add the blog to your list of favourites.

Betting on horseracing should be a pleasurable experience - never bet more than you can afford to lose.
Thanks from Wayward Lad

Thursday 16 June 2011

Day 3 at Royal Ascot

This is the 302nd edition of the daily blog page

A blank day yesterday for the blog, but CODEMASTER went close in the opener. I was right in my interpretation of the market, as the selection started the 7/4 fav, but he could not reel-in the winner Strong Suit. I would say that CODEMASTER needs a mile now but, even so, this was top-class form and should prove very reliable to follow.

The other selection MUSIC SHOW, was the only Group 1 winner in her race, and did not have a penalty for it, yet she was unable to capitalise. She was running well and held every chance when making her move about 2f-out but ran into trouble. When she saw daylight, the leaders had flown and her chance was gone. With a clear run, I’m sure she’d have beaten the fav Sajjhaa, who showed she’s not a miler and needs 10f; and also First City in 3rd who has never looked better than a Group 3 performer. Whether she would have caught the winner is debateable, but I’ll be on MUSIC SHOW again the next time she runs at a mile.

Those who follow me on twitter (@wayward_lad) will know I tweeted the following at 08:52 yesterday morning on the royal Hunt Cup: “reckon bias is mid-to-high, winner (IMO) should come from stall 21-30 and the shortlist is Julienas, Bronze Prince, and Dance And Dance.” I should have followed my own advice and wagered 6 combination Exactas, as Julienas won at 12/1 and Dance And Dance came 2nd at 7/1, the Exacta paying £128.30; but I never had a penny on!

I personally managed to recoup the day’s losses (and some) away from Royal Ascot at the ‘jumps’ meeting at Worcester, where I could not believe that Strong Soul (ridden by AP McCoy) was the 3/1 2nd-fav for the 3-mile maiden hurdle at 4:00pm. With 3 runs in 2011 (the latest on 8th May) on the point-to-point field, being pulled-up twice and a distant 6th (over 3-miles) on the latest start, it seemed improbable that he’d finish closer on his racecourse debut when the pace would almost certainly be quicker and his stamina would be severely tested. I place-laid him at 2.05 (tho’ could have laid at 1.95) before the off, then when he touched 1.60 in-running about a mile out I doubled my liability. Strong Soul came under pressure after the 3-last, and was eased to a walk soon after. You do not have to find “winners” to make a profit at racing. Sometimes finding a loser is a lot easier.

At Hamilton, Mark Johnston sent out the useful looking CITY OF ANGELS to win. This horse is a half-sister to I’m So Lucky who won the Wolferton Handicap for Mark Johnston off OR96 (I’m So Lucky is now a useful chaser for David Pipe). I would expect that there is a lot more to come from CITY OF ANGELS and she won’t be rated over OR75 based on this run.

Day 3 of Royal Ascot and it is another cracking day there. In the opener, I made a note of SILVERHEELS when he won at Windsor in early April and he looks full of potential, but then so do most of this field and Paul Cole (trainer of SILVERHEELS) his having a barren spell of late. Expect a good showing, but this horse may want further than 5-furlongs today.

The Ribblesdale at 3:05 looks to be between the two market leaders Rumh and Banimpire, and it may pay to have them in 2 straight Exacta’s. Of the two, I favour BANIMPIRE as she is proven at the trip, and comes here having won last Sunday looking immense. Odds of 100/30 look generous.

The Ascot Gold Cup looks a race for a wager. The fav, Fame And Glory, does not look like a natural 2½ mile horse. In fact, I’d say over the furthest trip he’s won at, 1m6f, I would favour the 2nd-fav Duncan to beat him. At this extreme trip, I don’t like Duncan either, and the going will not be fast enough for Holberg. This race looks like going to a rank outsider (like last year) and those that come into my frame are Kasbah Bliss, who will have going he likes today unlike last year; and Askar Tau who looked immense when winning the Sagaro Stakes over 2-mile at Ascot in April and has also won beyond 2-mile taking the 2m2f Doncaster Cup in 2009.

The Brittainia Stakes (handicap) looks ultra-competitive and I have to give this race a miss despite there being 3 from my Notebook running in it; Captain Bertie, Chain Lightning, and Belgian Bill. The latter (Belgian Bill) has the best of the draw (30 of 30), but I cannot nominate a wager in this race.

At Ripon, DOLPHIN ROCK goes for the 1m1f handicap at 4:00pm and tho’ he meets some competition in the shape of Charlie Cool, I think he has a great chance of winning today at odds of 9/4 (Vic Chandler) look fair.

Selections:
Ascot 3:05, BANIMPIRE, ½pt win @ 100/30 (Bet365, best odds guaranteed)
Ripon 4:00, DOLPHIN ROCK, 1pt win @ 9/4 (Vic Chandler, best odds guaranteed)
Total = 1½pts staked

Thanks for reading this blog to all new visitors.

The blog takes a lot of effort to maintain and I hope that readers of the blog get enjoyment from it too. If you have had a successful wager on the back of what you’ve read here, then please make a contribution as an expression of thanks. Feel free to tell those who you think may find the blog of interest and value and, if you are a regular visitor, please add the blog to your list of favourites.

Betting on horseracing should be a pleasurable experience - never bet more than you can afford to lose.
Thanks from Wayward Lad

Wednesday 15 June 2011

Day 2 of Royal Ascot

This is the 301st edition of the daily blog page

No winner for the blog on hitting the 300-page milestone. JARROW was a drifter in the market, touching 10/1 before starting at 8/1, probably due to his draw (3 of 15, with 2 x NR’s) forcing him to run down the unfavoured middle of the track. The race was dominated by those drawn against the rail. JARROW looked like being involved 300 yards out, but found nothing under hard driving. He has shown that when things fall right that he’s a lot better than OR77, so he’ll be given one more chance (which will probably happen when I’m away on holiday from next Tuesday).

