The "Thank Goodness it's Friday" Daily Thread 9th November

Trying something tomorrow, just gonna back the 3 Sherwood runners. Think he's redhot formwise at the minute and we'll see how this goes. Probably do singles and doubles to small stakes hopefully pay for a few beers Friday and Saturday.

1.10 Fontwell Bertie's Desire
2.40 Fontwell Kaituna
4.10 Fontwell Beforall

 

Just seen that Quaddick Lake runs in the 2.10 Fontwell. I think he will win but at a short price. Will be on though.

 

Don't have any fancies tomorrow. Sorry Toppy. I know you like to get my tips early so that you can lay them before the price drifts.

N Fehilly has a couple of interesting rides at Fontwell though.

14.10 Murcar 16/1 Since turning to hurdling 2.5 yrs ago has won just one race and been placed 4 from 13 starts and has gone off clear fav no less than 7 times. A bit of an awkward ride by all accounts and was down the field on his first run this season after an absence of 587 days. The interesting thing is N Fehily has been booked to take the ride for the first time and maybe, in his very capable hands, it could be a different story. Just saying.

15.10 Destined For Fame 14/1 This one was pulled up behind a Desperate Dex last time (Not sure what to make of that). Two poor efforts for new yard over fences. Returned to hurdling and another who has the advantage of N Fehily for the first time. Can't be confident but if anyone can get something from this nicely bred mare it's Mr Fehily.

 

I'm struggling for tomorow, can't believe that courses can barely attract 5 and 6 runners for most races, prize money looks poor and the Fontwell card is about as weak as any i can remember down there.
Only one I can have any interest in is the novice hurdle up at Hexham, Ashes House 3.00, who if fit should have too much for his rivals.
He scored a couple of wide margin successes in bumpers last season including slamming a Donald McCain horse by 20+ lengths who himself was good enough to win a bumper later in the season, if Tim Vaughan has this one tuned I think he'll take all the beating and he has saddled a couple of winners this week including an ultra impressive winner of the juvenile hurdle at Musselburgh today.
Forecast 13/8 isn't the sort of price for everyone though....

 

Have 'borrowed' a Paul Nicholls stable tour from elsewhere, so read that thread at your leisure and get stuck into it for a fun Friday read.

 

Worst racing on a Friday for a long time.

One decent bet for me tomorrow STAR DU GRANTIS (12.50 Mussleburgh) only 11/10 but anyone who seen his performance last week would surely agree that a 7lb penalty will probably not stop him following up here. Harry Challoner takes over from Aidan Coleman and takes 3lbs off.

Will probably have a dabble on RADICAL IMPACT (wait for the price tmz) in the 4.10 at Fontwell also trained by Venetia Williams.Full brother to Cooldine

*Have backed RADICAL IMPACT at 6/1 very nice price.

 

Lily's Angel 9:00 Dundalk runs in the fillies listed race and i just can't see her being beaten, she's 11/10 but i think it's a fair price the form she's shown on her 2 latest victories which have been very comfortable and some of the same opponents reoppose once again and i'm pretty confident she will land the hat-rick now Ger Lyons seems to have found the key to what is a very smart filly on her day.

 

7.20 Wolverhampton

Illustrious Forest 16/1 NAP

Cannot quite believe the price of John Mackie's 4 year old and I'm very confident that a massive runs beckons and I really think he's going to take an awful lot of beating if connections are trying tomorrow as I think he's definitely better than his mark of 75(yard form is a slight concern also). Although favourite Mawhub is going to prove popular tomorrow, I definitely think he is worth taking on. Firstly, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of pace in the race so it will probably be hard to come from off the speed. Secondly, there is a question about his attitude as he looked like he would surge by eventual winner Arch Villain before getting worried out of things to go down by a neck on his last start. Thirdly, he's been beaten in both his handicaps to date and finally (although winner has yet to reappear) the 3rd and 4th have both disappointed on their only starts since. Although unexposed and I've seen Godolphin horses with similar profiles piss in and prove far superior to their marks, I don't see the allure of supporting him at a price this short and even if I thought he was a backable price I'd still be siding with Illustrious Forest. Getting back to John Mackie's gelding, he started out his career on turf and didn't really cut mustard in his first 6 career starts on that surface but his career really took off when switch to the AW at Wolves where he has really flourished and looked a very progressive animal.

