POET wins @ 7/1 for the blog

In today’s blog:
Review of last week’s racing
Today’s Racing Selections
2010-11 Chasers & Hurdlers Alert List

Review of last week’s racing
Tremendous end to the week on Saturday as the blog selection POET won at 7/1 (having been advised at 10/1) running the race exactly as expected and capping a great week of results following SEA WALL on Tuesday (won @ 9/1) and MUFTI on Wednesday (won @ 3/1) and DOLPHIN ROCK – btn a short-head – on Thursday @ 7/1. Let’s try and keep the ball rolling this week!

The training performance of the week came from John Gosden who sent out 4 winners from 5 runners on Saturday.

And what about the dam Model Queen? Her hurdler Mount Helicon won a maiden hurdle on Thursday at Sligo, followed by Hot Prospect winning like a group horse in a handicap if ever I saw one on Saturday , and then her other gelding Regal Parade won his 2nd Group 1 in France yesterday. Regal Parade must go down as one of the bargains of this century as he was bought out of the Mark Johnston stable for just 16,000 guineas (Sheik Mohammed paid 430,000 guineas for him as a yearling and he was unraced as a 2yo); he’s won over £400,000 for his syndicate since then!

Today’s Racing Selections
After a glut of racing over the past couple of weeks, we are brought back down to earth today with some lacklustre stuff. Despite it looking a better than average meeting at Southwell on the AW this afternoon, I just cannot bring myself to sort through the form in what look some trappy handicaps.
It may be an afternoon for the layers, methinks.
The evening meeting at Thirsk looks no better but the 7:00, a class 5 over a mile may hold a value wager with HIGH ROLLING. I do not usually drop into class 4 and below, but the combination of Graham Gibbons and TD Easterby on this look interesting given the last time Gibbons rode the horse it split Leader Of the Land and Dubarra Reef and both those 3yo’s have won since and gone up 16lbs in the ratings whereas HIGH ROLLING is up just a pound as he fails to find more in the final 100 yards of his races. There’s not much to beat in this race tho’ and he can lead all the way, so 9/2 looks fair odds.
There are a couple of bits of interest at Windsor this evening. In the 7:10, Jeremy Noseda sends his only runner today LOST IN THE MOMENT for this and it could prove hard to beat, but at odds on (or thereabouts) it can run without my money. Later, in the last on the card at 8:10, Paul Cole has his only runner today Strategic Mission. This horse has returned from a long-time off thru’ injury. However, if he can recapture some of his 2008 form, he’d win this in a canter as he’s down 20lb to OR75 from his mark of OR95 after winning a class 2 handicap at Newbury in 2008. But this race is likely to fall to one of the 3yo’s, probably SUNLEY SPINALONGA who is progressive and a half-brother to the useful Resplendent Alpha.
Personally, I favour a wager on HIGH ROLLING but, with this dodgy weather forecast, I shall wait until 5pm before confirming if a selection or not.

2010-11 Chasers & Hurdlers Alert List
No further additions to the Chasers & Hurdlers Alert List today.

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