Todays racing comes from Pontefract,Wolverhampton(AW),Windsor and Ffos Las. Pontefract 2:30-Strike Force-E/W 6/1-Saddle slipped Pulled Up! Won at Newbury in 2011 off a 1lb lower mark than he runs off today.Made a good start on debut for this yard when 2nd at Lingfield on the AW in May.Should go very close on return to Turf here. 3:00-Gold Rules-E/W 6/1-UNPLACED Won twice for Luca Cumani in 2010.On a very leniant mark in relation to his best form and made a step in the right direction the last day.Tongue Tie now refiited and should go close here. 4:30-Wahylah-E/W 5/1-PLACED Won a valuable sales race over todays trip at Newmarket last year and has held her form well this year in 3 7f handicaps off this mark.Drop back to 6f a positive and can go close here.
Morning, troops. How are we??? Good, good. Great to see a daily thread started by Famous again by the way! Not the greatest days racing today but I may just, I say just, have found a rose amongst the thorns over the county line in Royal Berkshire: On Khee (8.10 Windsor) – what are those old rogues the Pipe’s up to with this one??? I can smell one of their plots, in the air, re this mare who makes her Flat bow for them this evening. She was a multiple winner for old boy Hughie Morrison and had her last run for him (and indeed her last on the old level) back in August when a highly creditable 2nd over today’s course and distance (On Khee is also a course winner further proof of how much she enjoys the idiosyncratic Windsor course). Over the sticks for the Pipe’s the mares form figures read F2F but this is a lot better than first appears - as the 2nd was to James Pollard who went in again afterwards (the 3rd home that day won next time out to boast the form as well), whilst the final F was caused, not because of a hurdling error, but due to a stumble on the home bend when holding every chance. I don’t think a rating of 80 is excessive for On Knee, back on the flat, this evening and believe that 7/1 is a more than fair quote. Regular readers – GET ON! Good luck all.
I've sadly just been informed from the Kevin Ryan yard that my favourite horse Murura sadly suffered an injury last season and passed away. Devastating news as I felt he was a horse that had Group potential. Massive dampener on my day.
Goodness me, that's very sad indeed. As you say ROTO, that was a sprinter ready to step up to Group Company. Been waiting for his return all season. Terribly sad.
Back to work tomorrow but will have a big-price dabble o one toay: 3.30 Pontefract TOTALLY TRUSTED 25/1 e.w Scott Dixon usually does well with base level handicapper and can coax out a bit of improvement. This horse is reasonably well bred, and ran a really nice race in a maiden on 3rd start when 5L 3rd to nice Charles Hills horse WHITE FROST. He has been almost wholly campiagned at Southwell since, and by all accounts just hates the surface- never ever looking like winning. He also had a poor run at Wolverhampton when last seen. He did manage a good 3rd to IL BATISTA at Southwell, where the winner has won off 78 since, and the glimpses of form for Totally trusted makes him a very interesting e/w angle running off a mark of 49. Sooner or later I think he will pop up. I think being back on turf will really help and Paul Mulrennan is excellent around Pontefract, boasting a 40% strike-rate here in the last 12 months.
The market at Windsor tonight is likely to be very weak, persistently raining. The QM runner up Hoyam is all to obvious in the first but if my arm was twisted for a bet it would be an each way on newcomer Clean Blow. Connections buy nice youngsters as a rule.
Good luck RV, I think NOCTURN is the answer to that puzzle (no SMS :-() NATIONAL HOPE in the 7.10 gets the vote as I think it could be better than this grade. It was a tossup with Sugar Prince but that ones last two outings have been dire. Had a decent bet AGAIN on MAHADEE 8.10 @ 50-1 as I truly believe it can get back on track. It's current mark is ludicrous compared to what it has done before. Backed it here two weeks when my reservation was the lack of cheekpieces. Well they are on tonight and it's another 3lb lower. this could be just me being barking mad and following bad money with good, but at 50-1 I would be suicidal if it went in without a shekel on! In the 8.40 I like the Swinbank horse PAINTED TAIL as I cant see him bringing one horse to Windsor if it didnt have a big chance. Still mulling the lucky last.
Evening lads. Welcome back Famous. Interesting jockey bookings tomorrow for the Bowen yard. I can't believe Borea Boru is better than Azure Fly but you'd have thought Jamie had his choice of mount.