Royal Ascot was everything we wanted it to be, drama all-the-way.
As I expected CANFORD CLIFFS won the opening race, beating Goldikova into 2nd by ¾ of a length. However, the drama was that Goldikova’s jockey weighed-in after the race with 2lb over-weight. On the formbook, that cost Goldikova the race, tho’ personally I reckon CANFORD CLIFFS had more in-hand. Even so, had punters (including me) known that Goldikova would be 2lb OW then I’m sure that the SP of CANFORD CLIFFS would have been a lot shorter than 11/8.
Prohibit (drawn 14) won the King’s Stand Stakes with a superlative turn-of-foot, having benefitted from a strong pace thru’out and being drawn in the middle of Overdose (15), Bridgetown (11) and Sweet Sanette (10). This was easily a career-best effort, perhaps 7lb better than he’s ever shown before, and as a 6yo on his 30th start too.

The was much debate over the ride Tom Queally (silly me, originally wrote Ryan Moore - apologies) gave FRANKEL when winning the St James Palace Stakes – yes, he won. I remember after FRANKEL won the 2000 Guineas that the word “brilliant” was used till it was worn out, and I read in the Weekender that connections had decided that making full-use of FRANKEL’s phenomenal pace (previously seen only on the gallops) was now the way to go with him on the track. If anyone had polled racegoers before the race what they expected to see, I’m sure 80% would have said that the expected something similar to the Guineas performance. Well, that’s what they got, FRANKEL won, and yet from the plethora of criticism levied on Tom Queally you would have thought he’d just defecated in front of the Queen by way of celebration! Sure, there was a point in the final furlong when it looked like the tactics may have been wrong, but the tactics exposed the stamina limitations of many in the field (Wootton Bassett, Dream Ahead, Dubawi Gold), demonstrated that Excelebration is nowhere near Group 1 class, and that if Zoffany drops down to 6-furlongs for the Golden Jubilee on Saturday (for which he’s 25/1) then he could be stonking value (providing he gets a decent draw).

I’m sure if William Buick could ride the Ascot Stakes again on ZIGATO, then he would not give the leaders so much rope and he would have won this comfortably. Had he been at odds of 11/2 or more, then he would have been an eachway wager for me as it was hard to see him not finishing in the places, but I am glad I didn’t wager on him (as, at 9/2, he was a win-only wager). He goes straight into the Notebook tho’ as he looks destined for better things.

Today, in the opening race, the Jersey Stakes, we have what could be the day’s best bet; CODEMASTER at 3/1 (writing this has meant we’ve missed 100/30). The 7-furlong trip is a tricky one, yet CODEMASTER broke the course record for the trip at Newmarket LTO, and Ascot should suit him down to the ground. I would make him the 7/4 fav for this, so 3/1 looks great value (wish I had taken 100/30).

The next race, The Windsor Forest for fillies over a mile, looks inviting as a betting medium, and looks set-up for MUSIC SHOW who was the best 3yo filly over a mile last season, beating the 1st & 2nd in this race last year when winning the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes over a mile at Newmarket last July. She has no G1 penalty for this and 9/1 looks a gift, especially as she is reunited with Richard Hughes who rode her when winning the Falmouth Stakes. The ground should provide no worries based on her 2nd to Goldikova at Deauville last August in the Group 1 Prix Rothschild on good-to-soft.

The rest of the card looks very tricky, especially the Royal Hunt Cup (handicap) over a mile.

Selection:
Ascot 2:30, CODEMASTER, ½pt win @ 3/1 (Bet365 & Paddy Power, best odds guaranteed)
Ascot 3:05, MUSIC SHOW, ½pt win @ 9/1
and ½pt each way at 9/1 (Bet365 & Vic Chandler, best odds guaranteed, ¼ odds 1,2,3)
Total = 2pts staked

Thanks for reading this blog to all new visitors.

The blog takes a lot of effort to maintain and I hope that readers of the blog get enjoyment from it too. If you have had a successful wager on the back of what you’ve read here, then please make a contribution as an expression of thanks. Feel free to tell those who you think may find the blog of interest and value and, if you are a regular visitor, please add the blog to your list of favourites.

Betting on horseracing should be a pleasurable experience - never bet more than you can afford to lose.
Thanks from Wayward Lad

Tuesday 14 June 2011

Day 1 of Royal Ascot & the 300th blog page

This is the 300th edition of the daily blog page

A milestone has been reached this being the 300th page of the blog, and it is only fitting that today is the 1st day of the Royal Ascot meeting. If you are visiting this blog for the first time looking for help and advice on finding a winner at Royal Ascot, what I would say is don’t try and find the winner in every race. Choose just 1 or 2 races and focus your attention on them. Only wager an amount that you are comfortable losing.

The day opens with the Queen Anne Stakes and a clash of the highest order between CANFORD CLIFFS and GOLDIKOVA. If I were a once-a-year punter then this is one of today’s races that I would have a wager on. Personally, I cannot split Canford Cliffs and Goldikova but one of them will win it today. If pushed to have a wager, it’d be CANFORD CLIFFS as I truly believe he is one of the best miler’s of all time, and maturity should have made him a better horse this season. Odds of 6/4 on CANFORD CLIFFS look fair.

The 5-furlong Kings Stand Stakes is probably the most wide open race of the day. Virtually every runner has questions to answer and, as I wrote yesterday, the race looks like going to a rank outsider. From a quick inspection, two catch my eye; ASTROPHYSICAL JET and GROUP THERAPY. Both of these horses look potentially better than their official ratings of 110 and 108 respectively. David Barrons, trainer of GROUP THERAPY, has not had a winner at Ascot in over 5 years, will this one break the mould? He was staying-on well LTO behind Sole Power and Ascot will suit him better than Haydock. And ASTROPHYSICAL JET looked potentially top-class when winning Group 3’s at the Curragh and Newbury at the end of last season. She must’ve needed the race LTO, but then she took a few races last season to come to hand. This race could be won by more than half the field, so no wager.