After running well in a Classified Stakes race over an extended 9f at the track, a return to handicaps and the step up in trip to today's C+D has proved the making of Illustrious Forest as he achieved a 1-1-2-1-12 record in his 5 attempts since the end of December last year. Off a mark of 51, Illustrious Forest landed a lovely late gamble under todays pilot(14/1 - 8/1) in facile fashion to shed his maiden tag at the 8th attempt to score by 8L. That day Norton allowed Illustrious Forest to bowl along out in front and he quickened up really nicely with a few furlongs left and when the persuader was drawn Although not wholly applicable given how much higher he is in the handicap, it was a pretty good race given the easily beaten 2nd won on his next start and is now 11lb higher rated than that day. Unsurprisingly, Illustrious Forest was raised 15lb for that easy success to a mark of 65 but he proved that mark wasn't beyond him when scoring a little over a month later. Again strong in the market, Illustrious Settled just off the pace, (which has proved to be his preferred style of racing) and took up the running with about 3.5f to go and he drew 4 or so lengths clear of the field entering the home straight. However, he hung very badly right when Michael O'Connell drew the whip which undoubtedly cost him a fair bit of ground but he was still far enough ahead to last home by 3/4L. Although the form of that isn't great, he would have won more convincingly if not idling/hanging and it was again a reaffirmation of a horse with an upwardly mobile profile.

Upped 6lb to a mark of 71 an upped to a Class 5, Illustrious Forest's hat trick bid was faulted 3 weeks after his last victory when finishing a 3L beaten 2nd in his 3rd consecutive outing over today's track and trip. After sitting off the pace, Illustrious Forest was perhaps caught a little flat footed as the eventual winner Country Road kicked clear around the home turn and Illustrious Forest wasn't really making many inroads. I think he ran a bit flat that day despite running well enough and even though that race hasn't worked out very well Illustrious Forest bounced back to form emphatically fashion when stepped up to a Class 4 on his next start off the same mark. Sent off a well backed favourite, Illustrious Forest sat just off the pace at what I think looked an even enough gallop. With about 4f to go, the leader Zenoor injected some pace into the race but John Mackie's charge easily had the move covered and drew alongside before taking up the running with a couple of furlongs to go. Under hands and heels riding, Illustrious Forest had the race well and truly sewn up entering the home straight and Franny Norton didn't need to draw the whip once as he had a couple of looks over his shoulder inside the final furlong and eased this gelding close home to score by a comfortable 1.75L. If full exertion was applied, I feel the winning distance would have been closer to double digits and it was a really taking victory off a mark that is just 4lb lower than today. Two starts back Illustrious Forest was returned to the turf in a hot race at York at the end of May off a mark of 79 and although well beaten in the end I think its clear he is a much better horse on a synthetic surface (turf mark dropped 10lb after that run) so I'm not looking into that race too much.

After a 143 day absence, Illustrious Forest returned to Wolves again over 12f when I thought he was given a very easy time of things in a race whose remit very much looked like to blow away a few cobwebs. After adopting his traditional sit just off the pace, he seemed a lot keener than usual which is understandable off the back of his absence and after appearing to hold every chance with about 3f to go Franny Norton never flinched a muscle as he allowed his mount to fall tamely to the rear as he trailed home last in his own time. I think that should have him spot on for this and it was certainly an eye catching effort in my books. For that effort, Illustrious Forest has been dropped a further 2lb to a mark of 75 and given that he is only 4lb above his last victory and his very progressive profile I certainly feel he has more than enough ability to score off his current mark. Lightly raced with only 13 starts in his career to date (6 on the AW), he is clearly open to a lot more improvement (although he won't need much) and I think his 5 months off over the summer will have allowed him to grow into himself and strengthen up a bit more. Although John Mackie's form is a little disconcerting (no winners since August), I'm not grossly concerned given how well he was before going on is break. I think its going to be an interesting race as I don't see any out and out pace angle (Queens Estate made all when winning but hasn't led in his 4 runs since) I think his berth in stall 2 is absolutely ideal if he sits just off the pace or alternatively he could attempt to make all as he did when shedding his maiden tag if needs be. This represents Franny Norton's, who is 2-3 on board Illustrious Forest, only ride of the day and if sharpened up for his recent reappearance run then I am very confident of a big showing from this 4 year old and it will not surprise me in the slightest if he lands this 12 runner affair. If Illustrious Forest drifts during the day I will not be concerned in the slightest (seems that connections conduct on course gambles) and I will be topping up my bet. Furthermore, I may have a small saver betting W/O the favourite Mawhub just in case he's miles ahead of the handicapper although I don't really think he is.

