One for today........

Have had no time to get any cards done for the weekend so again we will rely upon ERIC to do the Biz ....however i do have one horse i really quite like for today and that is HOLIDAY MAGIC ( Ling 1455 ) @ around 3.65 lto this was racing over 7f as opposed to 1m today but this is a former CD winner so the trip wont be an issue which was blatantly clear lto as all his best work was being done at the business end.
Having to race 5 deep and wide for the whole race he had everything stacked against him yet was pushed and cajoled into a strong midfield position throughout and kept a good positive position and line even when the pace quickened and coming round the final bend ( still wide ) this with just over 1f to go was sent to hunt the leaders down the middle and was tracked all the while himself with the eventual winner Baddalini getting first show ( stayed on well to defeat Grey Mirage ) the front 5 were split by maybe a length in total and a gap of almost 3L back to the field , this was a Group 2 race ( Grade 3 Today ) and a very strong showing and field and is a million miles away from what he will face today so i feel with Kirby again taking the ride a much more prominent position and a strong tactical ride will result in a win , he has pace to go any early speed , travels well ( slow or fast ) and can quicken off any pace set and has the heart for a battle , this will def place today and a repeat of its lto run will be easily be good enough to win by maybe 1/2 - 1L.

RESULT  / NOTES : 2nd @ 4.34

Full Result

Pos	Dist	Horse	Trainer	Age	Weight	Jockey	SP
1st (5)		9 Halation (IRE)	D M Simcock	4	8-11	Andrea Atzeni	7/2
Tracked leaders, chased leader over 1f out, led inside final furlong, ridden and ran on opened 3/1 touched 4/1
2nd (3)	hd	5 Holiday Magic (IRE)	C Appleby	4	9-3	A Kirby	11/4f
Pressed leader, pushed along and led 2f out, ridden and headed inside final furlong, rallied close home
3rd (6)	2	1 Regulation (IRE)	N B King	6	9-7 p1	Liam Jones	16/1
Dwelt, held up towards rear, ridden and headway over 1f out, ran on

The Simon Cooper Card ;-)

 WAWAW WAWAW ;-))...My good friend from Sheffield " Cooperman " is off to Donny tmrw and i did say i would try and rustle up a card for him so here we are....and can i give him some profit ??....well the card does look promising at first glance so fingers crossed.

                                                         DONCASTER

RACE 1
WIN - NEFYN BAY - 
EW - TARA MAC - 
LONG - ONE COOL BOY - 2nd @ 14.10

SUMMARY - We start the day off with a nice n steady Hcap Hurdle with a nice 13 runners which is decent for punting as it should give a true book %.
This race has a massive 2 stone weight difference from top to bottom which does bring a few rags into it.
NEFYN BAY started off its winning run over CD and his last run and win by 7l was a reasonably easy win which took little doing and with the claimer riding he is racing effectively off the same mark and i think this will take all the beating here today.
Of the others for EW fun then Tara Mac can be considered as its now back over its ideal trip and One Cool Boy but in reality if Nefyn Bay races to the same level as its lto run then it should win this quite comfortably.

RESULT / NOTES - 

                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RACE 2
WIN - PROMENCO - 4th ( After hitting 1.33 ftw and 1.01 fap )
EW - HURRICANES GIRL - 3rd @ 6.20
LONG - HANNA'S PRINCESS - 1st @ 1.94

SUMMARY - Poor looking Novice hurdle up next and it could end up a battle between the famous Sports personalities as Harry Redknapp and Phil Tufnell both have runners with a chance or two.
For me tho i quite like the look of the ride for Davy Russell who has come over specifically to take the two rides for Charlie Longsdon today and his PROMENCO is well worth a market check, this did little on its debut this term in a mares only NHF race but is bred for jumping and has a very stout pedigree so i would expect to see a much improved run now upped in trip and with some obstacles to get over and hopefully will be a decent enough price come the morning to get involved EW.
Hanna's Princess and Hurricanes Girl will probably give her most to do in an uninspiring race.