The St James Palace Stakes will go to FRANKEL, without a doubt, and it may be best to try and find the forecast for this race. The Japanese challenger Grand Prix Boss should not be underestimated.

The Coventry Stakes for 2yo’s over 6-furlongs looks ultra-competitive and this is the best quality field for this race I’ve seen in some years. The winner will be a decent horse. The market is a good guide as the winner hasn’t started at longer odds than 8/1 in the past 9 years, so the market leaders Power (5/1), Mezmaar (11/2), and Gatepost (8/1) need close inspection. But I also like the look of Commissar (14/1), Italo (16/1), and Roman Soldier (16/1). Again, this is a no wager race.

The Ascot Stakes is a handicap and should be dominated by the fav Junior who will try and make all the running as he did in this race last year. However, it is likely that Ermyn Lodge will dispute the lead too and that could unsettle the fav. As such, I reckon ZIGATO could be the one to be on. He looked impressive when winning over 2-mile at Ascot LTO and he looks like this extra half-mile wont upset him. Any give in the going will also be in his favour and this lightly raced 4yo is related to some top-class horses, so his current OR92 could be very lenient. Unfortunately, the odds of 9/2 are not great and I would prefer something over 5/1, but that is unlikely now.

I would not go near the last race on the card, the 27-runner Windsor Castle for 2yo’s, with a bargepole.

From my Notebook, at Thirsk in the 5:50 runs JARROW. Altho’ not a winner on turf (yet) he’s shown some cracking form, including when 2nd at Doncaster. Collect Art (in 3rd) has won 3 times since then, and JARROW is only 1lb up at OR77. This looks very lenient considering he raced well as a 3yo (when with Mark Johnston) with a 2nd off OR90 over 6f at Newmarket. The winner that day (Cockney Class) is now rated 10lb higher, the 3rd (Kanaf) is 8lb higher, whereas JARROW is now 13lb lower. Nicholls trained JARROW’s half-bro Moss Vale (OR109) to win group races, and today’s trip and going look favourable. Odds of 13/2 look value (Boylesports and Sportingodds).

Selection:
Thirsk 5:50, JARROW, 1pt win @ 13/2 (Boylesports, best odds guaranteed)
Total = 1pt staked

Thanks for reading this blog to all new visitors.

The blog takes a lot of effort to maintain and I hope that readers of the blog get enjoyment from it too. If you have had a successful wager on the back of what you’ve read here, then please make a contribution as an expression of thanks. Feel free to tell those who you think may find the blog of interest and value and, if you are a regular visitor, please add the blog to your list of favourites.

Betting on horseracing should be a pleasurable experience - never bet more than you can afford to lose.
Thanks from Wayward Lad

Monday 13 June 2011

Royal Ascot this week

This is the 299th edition of the daily blog page.

I am still bathing in the glory of 7/1 winner LORD AVON on Saturday. The only disappointment is that “donations” have been lacking. While I don’t expect to make a living from blog donations (and, to be fair, my strikerate is not great) I would have hoped that more than a few of the 500-odd readers of the blog on Saturday were able to take advantage of just the one selection from a day’s racing including 5 meetings on the Flat.

Next week, I depart for 2 weeks holiday in Ibiza and, after that, I will probably experiment with the blog format. At various times over the past 5 or 6 years, I have posted-up my selections on the likes of http://www.tipexchange.co.uk/ or http://www.bettingleague.co.uk/ and for the months of July, August & September, I am intending posting my selections only on sites such as these, but still providing a daily narrative reviewing the day’s horseracing. Writing a blog such as this does take a fair amount of time and effort and, while I would do the form-study anyway for my own purposes, if readers benefit from my observations and opinions then I think it’s only fair that they contribute to the upkeep of the blog.

As always, my over-riding edict is to… “provide an informative and entertaining blog which provides the reader with advice on horseracing.

There are some cracking horseracing blogs out there, and those I’ve found are listed on here. Amongst them are the likes of http://sprinterstogo.blogspot.com/ which is in terrific form this month. For instance, “The Laird” who writes the blog “Sprinterstogo”, shortlisted just 4 horses for the 3:25 at Doncaster yesterday, and 3 of those filled the 1st-3 places – the tricast payout was £374.32.

It is Royal Ascot this week, and so racing today on the Flat is fairly mediocre with a solitary meeting at Carlisle this afternoon, and meetings at Windsor and Warwick. Carlisle looks like a meeting were I may well be laying the fav’s.
Warwick has its own Warwickshire Oaks as the highlight at 7:40, and I am going to oppose the fav Timepiece in this as I am not convinced that she will stay this trip at this level. Her win at Newmarket over 10f was run at a crawl (1.37 secs slower than the 2yo race half-an-hour earlier over the same trip) and he best form looks to be at a mile. Similarly, I don’t think Sea Of Heartbreak is a true 10f horse either. As such, MIRROR LAKE looks to have the best chance on the formbook as she clearly gets this trip and will appreciate the going too. She desperately needed her run LTO after a long break from the track and at 4/1 she looks the value. One other horse that catches my eye is PIPETTE as, before we saw her last month, her previous run was when chasing home Snow Fairy at Goodwood prior to that one winning the Oaks. With the benefit of hindsight, I reckon that run was a lot better than it was rated at the time. She’s had a wind-op since then, and she also needed her run last month after a year off the track. She is Andrew Balding’s only runner today and at 12/1 she looks value for a place. The softening ground is a worry but both PIPETTE and MIRROR LAKE can handle good-to-soft, tho’ if it turns soft then I’d certainly have to reconsider MIRROR LAKE as it was the going that beat her last September at Goodwood. With concerns over the going, I cannot recommend a wager as it will be necessary to know the going before the off. On the face-of-it tho’ I may do a reverse forecast on MIRROR LAKE and PIPETTE.
Nothing at Windsor rocks my boat.

