Saturday's Meetings Chester Flat 7 Races 1:30-5:00p.m. Listowel N/H 8 Races 1:40-5:40p.m. Doncaster Flat 7 Races 1:50-5:55p.m. St Leger Off @ 3:35p.m. Lingfield Turf 8 Races 1:55-6:00p.m. Gowran Flat 8 Races 2:00-6:00p.m. Musselburgh Flat 8 Races 2:55-6:45p.m. Racecards At The Races Racing Post Bloodstock Sporting Life Good Luck
Let me be first with the jokes about the cancellation of Bath tomorrow because of, to quote David Yates in the Mirror, "an infestation of bugs" (how does this man keep his job ?: apart from being the world's worst tipster, his prose style is clunkier than an Ikea wardrobe). The obvious answer is that if you let unwashed West-country people on to your property, you deserve all you get. When anyone comes to visit us here in East Surrey from anywhere west of a line from, say, Worcester to Southampton, we make them walk through a tray of disinfectant. The actual explanation is that the grass on the home bend has been taken over by chafer-bugs (not dissimilar to leatherjackets) which, in effect, eat the roots and leave the surface unstable. The only thing that seemed to shift them, a Bayer product called Merit Turf which was synthesised around some evilly deadly stuff called Imidacloprin, has been banned for the last few years on safety grounds, and there don't seem to be any signs of a speedy substitute. Which brings me to my point. Given Bath's ongoing inability to water its surface, and now its apparent susceptibility to chafers, might it be time to simply give up trying to provide turf racing there at all, and go over to an AW surface (tapeta for me, but I know that there are other views) ? I like Bath, and wouldn't want to see it close, and I completely accept the argument that fast-ground horses deserve to be allowed one course which isn't arbitrarily watered; but the West country could do with a synthetic track, and I really don't see how the turf course can remain viable with all its current disadvantages.
Bayer had an evil insecticide we used abroad against cockroaches called 'Baygon', which one could not buy here in Germany. Brought a couple of cans home of the ground spray, and still have one left which we hardly ever use; damn stuff would probably kill the cat too. Strange business about Bath.
You might all be drowning your St Leger sorrows by the time the 5:40 at Listowel gets underway but 2 potentially smart horses lock horns in the bumper. Awbeg Prince has already won a P2P and a bumper and the Mullins / Walsh / Ricci runner Brahma Bull is already a bumper winner. Interestingly both are dropping back down in trip to 2 miles so the race should be decided by the best turn of foot.
Franny Norton is as good as any round Chester and has a nice book of rides there tomorrow. Crucially many are well drawn too. Lazy betting but trebles on all his. Also a little each way on Duke of Firenze ew @ 33s in the Portland. Getting on a bit but may just have one more handicap in him and a decent claimer in the plate taking off 5. Good luck everyone.
Come on, we know the score by now! Ignore the fave and go with the long shot, where there are multiple AP O'Brien horses running. So, at Doncaster: 2.25 Peace Envoy 3.00 Seahenge 3.35 The Anvil Yes, I know, I know ....
3.35 Doncaster- Defoe- 6/1 He stopped winning this season and the day at Newbury, he won very decisively! I thought he travelled like a very good horse that day and picked up very well under a hands and heels ride. He’s stll massively that is still totally un-exposed and we really don’t know how good he could be. He is only one of two horses that have run against the older lot and has done everything that has been asked of him and always seems to have plenty up his sleeve. I really do think this race is right up his ally and the more rain that comes it will take a good one to beat him.
Unfortunately my cousin is away on holiday so i haven't been able to get any scoop, but think Ivory will have the 1-2 in the Portland tomorrow, fancy Stake Acclaim more than Lancelot and think that this will be his day in the sunshine and think he's very well in, but with Winston riding it, and Frankie back on Lancelot and perfect ground for Lancelot, Lancelot could just hold on from Stake. Reverse Forecast anyway ££££, stake acclaim will get smashed i'd imagine, already 14s into 11s, think it will go off about 13/2. Lancelot about 20s again, so forecast should still be over 100/1. A moment of madness for the tri-cast too
"evilly deadly stuff called Imidacloprin." For a moment, I thought you were referring to "Imaygetmycockin," a generic name for Viagra. The latter may well work- by swelling those chafer bugs until they burst! Other than that, I can't say I've ever been to Bath, let alone had one for over thirty years! As for East Surrey, where is that?
13:50 Doncaster - Spring Loaded e/w (Might as well get it over early for my Saturday blast - ). Best of luck everyone!
Douglas Macarthur 50/1 ew in the St Leger. I've backed this horse a couple of times in the big races and always felt like he had one in him. Its not just a case of me trying to pick the O'Brien outsider i genuinely think that this is quite a decent horse that hasn't quite shown us everything. Might this race be a bit too hot for it, probably yes but at 50/1 with 4 places on offer with Paddys and a jockey up who is one ride, one win on him, for me its definitely worth an ew bet and i'm happy to chuck a few quid away in the hope that i've judged this horse correctly. And Coronet/Crystal Ocean just for combi fc/tc
All 9 in the money so far. When will it end, today? Listowel. 16:00. please log in to view this image
Been given Dream of Dreams 3.40 Ling Willis new gray looks good....stI'll ruby makes you skip a beat at the last