RESULT / NOTES - 

                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RACE 3
WIN - HUNTERS HOOF ( NAP ) - 1st @ 1.67
EW - N/A
LONG - N/A

SUMMARY - Next up its a small field Conditional Riders Hurdle and i will be mighty SHOCKED if HUNTERS HOOF doesnt destroy these good n proper , this has been off a while as he is what one might call " hard to train " however the yard are convinced this could make up into a very smart type and this was best displayed when winning fto ( both 2nd and 3rd have won since with the 3rd notching a hat-trick ) and it beat its much better fancied stable mate and possibly Cheltenham bound 139 rated Days Of Heaven which given the context of this race is outstanding form and puts him theoretically 20lb clear...PLUS...Hendo has won this race for two of the last three years ( Fourth Estate and Sign of a Victory ) which further lends credence to this being todays NAP.

RESULT / NOTES - 

                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RACE 4
WIN - VIVACCIO - 
EW - PURE OXYGEN - 2nd @ 2.48
LONG - N/A

SUMMARY - This is another tepid small field and its a chase this time and we have a red hot fav in the shape of Vivaccio however im going to take it on with PURE OXYGEN a winner in points and not thrown about when thrown in the deep end on its debut this could be anything and is very unexposed and at an attractive price is worth having a go with as i feel the fav could be vulnerable however it must be said this is a very weak race and the remainder look a very poor bunch.

RESULT / NOTES - 

                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RACE 5
WIN - FULL DAY - 
EW -  SCOTSBROOK LEGEND - 2nd @ 7.55 ( Hit 1.55 ftw )
LONG - THANKYOUVERYMUCH - 

SUMMARY - A mares Hurdle next and another poor turnout and this really should be a battle between the well in FULL DAY and the more experienced SCOTSBROOK LEGEND and i fancy a dutch on the two is the best play here with the markets in our favour at around 4/1 & 9/1.

RESULT / NOTES - 

                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RACE 6
WIN - CRAZY JACK - 
EW - QUICUYO - 
LONG - N/A - 

SUMMARY - And the dross rolls on with yet another pissy bookie favouoring 7 runner Chase and this is wide open as any could win or have the ability to make a charge for victory.
CRAZY JACK and QUICUYO are my two against the field in a race that has to be dutched. The aforementioned both will be involved in the finish and tick the best number of boxes and for me is the only logical thing to do in a poor race which the bookies will love.

RESULT / NOTES - Both UNPLACED to fuck my Placepot up ;(...

                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RACE 7
WIN - FIRE TOWER - 
EW - ROLL ON RUBY - 
LONG - DOLLY DIAMOND - 

SUMMARY - What a fucking wank race to end your day on...its an awful shit filled shit pot that should be entertained if you are desperate , pissed or desperately pissed.....Have a great day pal...GOOD LUCK.

RESULT / NOTES - 

                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just One bet for today....

One runner that really does interest me today is RAIN WIND AND FIRE by a Colt that was a leading fancy for the Kentucky Derby ( injury in training prior to race ended career ) but had previously ran 6 times ( winning at 2 & 3 over both 8f & 9f ) with a 2nd and 4 Wins this is a superbly bred all american type that should love all the available AW surfaces also being related to Califante ( same ownership ~ Breeders ) who had won over 6f at 2....This could easily be a different type of beast to those you usually see here...however it is a Maiden , its still unraced an until we see it run its all a guessing game...but purely from a breeding standpoint this is a proper horse and one that is worth a go.( currently 3.10 ) (~ Post Authorised as Genuine ~ )

RESULT : 1st @ 3.17

Quick Haydock Update ....

Morning / Afternoon fuckers...
I didn't really have as much time as i would have liked yesterday as i was pushed for time and tired and then spent the evening Winning @ Poker ;-).....which was nice as i managed to win a pot in which i was only a 3%  chance...My K/J " ALL IN " against the mighty AA...and the flop of 9/5/2 did me no favours at all...however a J on the turn gave me hope and brought me upto 11.6% ;-)....then a magical King exploded onto the river and Dan was crushed.....but in truth the whole night was full of ridic hands coming from behind to win as my very good friend Paul Stephenson will testify as he was on the end of an insane amount of Bad Beats...

So moving back on track and taking a look at Haydock today i will discuss in brief my thoughts on the tracks major races ( lets not forget IRVING who is at Wincanton today and looks nailed on )......