Tomorrow, Royal Ascot opens with the Queen Anne Stakes and a clash of the highest order between CANFORD CLIFFS and GOLDIKOVA. I cannot split them and, if anything, would advise watching this and taking in the experience. If pushed to have a wager, it’d be CANFORD CLIFFS as I truly believe he was one of the best miler’s of all time last year in what looked a high class season, and maturity should have made him a better horse. But, GOLDIKOVA is a battler who gives no quarter, she won’t be pushed-aside easily.
The 5-furlong trip of the Kings Stand Stakes will find out the Australian fav Star Witness. He’s shown by far his best form over 6-furlongs and I reckon he’ll be out-sped in this. Last year I was on Kingsgate Native, then the 5/2 fav. For me, the rain-softened ground is a worry as it won’t favour Kingsgate Native, nor the 2nd fav Sole Power. This year, the race looks like going to a rank outsider.
The St James Palace Stakes will go to FRANKEL, end it may be best to try and find the forecast for this race and the Japanese challenger Grand Prix Boss should not be underestimated.

No selections today (tho’ keep an eye on the going at Warwick).

Thanks for reading this blog to all new visitors.

The blog takes a lot of effort to maintain and I hope that readers of the blog get enjoyment from it too. If you have had a successful wager on the back of what you’ve read here, then please make a contribution as an expression of thanks. Feel free to tell those who you think may find the blog of interest and value and, if you are a regular visitor, please add the blog to your list of favourites.

Betting on horseracing should be a pleasurable experience - never bet more than you can afford to lose.
Thanks from Wayward Lad

Sunday 12 June 2011

Cracking 7/1 winner from sole selection yesterday

This is the 298th edition of the daily blog page.

Cracking result for the blog with sole selection LORD AVON winning just as expected, blasting from the stalls, grabbing the rail and never being headed. The fav Bankston Ash never got a look-in and was in desperate need of another furlong; as was the 2nd-fav and runner-up Murbeh. LORD AVON has been a reformed horse since returning to the track in March as a 3yo with a win in a seller. He was bought-in by connections that day for £5,500. His dam’s half-bro was multiple 5f winner Justalord who won off OR85, and LORD AVON looks a better horse than him. He put 7pts profit in the bank and I only wish I’d made him a 2pt “nap” as 7/1 was huge value, with LORD AVON starting with an SP of 9/2.

Unfortunately, NIGHT CARNATION looks like she only just gets the 5f trip as the soft going and poor draw (9) did for her chances at Sandown.

All-in-all, it’s been a great week for me this week, one of the best in a long time in fact.

Thanks for reading this blog to all new visitors.

The blog takes a lot of effort to maintain and I hope that readers of the blog get enjoyment from it too. If you have had a successful wager on the back of what you’ve read here, then please make a contribution as an expression of thanks. Feel free to tell those who you think may find the blog of interest and value and, if you are a regular visitor, please add the blog to your list of favourites.

Betting on horseracing should be a pleasurable experience - never bet more than you can afford to lose.
Thanks from Wayward Lad

Saturday 11 June 2011

A day to pick & choose your targets

This is the 297th edition of the daily blog page.

No selections yesterday, but both the suggested place-lays – MARKAZZI and MOHEEBB – were unplaced. I managed to lay MOHEEBB at 2.34 in the morning before he drifted to about 3.00 and the horse ran just as expected, towards the rear of the field before showing little effort in the final half-mile. I did not lay MARKAZZI as he was never shorter than 3.10 in the place-only market. He ran like a non-stayer, having every chance inside the 2f-pole and finding nothing when asked.
In the evening, my old friend HAND PAINTED ran down the field. He wasn’t a selection, so nothing lost, but his performance suggests all is not well in the Makin yard who are having a very poor run by their standards.

Lots of racing today, so impossible to review it all. A day to pick and choose your targets.
From the Notebook we have:-
York 2:40, TARTAN TRIP
Sandown 1:55, MASHAAREF
Sandown 3:30, NIGHT CARNATION
By coincidence, two are trained by Andrew Balding, and he has sent out 9 runners to various courses today.
TARTAN TRIP was beaten by the very well handicapped Sam Sharp (who runs at Chester in the 3:55) at Haydock LTO, and he looks unexposed on turf. Unfortunately, he races from 3lb out of the handicap (he should carry 8st 7lb but actually has 8st 10lb). That and the fact this is over another furlong, may be just enough to blunt his chance of winning today. I cannot recommend a wager.
MASHAAREF will needs to improve on his LTO win to take this off OR83. The form of his last race has not worked out as well as was hoped at the time, and so I cannot recommend a wager on him either.
NIGHT CARNATION however, looks likely to have all in her favour at Sandown today. She’s a C&D winner, she has the highest official rating (109) and the highest speed rating. Andrew Balding was hoping the going would be on the soft side, and it is. At 7/4 she looks good to go.

Of the other races, OUR JONATHAN looked impressive when winning at Chester and he will be tough to beat in the 2:55 at Sandown. TAURUS TWINS was missed when winning on Thursday evening and comes out again today. He is in cracking form but the 6lb penalty may well stop him today.
At Chester, I will be surprised if LORD AVON is not able to capitalise on his draw (1) in the 5f race at 5:05. He comes out fast and leads and has some good speed ratings. Odds of 7/1 look a gift given the fav Bankston Ash looks to need 6f, and the same applies for Murbeh the 2nd fav.

