Back with a bang - 13/2 winner!

Did you miss me? Back with a 13/2 winner yesterday (advised on twitter and blog posted at 10am) when BLESS THE WINGS (SP 11/4) romped home.

What a tremendous days’ racing we have in store today with great meetings at Wetherby, Ascot and Ayr plus an interesting race in Ireland at Down Royal. The feature race of the day is the Charlie Hall chase at Wetherby and it’s cut-up a bit with only 6 runners going to post. My money will be on PLANET OF SOUND at 5/1.  Since he stepped-up to 3-mile chasing, he's been a revelation. His best performances are always when "fresh" and last season his 2nd in the Hennessey carrying 11:2 off a rating of OR158 was (IMO) one of the performances of the season. He followed that up with a good 3rd at Kempton, beaten only by course specialist Nacarat and the well-handicapped and improving Helpston. He was my main wager in the Grand National and led them a merry dance in that race losing the lead only 4-out after which Richard Johnson cantered him home safely. With just 11st on Saturday, and receiving 5lb from the 6yo favourite, it will take some performance to stop him winning. He has the best speed-rating by a mile (courtesy of that Hennessey 2nd) and the others – apart from the fav – look held. If Silviniarco Conti can win today then he’s a decent horse, but the odds are no reflection of his chance, he should be 7/2 and not 13/8.

The Grade 2 hurdle over 3m1f at 2:50 looks a cracker, and I couldn’t find the winner of this if I tried. That said, I do think CRACK AWAY JACK could be the surprise package in this race, he has untold potential.

At Ascot, Nicky Henderson has introduced some decent horses to chasing in the 1:25 so I’m expecting Hadrian’s Approach to run well. However, chasing is what ROLLING ACES is bred to do and he may be a different horse in this, his chase debut.   As a member of the White Diamond Racing syndicate, I’ll be watching Ted Spread with interest in the 2:35 as we’ve just bought his half-brother Phantom Ranch. If you are interested in shares contact Tom Castle at White Diamond Racing.

I'm expecting a big run from ACE HIGH in the 3:10. He should have come on a bundle for his recent run (the first in a year) and carries just 10st 2lb. 
Another that I'm looking forward to seeing is KALELLSHAN in the 3:45.  I first came across this horse when having a successful wager on him when he won at Sedgefield back in Sept 2009 beating a useful field. He should have followed-up a few weeks later when trouncing an even better field, but his jockey brought-about a calamitous mistake at the final fence. He was injured in that race and not seen again till the following July - had he not been injured I reckon he'd have been one of the better novice chasers of that season, certainly up to contesting the Arkle. On his return, he needed his first run to blow the cobwebs away and then won 2 hurdles in 4 days at the Galway Festival (that takes some doing), before again succumbing to injury. He was off the course nearly 2-years, returning in June 2012. With a new trainer in charge, he was coaxed back to fitness in 3 flat races during the summer before going on to win another hurdle at the Galway Festival this summer. He then won again on his next outing in a chase at Killarney. I thought he was OR150+ back in 2009 and, having won his last 4 races over the jumps (hurdles and chases), I'd say he's lost none of his ability. He looks to be 10lb well-in running off OR142.

So that’s it for today:-

Wetherby 3:25 PLANET OF SOUND @ 5/1

Ascot 3:10 ACE HIGH @ 5/1

Ascot 3:45 KALELLSHAN @ 6/1

Thanks for reading this blog to all visitors, and I hope that readers of the blog get enjoyment from it. 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.

Remember!
Betting on horseracing should be a pleasurable experience - never bet more than you can afford to lose.

Thanks from Wayward Lad.

Return of Wayward Lad

Welcome back readers, I've been away too long – even if I say so myself!

I did say that I'd be back in the autumn, and I've started and not finished a couple of posts over the past few weeks to the blog, but today I'm feeling more positive. Due to work commitments this won't be a daily blog as it has been over the past 3 years or so, but will be more of a weekend blog. Hopefully, that will suit me and those who read it as I tended to get most hits on a Saturday anyway.

As always, you can find me commenting on horseracing on Twitter, where you can find me tweeting as @wayward_lad

Onto the horseracing…

We have a cracking meeting at Wetherby today, ably supported by Uttoxeter. The opening juvenile hurdle at Wetherby at 1:00 has Jonjo O'Neill's only runner at the meeting MR WATSON. This horse was purchased for £215,000 after winning his "bumper" in Ireland and, if you combine that fact with his prolific strike rate at Wetherby with hurdlers (7 wins from 17 runners, or 41%) then you may well be led to thinking that the current odds of 9/4 look generous.