So HAYDOCK....what do you have ??...
In the first race we see the brilliant ( prospect ) that is TOP NOTCH a horse that has looked rather excellent thus far having Won both times seen out this season having beat Maxie 10L fto then 25L on the second outing would suggest he is rapidly improving and the two second placed runners from their respective race were rated 131 and 138 leaving me with an impression that he is already a horse worth around 142p ( Official RPR 144 ) and with much more to offer i would expect him to dispatch todays rivals with the minimum of fuss even if he didnt already have at least 20lb in hand ( more like 30+ )....This will WIN...but at shit odds but there are a few shorties around today worth clumping together for trebles or more... - Result - 1st ( v v easy ) @ 1.15

Next up its the RENDLESHAM hurdle over 3m and the " class " here is by far and away AT FISHERS CROSS but this has to be one of the most annoying horses in training and reminds me very much of the much loved Cab On Target ( always facing upto Morley Street ) so much ability but prone to jumping errors , travelling on and off the bridle in his races and tanking out when least expected this wonderfully frustrating type always always seems to find one or two too good on the day and even being around 20lb clear on official ratings its easy to think that this scenario will play out again....so for me this is a " no bet " race because if the real AFC turns up this is a no contest but if he doesnt then anything else can win and even laying at evens is a poor bet...watch and enjoy and i just hope AFC can return to winning ways...- Result - At Fishers Cross was a WELL BEATEN 3rd and there is no where for to go now..finished imo....Closing Ceremony wins well for Emma Lavelle.

Third race is a Grand National Trial and i dont have a lot to say here but i have been informed by a few shrewdies that GAS LINE BOY is well worth a decent EW punt as you can forget his failure at Chepstow as he has run shit there just about on every visit..currently 10/1 this is well worth a few quid EW. RESULT - 4th....However...i Backed it at 12.9 and traded out at 2.0 ( hit 1.88 ) so made a very nice profit ;-))

Moving on we now have a Pertemps Qualifier over 3m ( Hurdles ) and its interesting that AP rides AQALLM while his long time backer JP has two runners both seemingly with chances...hmm...and i think on that basis alone you can muster an argument that this is another decent looking EW bet at around 6/1 although Buddy Bolero is interesting now back over hurdles at 14/1 and Vincente at 10/1 who was going real well in the lead until falling 4 out lto in a chase race.....so i think the bet here is a three way EW dutch with a combo RFC for giggles in a tough looking race that could prove fruitful at low end stakes. -RESULT - 3rd @ 4.67

Next up we have the Albert Bartlett " Prestige " another 3m Hurdle and this looks a tight affair but im going to stick with FLETCHERS FLYER and if Aqallm wins the earlier race then im going to double my stake....i may have some in the run cover on Ballagh...but will decide as i go...Result - 2nd...

In the Finale TEAFORTHREE has to win to earn his right to race in the Foxhunters at the Cheltfest and after scoring so easily just over a week ago i see no reason why this cannot run another sound race and take this and his place on NH and RPR he has the proverbial ton in hand and should win with ease...the size of my bet here will be determined by the way that my day has panned out...i may be chasing or i may throttle off..we will see...either way its getting some..


Have a great day TTFN...

Happy Weekend ;-)

Yeah i know its still Friday but its the weekend post so its a " Happy Weekend "...or is it ?...well its been a turbulent week for many a reason for me as my personal life has been knocked sideways...again....but hopefully this time is the last time...but then again who really knows what the future holds....

So on a quiet week with little or no betting for again a variety of reasons i look forward to the weekend with a renewed vigor and huge amount of interest and excitement and to celebrate this we will have a 10 race card incorporating the full 7 races from ASCOT and a select 3 races from HAYDOCK on what looks to be a cracking looking weekend of racing.

So without further ado lets crack on with Ascot....

RACE 1 : 

WIN : TEA FOR TWO - 2nd @ 4/9
EW : N/A -
LONG : N/A -

SUMMARY : We start the day off with a poorly turned out £20k Novice hurdle and it has just the 4 runners and i simply dont see how bar a fall ( which is unlikely ) how on earth this can possibly lose and that horse is TEA FOR TWO who hosed up lto in the Lanzarote ( form has been heavily franked ) by 16L.....bar an act of god this is a Frankel sized Certainty.

RESULTS / NOTES : imo this was just a very poor ride from Lizzie Kelly....fucking bullshit start to the day...