Given the short odds of 7/4, I won’t be wagering on NIGHT CARNATION as there is no room for error at that price, even if I cannot see her being beaten. LORD AVON tho’ at 7/1 looks tremendous value from stall 1 in the 5-furlong race at Chester and this could be all over inside 300 yards

Selection
Chester 5:05, LORD AVON, 1pt win @ 7/1 (William Hill & Bet365, best odds guaranteed)
Total = 1pt staked

Thanks for reading this blog to all new visitors.

The blog takes a lot of effort to maintain and I hope that readers of the blog get enjoyment from it too. If you have had a successful wager on the back of what you’ve read here, then please make a contribution as an expression of thanks. Feel free to tell those who you think may find the blog of interest and value and, if you are a regular visitor, please add the blog to your list of favourites.

Betting on horseracing should be a pleasurable experience - never bet more than you can afford to lose.
Thanks from Wayward Lad

Friday 10 June 2011

Sir Michael Stoute having poor run of form

This is the 296th edition of the daily blog page.

It is not often that I get annoyed with a jockey’s performance in the saddle as (not being a jockey myself) I reckon they have a difficult job, but Jim Crowley on FOUR NATIONS did not do a good job yesterday. Being a tall, long-striding horse FOUR NATIONS is not blessed with instant acceleration and needs to be ‘stoked-up’ for a run; but he was ridden yesterday as if he had speed to burn. Had he been shaken-up passing the 3f-pole rather than 250 yards later, he would not have been caught flat-footed when the winner quickened away at the 2f-pole. By the time FOUR NATIONS got going, it was all over bar the shouting, tho’ he managed to reduced the winning margin to under a length. On the bright side, the handicapper cannot raise FOUR NATIONS by more than a couple of pounds for this and he still looks like he can develop into a 90+ performer and so he stays in the Notebook.
Late last night at Haydock, we saw a stonking performance from GOOD BOY JACKSON. I wrote about him y’day then, just as I posted-up the blog, my confidence wavered and I deleted the planned wager at odds of 11/2 and suggested a “forecast” with the fav, May Be Some Time. Personally, I placed the forecast but also had a ‘saver’ on GOOD BOY JACKSON to win, and I’m glad I did as he romped home. He’s due out again at the weekend and if he runs he’ll be as good a banker as you’re likely to see. Even the professional race-readers get it wrong sometimes, as the “Notebook” comments from the Racing Post for the previous race won by GOOD BOY JACKSON were… “it is hard to believe this will prove strong 3yo handicap form.” Well, that 5-runner race has now produced 4 individual winners who have won 5 races in the past month, and GOOD BOY JACKSON was followed home in 2nd y’day by the only non-winner Number Theory to result in an Exacta payout of £48.40.
The moral is, if you find a strong race then follow the form.
Trainer Roger Varian continues in good form and his LDT yesterday, NAHRAIN won (as expected) at odds of 8/15.
I had a good day yesterday, despite my “nap” not winning, and it’s been a good week for me. What I tend to do on these very busy days of racing is look for horses at false prices and place-lay them. The first of these I came across by chance when I was sat in Ladbrokes waiting for some photos to be printed at Boots. The 2:20 class 6 h’cap at Nottingham over 6f had 14-runners, but the 9/2, 2nd-fav Delaware Dancer had the worst of the draw and had also been off the track 193-days. Throw-in that he starts his races slow and last ran over 7f, he was never a “evens” chance (2.00 on the exchanges) to be placed even if Betfair were still paying 4-places due to non-runners. I took those odds and my money was never at risk. I followed that up with a couple more successful place-lays on Sir Michael Stoute’s 3rd runner of the day Hairstyle (which I broadcast on Twitter) which I laid at 1.51 (SP 7/2) and later, the extremely slow Night Orbit in the 2-mile class 6 handicap at Yarmouth (this horse would be best in a 3-mile race).

Sir Michael Stoute is having a rotten time of late – as I wrote in yesterday’s blog – and I did say his horses, who were all at short odds, should be laid to lose. His 4/11 chance Floral Beauty was beaten in the opener at Newbury, and it was downhill from there. I was also right about the fav’s at Newbury yesterday when I said they should be opposed (laid on the exchanges). From the 8 races, only Rumh at 5/2 was a winning fav, with losing fav’s being at odds of 4/11, 5/4, 9/4, evens, 7/2, 11/4 and 5/2.

Plenty of racing again today with 2 meetings this afternoon at Sandown and York, and Goodwood and Chepstow this evening. There is nothing running from either my blog Notebook or my personal alert list today.

At Sandown, Sir Michael Stoute has only one runner MARKAZZI in the 4:35. Not sure what Stoute is up to with this one as it was a promising 2yo and it was his entry in the Craven as a 3yo. But, it wasn't supported that day and has run like a non-stayer ever since. The dam-line is filled with horses that have not won beyond 7-furlongs, and I reckon Stoute is barking up the wrong tree with it in this race as 10 of his 14 rivals have winning form at this 10 furlong trip. If there is a significant market move for him (and he starts under 9/2) then I'll think twice, but if he starts at 7/1 or about 2.45 - 2.55 in the place-only market, then I'll be laying him to run unplaced.

At York in the 2:40, I cannot get my head around why MOHEEB is the 5/1 fav. The horse has not won at York from 4 visits there, and has only won once in 17 attempts at trips beyond 1m1f & 170 yards. Add that he’s never won from 13 races on good-to-firm going (needs good or softer), and this has to be a weak favourite. Sure, he ran well at York when 3rd in Aug-2009 off OR91 (runs off OR78 today) but he was in the form of his life that summer. He looks like another that I will be place-laying.