I'm a great follower of trainer trends and stats, and the next race at Wetherby may test those. Both Brian Ellison and Steve Gollings have solitary runners at Wetherby, and they both run in the 2:00 there, Royal Opera and Laterly respectively. Ellison is 5 wins from 31 runners over hurdles (16%), but Gollings is 3 wins from 9 (33%). I couldn't (hand-on-heart) recommend a wager on either, but I reckon they will both run a lot better than their current odds suggest.

One horse I've been looking forward to reappearing this season, is BLESS THE WINGS and he looks to have a winning chance in the 2:00 at Wetherby. He won me a packet when romping home at Cheltenham in January and I'll be having a wager on him at 13/2 as I can see him starting a lot shorter, possibly under 5/1. He won his seasonal debut last season, so we know he goes fresh, and he does travel well in his races which is something I really like. I don't think the going will be quick enough for the fav, Tiger O'Toole, and there are (in my opinion) question-marks over the other fancied runners. One I am keeping an eye on for any market moves is Sue Smith's Gansey as he's clearly the stable "fancy" and Smith has a great record in this race – 4 wins from 8 runners in the last 10 years.
The Class 1 juvenile hurdle at 2:35 is always a good pointer to what's the best around and I'm surprised Alan King hasn't an entry - he usually sends one of his best for this race. Whatever wins will be worth following.

Good luck & thanks for reading this blog to all visitors, I hope that readers of the blog get enjoyment from it.

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

Taking a break

I'm taking a break from blogging for a few months.

The Flat racing scene is not my best, and I much prefer the Jumps.

I'll be back in the Autumn.

All the best,
Wayward Lad

Maybe you can light my (bon)fire

The 487th edition of the Wayward Lad blog.

This weekend we having the running of "The Derby" at Epsom. Of all the horseracing run on the "flat", this race epitomises the peak to which all those connected with the sport hope to aspire. As I write, there are only 12 declared for the premier classic race this Saturday, the market being headed by the 8/11 fav from Ireland, CAMELOT. This horse is being claimed to be a world beater, and I must admit being highly impressed with his win in the 2000 Guineas earlier this month. However, having seen Nijinsky win the race - beating fewer rivals – at odds of 11/8 back in 1970, and Nashwan (another Guineas winner) win the 1989 Derby at 5/4, those odd look too short to me. I won a fair wedge on BONFIRE when he won the "Dante" at York and, at odd of 5/1 with Ladbrokes, with more "depth" to his stamina already proven he looks the better value. I can see him starting the 7/2, 2nd fav this weekend.

Due to work commitments, I am not able to put as much form research into my racing these days which (I suppose) is a good thing for me personally in these recessionary times. As a result, the blog has suffered in recent months with sporadic bursts of activity punctuating the lapses. It is not really possible for me to produce daily selections in the time I have available during the flat season so, over the coming months, I am going to focus more on general racing issues with the occasional race review when time is on my side.

My abiding love is with the jump racing scene, and I will be producing and updating my personal alert list over the coming months so that I'm ready to hit the ground running and take advantage come 1st October.

I noted that Aidan O'Brien still has SO YOU THINK entered for the Queen Anne Stakes which is the opening race of the Royal Ascot meeting, and that could lead to a head-to-head encounter with FRANKEL. Strictly on the formbook, So You Think has little chance if being able to hold Frankel, but this is horseracing. If so You Think does drop to the mile trip for the Queen Anne, then I expect connections will take the race to him and challenge Frankel for the lead from the start, thereby making full use of the stamina of So You Think. Throw-in the tenacious temperament of the older horse, and Frankel could be eye-balled for the 1st time in his racing life. Will he relish the challenge, or will he wimp-out? This, for me, is a much more realistic challenge for champion miler Frankel, than meeting the Australian "wonder-mare" BLACK CAVIAR over a mile in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on 1st August. Black Caviar is a 6-furlong specialist, and an extremely quick one at that. She would very much be the underdog having to meet the champion miler (and possibly the best miler since Tudor Minstrel in 1947) over his optimum trip. Thankfully, the Australian connections have seen sense and put that idea to bed, and are aiming the mare at Royal Ascot after which she will return "down-under".

Any wagers that I am contemplating today will be posted via my twitter account: @wayward_lad

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