                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RACE 2 : 

WIN : VIRAK - ( NAP DOUBLE ) -
EW :  DEPUTY DAN -
LONG : N/A

SUMMARY : Next up is yet another disappointingly small field and yet another with just the 4 runners and its the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Chase worth over £30k.
In truth this is just a 3 runner race as Phone Home looks hopelessly outclassed and would appear to hold no chance what so ever however the other three are very closely matched and i think it may be decided on the day by those that make the least amount of mistakes.
Deputy Dan has promised much yet delivered little for a horse that has so much talent and until he starts to shine a lot brighter will continually be over looked in these better class events even if the numbers are small and he has also shown himself subject to a number of errors which would prove costly on the day.
Ainsi Fideles rattled up a sequence in the summer in low grade small field events beating very little and has it all to prove today and i think he will find VIRAK a tough nut to crack , Virak holds Deputy Dan on Autumn form and should be a few lb better and its my opinion that he will win this quite comfortably given a stress free round of jumping although well beaten lto that was by one of the up n coming superstars of the NH game in the shape of Coneygree and the price will be short but a Double with Tea For Two in the first looks a nailed on bet imo and has to be placed.

RESULTS / NOTES : Thankfully i had some saver cover here to get a bit back with trading...but ultimately this was a very lack luster run from Virak..

                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RACE 3 : 

WIN : CAROLES DESTRIER - 1st @ 2.32
EW : SHANGANI -
LONG : CLONDAW KNIGHT - 2nd @ 4.70

SUMMARY : Next up its a £45k Listed Hcap Chase and with an eye watering 7 runners...oh heavens?!..whats a man to do ;-)...seriously i know Cheltfest is just round the corner but just 15 runners in the first 3 races for £100 in Prizemoney...what is wrong with these fuck sticks??!!...
Anyway..lets not get dragged down in all that shiz and lets focus on the race at hand...
This race sees a huge variance in the weight which is coupled with an apparent gulf in class and most here are unreliable at best so for me im going to row in with CAROLES DESTRIER as this is most likely to give its true running over a trip considered to be its best and with Big Bazzer riding this will be given every opportunity.

RESULTS / NOTES :

                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RACE 4 : 

WIN : MINELLAS PRESENT -
EW : MINSTRELS GALLERY -
LONG : PADGE - 2nd @ 7.33

SUMMARY : 7  Runner Hcap Hurdle now and its another Bookies Benefit race.
None of the field arrive here with any decent form on show and again most are inconsistent at best and i think a speculative choice can be MINELLAS PRESENT who just tanked out on the run in lto but that was over 2f further and with Ruby Walsh doing the steering today i think its fair to say this will be given an astute ride and will make a late charge to see the others off plus i feel the price may be on the juicy side.

RESULTS / NOTES : The two Minstrels both ran appallingly and it was my initial selection the JP runner that won...

                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RACE 5 : 

WIN : BALDER SUCCESS -1st @ 5.63
EW : PITT ZIG - Fell ( Was going n jumped well till this )
LONG : N/A -

SUMMARY : Next up is todays big race and its the Betfair ASCOT CHASE a Grade 1 over 2m5f and again its a relatively small field with just the 6 runners competing for over £100k in prizemoney.
PITT ZIG is a horse i like a lot and although this will be its first attempt outside of novice company i see no reason why it should run anything but a solid race , its on the up for sure and has beaten some useful sorts along the way however Balder Success will be a bit tougher than anything hes yet faced and i do feel that this will be a straight up duel between the two as Ballycasey has been misfiring of late but can take a hand on her best form whilst Theater Guide will be outclassed and outpaced and the remainder have a mountain to climb.

RESULTS / NOTES :

                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RACE 6 : 

WIN : OTAGO TRAIL -
EW : VINNIE RED -
LONG : SIRABAD -

SUMMARY : Small field Novice Hurdle now and there is little to discuss here , OTAGO TRAIL has won both starts to date with consummate ease and will make a very bold bid for the Hat Trick and should be backed to win.

RESULTS / NOTES : Nothing for me here but no bet so no damage and PP was dead...Going to get stuck into my NAP now...

                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RACE 7 : 

WIN : JOE FARRELL - ( NAP )
EW : BIG CHIEF BENNY -
LONG : ALWAYS LION -

SUMMARY : In the finale we have a very very strong looking NHF race over 2m.
JOE FARRELL has to rate a max bet and a NAP bet on form alone as his lto 2nd has been massively franked as the winner that day has since gone on and won the Listed Bumper at Warwick and that is super form and a run to that level or beyond sees him bang in the mix.

RESULTS / NOTES :

                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Haydock to follow....Maybe...

Some Great Shots from the Pro-Am..