An old friend that catches my eye is Peter Makin’s runner HAND PAINTED in the 7:30 at Chepstow. He was hampered at the start LTO, and on both his latest runs he looks like he needs a return to 7f (he won over the trip in Aug-09). He loves to hear his hooves rattle and GF going is what he needs. He has a fair bit of speed at this level as his close 2nd to Humidor last Sept proves, as he’d meet him on 19lb better terms now for a ½ length defeat. The more I look at HAND PAINTED, the more I think he should be a lot shorter in market than the 10/1 he is now. He is 6lb better-off with Emiratesdotcom on their last meeting and form of that run is good (Collect Art was in 2nd). He is a “grinder” and with Makin out of form and his rider Travis Block getting very few rides, I will probably just go place-only tonight.

No selections

Thanks for reading this blog to all new visitors.

The blog takes a lot of effort to maintain and I hope that readers of the blog get enjoyment from it too. If you have had a successful wager on the back of what you’ve read here, then please make a contribution as an expression of thanks. Feel free to tell those who you think may find the blog of interest and value and, if you are a regular visitor, please add the blog to your list of favourites.

Betting on horseracing should be a pleasurable experience - never bet more than you can afford to lose.
Thanks from Wayward Lad

Thursday 9 June 2011

Be quick to take odds on FOUR NATIONS

This is the 295th edition of the daily blog page.

Pretty damn close there with KARAKA JACK last night, but the rain softened-going did for his chances. Had I known the going would turn good-to-soft then I would not have put the horse up as a selection, but there-you-go. He’s entered for another 6f race at York on Saturday, but the horse is crying-out for another go at 7f – a trip he’s won at twice from 5 starts. He stays in my Notebook, but he’ll only be a wager if he’s attempting longer than 6-furlongs now. I thought FRONTLINE PHANTOM was going to serve-it-up to eventual winner Udabaa in the opener at Haydock, but no – he was outclassed.
If you read my comment on y’days blog, the “long-distance-travellers” did well with wins for Wild Coco (for Henry Cecil at Haydock); Power Punch (for Barry Hills at Beverley); and Collect Art (for Andrew Haynes at Yarmouth). Perhaps I should have stuck with them all along.
The other Notebook runner, KITTY WELLS ran a stinker. Jockey, Kieren Fallon said she did not enjoy the slow early pace and, while I won’t dispute that, my opinion is that the rain-softened ground was a major factor as her family have not shown a propensity to handle “give” in the ground. Even so, this was an appalling effort and she’s on a watching brief for now.

Plenty of racing again, so what are the interesting LDT’s (long distance travellers).
There’s nothing at Yarmouth, and the same applies for Nottingham. No trainer has to travel very far to get to Newbury. This evening, to Haydock Mahmood Al Zarooni sends just Circus Act (for the 8:50); Roger Varian sends Nahrain (7:50); and Stuart Kittow sends May Be Some Time (8:50). Kittow has had 4 wins from just 10 runners at Haydock!

There are a couple from my notebook running today:
FOUR NATIONS in the 4:50 at Newbury;
BUZZ LAW in the 7:50 at Haydock.

Believe it or not, but Sir Michael Stoute is yet to have a winner this month, so he sends 3 to Newbury who are all short in the market, but I reckon they can all be opposed and he’ll go win-less today. In fact, I reckon that today could be a day to oppose the fav’s at Newbury, in all except one race, the 4:50. When I saw FOUR NATIONS win LTO, I remarked that it was a long time since I saw a horse more confidently ridden to win a race from such an improbably position on a track such as Goodwood. I reckon this horse could seriously be OR90+ before the end of this season. The form of that race is working out well, and this step-up to 12f will suit FOUR NATIONS. He was 11/4 with some bookmakers earlier, but is only 5/2 now with those offering best odds guaranteed. I don’t reckon you’ll get longer than 11/4 and, in my opinion; he should be under 2/1 for this race.
Nothing catches my attention at either Yarmouth or Nottingham.
At Haydock, the mile handicap at 7:50 has Buzz Law from my Notebook, but he looks out of his depth in this, and the race should go to NAHRAIN, but at “evens” he is not a wagering proposition for me. It is the 8:50 that looks most interesting from a wagering point of view as the fav is Stuart Kittow’s runner May Be Some Time. He looks well-in on a 6lb penalty but he beat very little LTO and it was no wonder he won it so well. As such, I like the look of the 2nd-fav GOOD BOY JACKSON who won what has turned-out to be a good race LTO staying-on and finding more from the front. He looks capable of staying 10f, and there is little else in this race on the formbook. Odds of 11/2 look attractive, but this may be a "reverse-forecast" opportunity.

Selections
Newbury 4:50, FOUR NATIONS, 1pt win @ 5/2 (Betfred, best odds guaranteed)
Total = 1pts staked

Thanks for reading this blog to all new visitors.

The blog takes a lot of effort to maintain and I hope that readers of the blog get enjoyment from it too. If you have had a successful wager on the back of what you’ve read here, then please make a contribution as an expression of thanks. Feel free to tell those who you think may find the blog of interest and value and, if you are a regular visitor, please add the blog to your list of favourites.

Betting on horseracing should be a pleasurable experience - never bet more than you can afford to lose.
Thanks from Wayward Lad

Wednesday 8 June 2011

The search for "value" continues

This is the 294th edition of the daily blog page.