 

3.20 Musselburgh

Fred Bojangals 20/1 NB

I'm going to try and keep this short but I really think 20/1 is a very big price. Although now entering his veteran stage, I think Barbara Butterworth's 10 year old has a decent chance of landing this race for a second successive year (for Ann Hamilton last year) from only a 3lb higher mark and back down to his last winning mark from April this year. Although not at his best since joining current connections in June, he was largely campaigned over hurdles (20lb lower in that sphere) and I think he has shown up much better in his two previous races returned to chasing last month since cheekpieces have been refitted and I think both efforts are better than the bare form result. Both starts over probably a slightly too short a trip of 2m, Fred Bojangals showed up very well for an awfully long way before looking very tired late on in the heavy ground. I think it was probably a combination of trying to do a little too much too quickly over the minimum trip coupled with the heavy ground and the fact he showed up for such a long way was very encouraging (although his win off this mark came on soft ground, his former trainer was quite surprised and thought he needed better ground and she also said that he needed fast ground after his win in this race last year). In addition, the form of his last race looks pretty strong as the 2nd and 3rd occupied the top 2 spots on their only subsequent start in the same race. I think Fred Bojangals will relish the step back up to 2m4f and return to good ground as well as returning to Musselburgh where he has 2 wins and a 3rd from 5 starts at the course. With trainer Barabara Butterworth registering her first winner for 14 months with her last runner, I'm hoping that is a sign of things to come today. Although he invariably has risks attached, he's back on a mark he won off in April in a race he landed 12 months ago and under Brian Hughes (who was on board the last twice and who has 2 wins on board this gelding) I'm hoping history can repeat itself and Fred Bojangals can register the 8th chasing victory of his career.

Going to play a small e/w double which pays 356/1

 

It's another no play day for me at AppraiseForm @AppraiseForm on twitter, but I will stick up a few for a bit fun.

Musselburgh

12.50 Stars Du Granitis (nap)

Wolverhampton

6.20 Piccolo Express
7.20 Mawhub

Hexham

1.30 Secret Desert

Fontwell

2.10 Quaddick Lane (nb)
3.40 Bonoman

Good luck today.

ROTO - nice analysis good luck for places at least.

 

I think my tracker is broken, not had a horse from my tracker in aages

Have to actually study the form

I have found stick by the way, he's posting his picks on twitter under @stickthetip he has gone for IBN HIYYAN and SPEAR THISTLE at Hexham

 

Dundalk
8.00 Diamond Daze 4/1
9.25 Heavy Weight 4/1

Lilys Angel is going to take all the beating, im on at 11/8 but I wont be putting her up at evens, one in the race I will be having a small saver on is Alsium at 20/1. She beat Cape Of Approval who was punted off the boards and went on to win 3 on the trot, the 3rd of those a handicap off 87. She would surely have been capable of taking a handicap off her mark of 76 so its interesting that Paul Deegan is pitching her in here off a break and stepping up to a mile after saying she would be sticking to 5f or 6f, he must think she is capable of at least picking up some prize money.

Another horse in the race who I dont think looks open to as much improvement but is potentially risking a very nice mark is Tommy Stacks Romantic Stroll, she was running nice races behind some decent animals earlier in the season and won her maiden at Leopardstown, she would be very interesting in a handicap off 69.

 

Morning, pilgrims. To use a football analogy re my selections yesterday one duly hit the back of the net while the other pair, both beaten necks, hit the bally post and bar. Anyway, onwards and upwards as they say as there is one in the card commencer at Fonters Park today that I really, really like:

Lord of the Dunes (1.10 Fontwell Park) – I crossed the county line into Royal Berkshire the day that this one made his debut and my regular readers, with very good memories, may recall that I was ebullient about Lord of the Dunes following his first steps on the old racecourse as he ran a mighty race to be 3rd, staying on well, despite running very green. His subsequent run though last term was somewhat disappointing but I am prepared to forgive the old boy that effort given that he was still a comparative baby and was probably in need of a distance further than 12.5 furlongs. Upped to a much more appropriate distance of 20 furlongs this afternoon expect Lord of the Dunes to fulfil the promise of his debut run and oblige here for the in form pairing of those old Tizzards.

Good luck all.

 

Radio 5 live, not 606, mug of tea and chocolate digestives(6 already!!) I'm pretty sure that foursome will be better than these.

Star Du Grantis Muss 12.50
Clever Clever Cookie Muss 3.50
Lily's Angel Dun 7.50
Papamoa Hex 2.30.

Fill yer boots....

Make that 7 digestives!!!

 

Glee goes to the Wolves confident of a 4 timer

4.50 Crazy Too
5.20 Polar Venture
6.20 Elegant Muse
7.50 Angelo Poliziano

(Tote Place them just in case he rides like yesterday)

Meanwhile on the telly tonight The Boro will Hoot Oddys Owls and go top of the league (hopefully) Mogga been on the blower and thinks 2-0 and a good showing on the TV is in the bag


Stay Frorty

 

Is tomorrow that good, Oddy?!? The Doncaster card looks impossible and I'd much rather be a bookie chappie than a punter on those contests.

 

we do need that boost mate, but when the games on telly our crowds drop, hope you bring up a few, thats the only way it will be boosted, if thats what you mean mate