There Ya Go >>>>

So as i kinda almost expected the dip into Sunday Irish Racing was a Joke....form is a joke and then they just go round in a circle sharing winners out between each other....
Its the same on the flat although in truth AoB does win with his more professed types but even then 2nd and 3rd strings win their fare share its just a joke and that will certainly be my last look at anything Irish unless she is double D and not wearing any panties ;-).

So its back to reality and a dull average Monday awaits...but surely there must be at least one bet worth having ??...well let me see now.....

A half decent punt is a Double on the Favs in the first two races at Plumpton as both look very strong in weak fields whilst TRYSTER looks good at Wolverhampton and this can be doubled with WINTER QUEEN ( Possible 4 fold also looks a fare bet in truth ) and you can cover the cost of these bets by Laying Telegraph in the finale.

Enjoy your week and see you at the Weekend.

RESULTS :

1  2nd
2. 2nd
3. 1st
4. 2nd

LAY
1.

                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Late Orish Post...

Morning All , 
                       I wont profess to be any type of  " expert " on Irish Racing as i feel its rather bent , however there are some lovely sorts out today with an awful lot of prize money about so i shall cast an eye over it and give my view and possible bets on the races that matter.

1315 : This is a lovely looking race with some really useful types on show and most come into this holding some smart form and a couple with reputations to rebuild.
Kalkir beat nothing on its debut but enhanced its trall reputation non the less however at 4/7 it was rather surprisingly beaten by Fiscal Focus nto who was himself  33/1 but Fiscal Focus won so easy its hard to right it off as a fluke even if it was a life time best performance the fact is Kalkir was undone and undone with ease and cant be trusted at this level...just yet.
VERCINGTORIX does look however an entirely straighter proposition , smooth travelling , slick jumping and all ground loving winning machine and this Elliot inmate could prove to be very very useful indeed and is a horse i like a lot . Cantered home for an easy win at Limerick in a race ready time and with a performance that offers so much more....it will take a very smart run to beat this today and i like the 3.15 on offer as i had it in as 6/4F....good bet and an almost impossible to beat Dutch with Kalkir. - Disappointing run from Vercingtorix as that ran Unplaced however i had done the dutch with Kalkir and was thinking ..easy money this Kalkir is going to hose up....lol...yeah rather predictably that also folded to get beat by its stablemate Petite Parisienne....both Mullins runners lol...yeah i still think its all a big fiddle lol...haha..oh well...more money for me to lose later as i go a chasing  ;-)

1415 : An absolute crackerjack of a race in which none of the field can be safely ruled out this is probably as tough a race as you will find anywhere at anytime.
SEMPRE MEDICI tho' is one i simply cannot get away from at 12/1 as this looks way over priced. Put into context if Jollyann was in this race he would probably be vying for favoritism as this only lost out in the battle to the line after a blunder at the last and eventually going down by 4L but that was a smart run and he had a 139 rated horse stuffed to bits behind and with Jollyann being rated 149 now you would think that a run to the high 140's is nailed on..maybe even better and that outs him bang there , Jollyann himself was only just beaten by Garde le Victoire lto in a tough battle to the line finish that also saw the much vaunted Bristol De Mei ( 149 ) beaten fair n square and a further 9L back in 3rd which only adds strength to the form of Sempre Medici ...the 12/1 is a gift and is fact the best looking EW bet you will find this year ( to date )...if it loses just wipe your chin and move on...but at the price you simply cant afford to miss it. ( EW NAP ) .- Weakened in the straight and thrashed..fucking joke...

1445 : Tough looking Grade 1 Chase now with a lot of familiar names in play.
However tough it looks on paper its hard to get away from VALSEUR LIDO who holds a few on form from the Drinmore and looks a proper world beater and star in the making , jumps for fun and has a wonderful engine and as good as some of the opposition are i simply cant see this getting beat ( NAP ) . - 2nd  and beaten by a horse that lto it pissed all over by 8L hard held...bent as fuck and this is my last foray into Irish racing...

1515 : I don't have a view on this myself but have received a word for CAPTAIN CARLETON so may have a little EW on this or maybe stick it with a couple of others for a fun EW acca. - Placed ( 4th ) @ 17.70 but i did trade out at 2.20 for a decent profit so at least i have a bit back...

1550 :  The HENNESSY GOLD CUP >  ON HIS OWN & BOSTON BOB in a dutch looks the safest bet here in a race that could see many leave recent form behind however on current form these two are the only ones worth looking at ( strong looking dutch @ 4.5 and 5.50 ).- Both ran shit...why am i even the remotest surprised....( I still made a profit on it thru trading and the pic is one of several to show you...its just not the point !! ).