Not a good day for the blog yesterday, even tho’ it was a good day for me personally.
Before starting this blog in March 2010, I always thought it would be easy putting up selections on a blog and recording regular profits. But, after over 15-months at it and nearly 300 blog pages, I can see that the tipsters’ life is a tricky one. The problem I have is that I may have half-a-dozen selections at the start of the day that I want to have an interest with. However, I don’t want to put them all up as selections on the blog as, from my own experience, nothing puts me off following a tipster quicker than if you get a long list of selections in the morning and you’re expected to layout perhaps 10 or 12pts (which, in my case, is over £400) every day. That sort of “gambling” is similar to a stockbroker “churning” your account just to generate turnover. My aim (target) is to produce a 25%-plus Return On Investment (ROI), in other words if I stake £1,000 in a month, I want to end up with £1,250 in my account at the end of that month. It may sound like small beer but there are a lot of tipsters out there who do not even return a profit long term.
Yesterday, both my blog selections (NORTHERN FLING and GOLDTREK) lost, and lost badly. Not good for readers, and it’s probably not good either that I won personally with other wagers (not advised). They were on April Fool (SP 2/1), and Emilio Largo (SP 7/2) at Salisbury, and I had a “saver” on Boom And Bust (SP 4/1) in the race in which Northern Fling ran (see my comments on Boom And Bust on yesterdays blog). In the case of Emilio Largo, I put this on twitter (@wayward_lad) about 15 mins before the race, along with making the odds-on fav in the race – Moone’s My Name - my “lay-of-the-day”.
Should I have put up all 6 selections, or should I continue to try and advice those selections that I think represent the best value? It’s a tricky one, and one that I cannot answer. So, without a good reason to change my policy of providing what I consider are “value” wagers, I am going to stick with what I am doing.
NORTHERN FLING ran a stinker, and the writing was on the wall well before the off as he drifted on the exchanges to over 22.0, even tho’ he started with an SP of 14/1. There was clearly no confidence from his connections. GOLDTREK ran what looked like a very promising race and at one point about 3-furlongs out I thought he looked capable of perhaps winning and guaranteed to be placed. But, he emptied out very quickly when passed after the 2-furlong pole, and that was his chance gone.

There is plenty of racing today and on days like this I reckon it’s a good idea to take note of long-distance travellers (those making a trip of at least 150 miles from stable to the racetrack) and trainers single entries.
At Beverley, Barry Hills sends just Power Punch 197 miles for the maiden at 4:30, and he’s only sent 13 runners to the track since Jan-07. However, this looks competitive and I would not be confident. All bar a few local trainers have travelled over 150 miles to get to Hamilton in Scotland, so distance travelled is no filter there.
Haydock is more interesting, with single entries from a large number of trainers. The most interesting being Henry Cecil (Wild Coco), Saeed bin Suroor (Mahkama), Clive Cox (Dansili Dancer), and Roger Charlton (Keys).
Interestingly, quite a few trainers make a long journey to Yarmouth (despite being just up-the-road from Newmarket) including COLLECT ART who is bang in-form having won again yesterday.

There are a couple from my notebook running today:
KITTY WELLS in the 3:20 at Haydock over 1m 4f; and
KARAKA JACK in the 7:30 at Hamilton over 6f & 5 yards;
KITTY WELLS is a full-sister to St Leger winner Milan and must surely prove to be better than her OR85 rating today. There is a lot of confidence behind her and the only issue is whether she might find this trip a shade too short. Even so, odds of 7/4 represent a fair assessment of her chance today.
KARAKA JACK has a dodgy draw (2 of 12) but he could well be capable of overcoming it on this testing track. Jobe is the fav following his all-the-way win here LTO, but he’s up 8lb for that and of those behind him then, Frequency will be a lot closer is breaking better. Remember tho’ that KARAKA JACK has plenty of stamina along with his speed and he will be finishing very strongly of what is a virtual guaranteed good pace. He is 5/1 (available generally) but we may get a bit more than that. Even so, I’d say he was a 3/1 chance in this race that his trainer David Nicholls has won twice in the past 4 seasons.

Back at Haydock, I think FRONTLINE PHANTOM can upset the fav Udabaa in the opener, as the trip and going suit him best and he’s yet to stop improving. Henry Cecil’s WILD COCO looks unstoppable in the maiden at 3:50, but is already odds-on. The mile handicap at 4:20 looks tricky as the GF going won’t suit many in this. DOLPHIN ROCK is an old fav of mine from last season but I fear this going may be a bit quick for him even tho’ he love Haydock. Odds of 7/1 do not look fair for this reliable performer.

Selections
Hamilton 7:30, KARAKA JACK, 1pt win @ 5/1 (Boylesports, best odds guaranteed)
Haydock 2:20, FRONTLINE PHANTOM, ½pt win @ 9/2 (William Hill & Vic Chandler, best odds guaranteed)
Total = 1½pts staked

KITTY WELLS is not value at 7/4; if you can get longer than 9/4 take it.
COLLECT ART at Yarmouth is 5/2, but I would want more than 3/1.
DOLPHIN ROCK is an eachway chance and, at 5th odds, I’d want longer than 9/1.

Thanks for reading this blog to all new visitors.

The blog takes a lot of effort to maintain and I hope that readers of the blog get enjoyment from it too. If you have had a successful wager on the back of what you’ve read here, then please make a contribution as an expression of thanks. Feel free to tell those who you think may find the blog of interest and value and, if you are a regular visitor, please add the blog to your list of favourites.

Betting on horseracing should be a pleasurable experience - never bet more than you can afford to lose.
Thanks from Wayward Lad

Tuesday 7 June 2011

Fallon makes long trip to Redcar

This is the 293rd edition of the daily blog page.

A brief look at the day’s racing.
Just 2 meetings on the Flat at Redcar and Salisbury.

The Salisbury meeting has an interesting fillies handicap at 4:30 over a trip just shy of 10-furlongs. I reckon the fav Istishaara can be opposed in this. Trainer John Dunlop, has had his 3yo’s in tip-top form this Spring and she would not have lacked fitness LTO. At 7/4, she looks too short and so there must be value elsewhere. The 2nd-fav Miss Chicane won what looks like a weak handicap last month and she needs to improve a lot on that run. Isolate is unproven on the going (tho’ could be interesting) and Saint Helena is suffering for running in the Lingfield Oaks Trial for which her rating has been raised 12lbs to OR84. The one I like is GOLDTREK who will appreciate the going (food-to-firm) and stays 12-furlongs so this trip is within her compass. She is also a front-runner and therefore she will undoubtedly make it a test of stamina. I can see her leading all-the-way and at 8/1 (available generally) she is a worthy eachway wager.

