Having had a non racing weekend break is it good to be back today at the start of St Ledger week. As far as the big race is concerned I have just look at the local weather forecast for South Yorkshire. It looks as though this week could be pretty week everyday up to Saturday. If the met office has got it right we will be looking for a horse with proven form on the soft.
There were a couple of disappointments over the weekend with Starspangledbanner and Paco Boy both failing to come up to expectations. This is another example of the fact that in September and October quite a few flat racehorse start to lose their form having been at their peak during the summer months. There are horses that come into their own at this time Read More…

As we enter September I cannot help but start to look forward to the jumping season. As much as I enjoy flat racing there is no doubt that it is National Hunt that is closest to my heart. That is possibly why I got the form books out the other day and began having a look at some potential approaches for the forthcoming season.
There is a lot of truth in the theory of “horses for courses” and I could not help wondering if this might be more applicable to some jump courses rather than others. I discovered a survey which identified those courses where previous experience was proven to be of significant benefit.
In alphabetical order the top 10 courses were experience proved to be more important are :
Carlisle, Cartmel, Catterick, Exeter, Kelso, Lingfield, Newcastle, Warwick, Wincanton and Worcester.
The Read More…

Another day another alleged betting coup. These days it is not uncommon to open up your Racing Post to discover that there has been another big gamble pulled off. Yesterday the scene was Hereford’s Wyvern Ices Handicap a class 5 hurdle race in which Am I Blue ran out the 19 length winner.
There were several factors that concerned punters. Firstly Am I Blue’s previous form was less than inspiring, having been beaten 88 lengths and 75 lengths in its previous two races. Originally, conditional jockey Dean Coleman was due to ride the horse but at the least minute Richard Johnson took the ride.
Opening at a morning price of 25/1 the horse drop to as low as 9/2 before eventually going off at 5/1, just 1 point higher than the favourite Sea Cliff ridden by AP Read More…

It is just 11 days to the final classic of the season The St Ledger at Doncaster. To paraphrase a political saying 11 days is a long time in horse racing. That is why I am so surprised that so many people seem to be piling in on Rewilding who is currently the 6/4 favourite.
This to me at the moment seems very poor value and I am very tempted to lay it at 2.82.
Talking of ante post betting there was a perfect example of how risky that can be when Harbinger won the Georger VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. No sooner had the impressive winner gone past the post than punters started piling on to it for the Arc De Triomphe which is run this month. As we all know Harbinger was injured on the training gallops Read More…

This flat racing season has been full of examples of horses who flatter only to deceive later. Another prime example of this occurred yesterday at the Curragh when Memory ran in the Moyglare Stud Stakes. The Richard Hannon evens favourite never seemed to be travelling well and finally trailed in 6th of 12.
For followers of Pricewise in the Racing Post they at least were able to cheer as it was his 10/1 selection Misty for Me that ran out the winner. Pricewise selections are so well supported they usually drop in price once they are published. One of Pricewise’s secrets is that he specialises in looking for bigger priced winners in the main races especially on Saturdays. Over time he has had a remarkable string of successes.
Pricewise has a distinct advantage over some of the other newspaper tipsters. Read More…

One of the most successful gamblers I know never goes to race meetings and does not even watch racing on television. In fact it is my belief that he does not actually like horse racing that much. However, he is extremely fond of making money. He currently operates four different systems all of which show him an annual profit.
His theory is that by having different systems that cover different aspects of horse race betting he has a balanced portfolio which will make a steady and continual profit. So far this appears to be happening. Of course his whole method revolves around the fact that the systems he uses are both effective and profitable. It also helps that my friend who has asked to remain nameless has a sharp mathematical brain. Is this your idea of a successful gambler?
He Read More…

September is fast approaching and we have had 5 months of the 2010 flat race season. To be honest it has been a very disappointing one. There have been no really outstanding horses this season but I suppose after the exploits of Sea the Stars last season it was very unlikely we would see any horse of his calibre this year.
Two horses sparkled only to fizzle out, Workforce flattered in the Derby only to deceive in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. His conqueror in that race Harbinger was then received an injury on the gallops prematurely ending his racing career. As far as this seasons crop of 2 year olds are concerned the jury is still out.
One of the problems this year has been the variations in weather around the country, water hose bans in Read More…

If you are a favourite backer then Catterick was not really the place for you. Not one of the “jollys” came up with the goods on the track yesterday with the lowest price winner coming home at 5/1. This was a little strange when you consider that the Yorkshire course did not get the rain that fell on the South and the going remained good to firm.
The rain has already caused the abandonment of today’s evening card at Goodwood and any course south of the Humber is likely to have soft going for the next few days. This makes me think that I will sit on my hands for at least today. I have learnt from past experiences there are occasions when it is best just to sit and watch and now is one of those times.

There are Read More…

In the last few days we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of horses withdrawn from races. Yesterday for instance there were 23 withdrawls from the Leicester card and 19, almost a third of the runners, at Yarmouth. This causes confusion amongst punters and a fall in takings for the bookmaking industry.
Under the current system trainers declare their horse 48 hours before the race. In the old day it used to be an overnight declaration. With our changeable weather conditions it is quite possible that within a 48 hour period, as has happened this week, the going can change from good to firm to soft or even heavy. In these circumstances it is understandable that trainers will not want to run their horses in unsuitable going.
However, this does cause problems for both punters and bookies. Read More…

Today seems to have the usual Monday racing fare with two meetings this afternoon and two tonight. As I look out of my window it is throwing it down and according to the weather report this is the same for most of the country. Even so both Hamilton and Carlisle are currently giving the running as Good to Form.
I suspect that as the day goes on conditions will worsen and this will give horses who like a bit of give in the ground an opportunity to shine. Also looking at the cards I do not think today will be a good favourite’s day so it may be the layers who profit.
Congratulations to jockey William Buick who won the Arlington Millions on Dubussy in Chicago on Saturday and then a Group 1 race at Deauville just 15 hours Read More…