POTTERS POINT should be winning the finale at short odds to round off a good day.- And even this gets stuffed at 1.53...LOL LOL LOL...

T.F.I.F

YAY...Finally the weekend is almost upon us ,
                                                                   After a week on caped meetings thru Snow/Ice or debilitating Frost we have struggled thru on a fixed diet of AW racing that has barely kept us ticking over but the weekend offers much salvation and we have a very nice card at NEWBURY to get stuck into with plenty of class on show , some interesting booked rides and some tall reputations so i feel today we will make up for the quiet week by smashing this to bits...Bookies better take cover ;-)...

                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~NEWBURY~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

RACE 1 : 

WIN - CARDINAL WALTER - 2nd @ 3.10
EW - RISK A FINE -
LONG - CLONACOOL -

SUMMARY : We start our day off with a Novice Hurdle instead of a bread n butter Juvenile but none the less it still looks a good race to get involved in.
A decent enough field with at least 5 carrying some qualified form into the race and around 5 or 6 ( inc the form horses ) have what looks to be a very good chance of scoring.
Bourevil will be looking to re-establish a glowing French reputation but would appear to need further and i would suggest that the breeding backs this up so is left alone today.
RISK A FINE is a horse i like and hosed up lto by 15L from a 114 rated runner giving this a provo rating of 128p and will improve significantly from that and i am expecting a run in the mid to high 130's from this today which it will need in order to prevail but at likely tight odds is probably avoided for today however if i can achieve in excess of 5.2 then i will be having a go or dutching at the minimum.
Clonacool is a very resilient and consistent type but looks exposed and has probably run as well as he can and will get beat by any of the top runners that can improve can run into a place but will need the race to fall into his lap to win.
Qewy and Royal Vacation make up the fancied runners here but the i like for the Win is CARDINAL WALTER a nice 91 rated ex flat type that has Won the level and raced with success on all ground types and also Won quite tidily fto beating a 127 rated runner from the Ferguson yard quite easily  ( 10L ) which means with natural improvement he is capable of a run into the low 140's although not gteed but is expected and certainly a run in the 130's which puts him bang in the chase regardless , this will be a very nice race imo and run at a proper pace with many a chance abound.


RESULT / NOTES : QEWY Won this in striking fashion and looks a real Cheltenham type, very classy and i was suitably impressed.

                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RACE 2 : 

WIN - MILAN BOUND - ( EW NAP ) - 4th ( Farce of a race )
EW - CLOSING CEREMONY - NON RUNNER
LONG - MILANSBAR - NON RUNNER

SUMMARY : Our next race is a Handicap Hurdle and whilst not being one of my favoured races to punt in this looks wide open and very competitive which should give the punter a value edge as i think the books will be unbalanced in this race.
CLOSING CEREMONY must have every chance in this although not that well treated his form alone gives him every opportunity to win and will not mind whatever the ground this multiple distance winner has been slowly going up the weight ladder but continues to run gallantly and wont need much luck to be put in the frame.
Provo will be looking to get his career back on track and arrives with a big reputation but does have an awful lot to prove and is best watched today.
Milansbar will again run its usual race and will be thereabouts however i feel another Milan runner will be winning and that is MILAN BOUND which is another from the JP/AP conveyor belt , this is from the yard that won this race last year and from a yard that is very much back in form after a while out in the cold this also got beat a Head lto by Closing Ceremony but will appreciate the slightly extra distance and more importantly is 11lb better off so a run to form and this is a no brainer.

RESULT / NOTES : Bygones Sovereign ( 17.4 ) took off like a scalded cat gaining a quick 20L lead and for two circuits no other runner even bothered as he carried it on all the way to the line...ridiculous imo.