At Redcar, there is a strong mile handicap (Class 3) at 3:35. The fav Boom And Bust looks progressive and the 6lb hike for winning LTO may not be enough to prevent him winning. However, he won’t be able to dominate this race with San Cassiano running and so the race may be set up for a finisher. There is a lot of support for Collateral Damage and the horse has come down a long way in the weights since his last win (he is 21lb better off with Reel Buddy Star from when they met in this race last season) but he is a one-paced horse these days. It is the booking of Kieren Fallon on NORTHERN FLING that takes my eye. This horse started out as a sprinter, but in May last year he won over 7f with Fallon aboard at Ayr. The horse needs a strong pace, and he’ll get it here and Fallon should be able to find him the gaps to come with a run. At 12/1 with William Hill, he is a good eachway wager.

Selections
Salisbury 4:40, GOLDTREK, ½pt eachway @ 8/1 (available generally)
Redcar 3:35, NORTHERN FLING, ½pt eachway @ 12/1 (William Hill, best odds guaranteed)
Total = 2pts staked

Thanks for reading this blog to all new visitors.

The blog takes a lot of effort to maintain and I hope that readers of the blog get enjoyment from it too. If you have had a successful wager on the back of what you’ve read here, then please make a contribution as an expression of thanks. Feel free to tell those who you think may find the blog of interest and value and, if you are a regular visitor, please add the blog to your list of favourites.

Betting on horseracing should be a pleasurable experience - never bet more than you can afford to lose.
Thanks from Wayward Lad

Monday 6 June 2011

Anniversary of D-Day

This is the 292nd edition of the daily blog page.

Having been away for a few days, this is more of a ‘catch-up’. There are a few meetings on the Flat today, the best of them being this evening. This is also an important day for other reasons, as today is the 6th June and, in 1944, many thousands risked and gave their lives to rid Europe and the World of the tyranny of Fascism. Spare those souls a thought.

Last Wednesday, as expected, from the Notebook came the winner KEPLER’S LAW. The odds where not much with an SP of 8/115 – but a winner is a winner. He’s currently rated OR65 and he can win again off that mark as he wasn’t pushed hard. Also that evening, a horse I’d noted after his last run - ADDICTIVE DREAM - ran again over 6-furlongs at Ripon. As I wrote in my blog of 16th May… “I feel that the horse could have finished a lot closer (he was 4th beaten nearly 3-lengths) had he been ridden a little more prominently in the early stages rather than being restrained. Some thought he didn’t stay this 6-furlongs and that he may be better suited to a stiff 5-furlongs, but I think he got this trip just fine. This race was a decent standard and ADDICTIVE DREAM needed to be in tip-top form to win. He remains on my HTF list.” Well, I reckon I was spot on as Jamie Spencer took ADDICTIVE DREAM into a decisive lead early-on and ran out a convincing winner at 4/1 in a fast time. He’s entered for the Wokingham at Royal Ascot for which he’s 20/1.

On Thursday, previous blog selection TAURUS TWINS ran at Sandown and after jinking at the start and losing a few lengths he ran on to be beaten just 2-lengths into 6th in a fast-run race. He remains in good form and he is entered at Haydock and York later this week, with both races over 5f.

On Friday, trainer Brian Meehan won with all 4 of his runners at odds of 3/1, 13/2, 15/2 and 16/1 – a stupendous performance. He has just one running for him tonight, Clean Bowled in the 6:15 at Windsor. There was a couple running from the Notebook; TRES CORONAS at Epsom and JARROW at Musselburgh. TRES CORONAS did not seem happy at Epsom, but then he was ridden by Chris Cattlin and he seems to go best when Graham Gibbons in the saddle. JARROW was the well-supported 4/1 joint-fav but ran a stinker of a race. It was his first attempt at 5-furlongs and they may have gone too quick for him. A stiff 6-furlongs could be best for him so I’ll give him another chance.

On Saturday, the Notebook had BAWAARDI, SPACE WAR, BOOGIE SHOES, ZUIDER ZEE and MUSIC FESTIVAL running. SPACE WAR and BAWAARDI both ran in the same race at Doncaster over 7-furlongs. The trip was too short for SPACE WAR who wants at least a mile, but he did best of the pair finishing 5th of the 20 runners. BAWAARDI ran well for a long way from a poor draw (17 of 20) but the early efforts may have done for him. They’ll stay in the Notebook. BOOGIE SHOES came to win his race, and looked to have it in the bag when going ahead over a furlong out, but faded in the final 100 yards. But this was a very strong handicap and he lost nothing, in my eyes, in defeat. He stays in the Notebook. ZUIDER ZEE has been at the forefront of my thoughts for a few weeks and he finished best of all in his race over a trip that may well be 2f short of his best. He looks one to be on NTO. Lastly, MUSIC FESTIVAL was outstayed over 7f at Newcastle. The winner Pravda Street now looks well handicapped on his 2009 form (rated OR89 then, won off OR85 – was OR72 for this) and this form looks strong. He remains in the Notebook.

Thanks for reading this blog to all new visitors.

The blog takes a lot of effort to maintain and I hope that readers of the blog get enjoyment from it too. If you have had a successful wager on the back of what you’ve read here, then please make a contribution as an expression of thanks. Feel free to tell those who you think may find the blog of interest and value and, if you are a regular visitor, please add the blog to your list of favourites.

Betting on horseracing should be a pleasurable experience - never bet more than you can afford to lose.
Thanks from Wayward Lad