Shergar Cup Day at Ascot

This is the 323rd edition of the Wayward Lad blog.

There have been no recent posts as the horseracing in the UK has been pretty poor this week. Today being a Saturday tho', it is a bit better.

Firstly, I have posted a selection on Betting League (see adjacent link) for those who are interested.

Of todays racing, at Ascot the Shergar Cup is not something that would make me want to go racing. A jockey championship on a single day at the races it not what judges (IMO) who the best jockeys are around. The rules of racing state that jockeys should always be trying so that it is the best horse that wins a race, not the best jockey. Of course, not all men are created equal, so those jockeys with more natural ability succeed the most.

There is some decent racing at the other meetings today, notably at Haydock where racegoers have an 8-race card. My attention has been drawn to the final race on the card at 5:35 which looks particularly competitive. After considering the pace in the field (Karaka Jack & Dolphin Rock) I was going to advise a punt on MARKAZZI as he looks to still have some potential to improve beyond his rating. However, the 11/2 on offer this morning has gone and at 7/2 now he is no longer a "value" wager. I considered him a 4/1 chance.

Newmarket's meeting is disappointing from a wagering point of view, and I'm happy to give it a miss. Ditto the meeting at Redcar.

Lastly; I was very disappointed to hear of the retirement to stud of CANFORD CLIFFS in the week. He was an exceptional miler, one of the best we've seen in years. Was his last run affected by his injury? We'll never know for sure, tho' the doubters of Frankel will be saying it was. Personally, I saw enough at Goodwood last week to be sure in my own mind that Frankel is the best horse over a mile that I've seen since Brigadier Gerard.

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