                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RACE 3 : 

WIN - TAQUIN DU SEUUIL -
EW - CONEYGREE - 1st @ 2.89 ( ADV @ 4.90 )
LONG - N/A -

SUMMARY : The third race of the day and its a good un' with it being the DENMAN CHASE named after the wonderful Denman whose only crime was being around at the same time as Kauto Star.
This is a top tier Grade 2 race ( C1 ) worth almost £50k in total and yet still only attracts the 6 runners which is a great shame for the viewer and punter but at least all finishes get paid.
Its a very tight betting heat with only Double Ross the one to be given the finger by the bookies as its trading at around 17/1 whilst the field are all around 4-5/1...that gives you an idea of how tight this is.
All bar Double Ross are either Course Winners , Distance Winners or CD Winners all are weighted in a bunch and they are all of a similar ilk in both class and overall ability.
Harry Topper won this last year albeit a very weak renewal thrashing a much under par Al Ferof ( small field again ) and it has pulled up in its two following races including its seasonal bow and i just dont fancy it even tho its probably had this as its nos 1 target for the season i think its rating is about 154 so for me its a few pounds too high to really be super competitive but is obviously not without ability its just not for me on this occasion.
Unioniste is hard to predict but is held comfortably by Harry Topper on cold hard form if you look at the Charlie Hall at Wetherby and for me is discounted.
HDO ( the williams runner ) imo is over rated at 162 and i dont think it has the class potential here but is a top of the range Handicapper so that leaves two and im going to dutch these as i feel they offer the better race and profit potential.
TAQUIN DU SEUIL & CONEYGREE are both a little progressive and both have a little more to offer and both do have that little amount of class above the field to render them immune from attack , Coneygree is a tough but gutsy front runner that jumps for fun on almost any ground type and will prove a very tough nut to crack and TDS is a very sweet looking type that travels well and looks good but makes far too many jumping errors and this is what taints my bet slightly because i feel that with a clear round TDS could kill these but it just hasnt shown it can safely negotiate any fence without some drama and you need extra % built into your price to make this a worthwhile bet and in truth i think the current 5.70 is offering just enough juice to get involved and with Coneygree at 4.90 this looks a very fair Dutch bet but its not without its own set of risks.

RESULT / NOTES : TDS ruined its chance with more jumping errors..but Coneygree ran superbly and had these well strung out and struggling a long way out..

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RACE 4 : 

WIN - SIRE DE GRUGY ( NAP ) - Unseated rider
EW - MR MOLE ( Just in case we have a sprinter sacre moment i dont want the PP to fail ) - 1st @ 7.72
LONG - n/a

SUMMARY : Next up is another decent but small field race in the shape of the GAME SPIRIT which is a Grade 2 Hurdle ( C1 ) over 2m1f and its another tight affair with the field all looking potentially quite smart all arrive with some solid form in the bag and all bar Sire De Grugy have recent ( this season ) form to look upon.
Upsilon Bleu and Karinga Dancer have all conditions against them and the reality is they just are not at this level so bar a major incident in the race neither of these will figure over the final 2f and are readily left out of the equation.
Uxiandre has been pushed to one side by AP so that is left out ( not the only reason but that one alone will suffice ) .
So that leaves just the two runners and it will be a battle of proven old guard form over the promising new regime with SIRE DE GRUGY taking on MR MOLE and for me i would say if ready and he should be  then SIRE DE GRUGY Wins as he is by some way based on all known and current form the best 2m around and has the proverbial ton in hand against these and should win well before heading to the Festival in March , Mr Mole is a very very nice sort that has really clicked and got his act together of late however this is an opponent unlike anything he has yet to encounter as this is a world away from the Handicaps he has been in of late , yes they were good races but like i say ..a mile away from this and if SDG is in the mood they will all need their ripped arseholes tending to.

RESULT / NOTES : IMO SDG wins this as he was still hard held when he went thru the top of the fence 3 out then galvanized and back into a 1L 2nd when he again made a complete horlicks of the next and unseated Jamie Moore,,,Mr Mole won in the end as he liked but i feel that had SDG jumped better then he would have Won...

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RACE 5 : 

WIN - FASCINO RUSTICO -
EW - BALLYBOLLEY -
LONG - JOLLYS CRACKED / ASO / LIGHTENTERTAINMENT -

SUMMARY : This next race although not the the grandest in stature is easily the days toughest and most competitive as we hold the BETFAIR HURDLE with an astonishing 24 runners and a field where at least two thirds hold a very good or significant chance...this is what they call a Doozy!!.
In the last 10 years we have had Winners at 14/1 , 14/1 , 16/1 , 12/1 , 33/1 and 50/1 !!!! with only the very excellent My Tent or Yours and the equally useful Zarkander getting up for the fancied runners so unless there is a future star in here it may pay to look away from the top 5 or 6 in the betting.
Sign of a Victory is a smart horse but is no MTOY and looks a bit of a flat track bully and in a race like this i cant see him getting his own way..at all and is easily dismissed.
Pine Creek also wont be winning along with Vasco du Ronceray , Goodwood Mirage , Sleepy Haven , Cheltenien , Amore Alato , Wicklow Brave , Arzal , Bordoni , Swing Bowler , Forced Family Fun , Ebony Express  and Violet Dancer.
This leaves a more manageable field of  9.

1. CALIPTO - 4th
2. JOLLYS CRACKED - 
3. ON TOUR - 
4. LIGHTENTERTAINMENT - 
5. BALGARRY - 
6. ACTIVIAL - 3rd
7. ASO - 
8. FASCINO RUSTICO - 
9. BALLYBOLLEY - 

Now if this was the field presented as the full line up it would make a much more manageable read although still uber competitive, Lightentertainment will get a bit from me as its the ride of Tom Cannon and everything he rides has a chance , Balgarry is a bit of an unknown and could be let in very lightly but the three ( my 3 ) against the field are BALLYBOLLEY , JOLLYS CRACKED and FASCINO RUSTICO with a slight preference for the latter as i was very very impressed with the ease that it blew away Zip Top lto and i think there is a good bit more to come from this promising and improving type.

RESULT / NOTES : An attritional race with fallers abound and a great win for Violets Dancer a horse readily discounted by me as not good enough...wd the Moore stable.

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RACE 6 : 

WIN - KINGS PALACE - 1st @ 1.12
EW - N/A
LONG - N/A

SUMMARY : 3 Runner race and ..well..KINGS PALACE by probably 20L.

RESULT / NOTES : 

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RACE 7 : 

WIN - ALTIOR - 2nd
EW - FORTUNATE GEORGE -
LONG - SKY REWARD -

SUMMARY : And we round the card off with a super charged uber red hot NHF Bumper and there will be many a winner coming from this race i can assure you.
ALTIOR will def be in the frame or thereabouts after making a good start at Market Rasen and the trainer knows how to ready one for these events and the 3.7 is not too bad a price but in truth none of this field can really be ruled out and John Ferguson must be really confident with the chances of Sky Reward to drop him into such a hot contest fto and Nicholls , Lavelle , King and Hobbs all have runners worth a look...fascinating race and one to savour.

RESULT / NOTES : 

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It looks a great day , have fun..TTFN X

Hungover but here is Muss'....

                 

Morning...Afternoon...Whatever....i feel like shit today as i went to York last night to enjoy a few drinkies for another pal's 50th....and im such a fucking lightweight lol...just cant do this shit ;(...any hoo...ive had a good look at Muss'..well mostly i looked yesterday and here are some thoughts...

Race 1 > EL NAMOOSE : Unplaced and ran dreadfully.
This has traveled like many for the better ground on offer and it should pay dividends as this has easily accounted for a variety of types in his NHF races and won at 1/5 in his first Hurdle race without coming off the bridle.

Race 2 >  SIR VALENTINO : FELL - Upsides leader and going well when fell 4 out.
Looks a nice ride for Brennan and in a field full of dodge pots and miscreants this consistent type will run his usual solid race and will be there at the finish and should have enough with a clear round to see these off.

Race 3 > HARGAM :
Simply put i dont see how bar a fall this can possibly lose , i have it a mile clear and i will be surprised if this even comes off the bridle , looks a good race on paper but the fact is that Hargam is in a different league to these. ( NAP ) - 1st @ 1.37

Full Result

Pos	Dist	Horse	Trainer	Age	Weight	Jockey	SP
1st		1 Hargam (FR)	N J Henderson	4	11-8	A P McCoy	4/11f
Held up in touch, headway before 3 out, led 2 out on bit, easily £300-£900

Race 4 > YORKIST : 2nd @ 3.1 - Going well until bad blunder 3 out cost all chance.

Race 5 > SEA LORD : 3rd @ 4.93 ( Didnt get going till close home, needs further now)

Race 6 > RACING EUROPE :4th - Mistake 4 out cost all chance.

Race 7 > CURRENT EVENT : 1st @ 3.60

Race 8 > FLY VINNIE : Unplaced  - the " stayer " in the field was the first to hoist the white flag as Dawalan confirmed he does stay and won an odd race as Kruzlhin git 1.17 and looked the winner for all money and Run Ructions Run hit 1000/1 at halway then ran on for 3rd whilst the fav and winner traded at almost 20/1 and never really peaked until he won..


Im going back to bed now.....ttfn x