Baby Strange - Chester 15.55 When I saw this horse run at Goodwood, I thought "How can a horse that good have gone 27 races without winning?" So at 6/1 tomorrow he's nailed on for at least a place.
Triumph Hurdle winner Countrywide Flame is out for a spin around Chester tommorrow also, alot of weight to burden obviously but may have the class to win it in preparation for a crack at the Cesarewitch next month.
Saddler's Rock still hasn't achieved what F&G has yet - how times have changed yet he was shocking last time out I think he will win tomorrow but it is a poor race tbh and you would be disappointed if a high class horse couldn't make that field look stupid. I know what a horse like Yeats would have done to this lot . He hasn't even won a Grp1 yet and people are going on like he is a proper superstar get real.
Saddlers Rock is slow.He runs over extreme trips. F&G had an off day at Ascot after winning the feature event in 2011 but is a multilple G1 winner and one of the most consistent performers at that level for many a year. He is less slow than Saddlers Rock.
She looks really special Humans and on form looks rock solid. Where she hails from is always a negative for me and precludes the banker moniker but the 11/8 with PP looks decent for a few bob and she is my only punt this month so far.
The division is lacking a true star and has done since Yeats retired. F&G looked like he could be but still throws in the odd stinker every now and again. Saddlers Rock is still improving which is more than can be said for most of the horses its racing against which is probably why people are raving about him in the hope that one day he may be a star. My opinion is that he is the best of a bad bunch which will continue to be a bad bunch until either ballydoyle run St Nicholas Abbey over staying trips or another true superstar comes about in the next few years
Fair comment BT but in defence of F&G he has only ever thrown in two poor performances in 23 races. The fact that they have come in his last four starts is worrying if anyone fancies punting on him come Saturday.
I agree Dex, can't see the price being around long during the day alot of talk about her so i'd imagine she'll be very well backed. Goodluck with your bet.
1.15 Doncaster Sound of Guns 10/1 NAP I've said before her last two races that I think Sound of Guns could prove to be a very decent prospect and I still think this filly could be top, top drawer. Ed Walker's 2 year old made her debut back in June when a rather well backed debutant as she finished a 5.25L beaten 6th at Goodwood over 6f. From a wide draw, she shaped very well for a long way and showed good cruising speed to get up close to the pace after being settled in the rear before looking as if she got tired late on and she was given an easy enough time by Martin Lane. That Class 4 Maiden looks an extremely hot race. The winner Momalorka ran a fantastic 3rd in the Weatherbys Super Spring going down by a neck. Furthermore, the next 4 horses home have won subsequently and it looks like a far above average maiden. Given the form of this race, its clear it was an extremely promising debut effort for Sound of Guns and she improved for the experience when I thought she ran out an extremely promising winner of a maiden at Yarmouth. Her win was very, very impressive as she had to overcome a lot of adversity but she scored in the style of a classy yet inexperienced horse. At Yarmouth over 6f in July, she broke slowly and ran a bit green at the tail of the field. After this, she pulled the arms of William Buick for quite a while before having to be switched as she came with what looked an effortless challenge. When asked to quicken under hands and heels, she drew alongside the leader Vestibule and once Buick gave her a smack of the whip she pulled about half a length clear as Buck nursed her to victory by 1.25L, with the front 2 drawing 6L clear of the remainder. It was clear as day that this filly had a lot left in the tank and I think Ed Walker could potentially have a top, top filly on his hands. Although the 2nd Vestibule has disappointed since, two other horses have won since from in behind so it doesn't look the worst of races. However, it was the visual nature of her performance that really took my eye that day. Her final start came last month in a Listed contest at Newbury over 5f when she went down a 0.75L beaten 2nd behind Rosdhu Queen. I said that day that I felt it was going to take a very, very good horse to beat her and it seems the winner could be just that. After breaking a step slowly, her high cruising speed was again on show as she recovered the ground quickly. She tracked the eventual winner and after being asked for a maximum effort from Luke Morris she hung to the right a bit as she couldn't quite close the deficit. There is a possibility that Rosdhu Queen had a bit up her sleeve but it was still an extremely gallant effort in defeat in a race where the form has been very strongly franked. The winner Rosdhu Queen has subsequently extended her unbeaten record to 3 when landing the Group 2 Lowther Stakes in very taking fashion and in hindsight Sound of Guns lost absolutely nothing in defeat. The 3rd Sandreamer (beaten 1L) won a Listed contest in Italy the other day to strengthen the races form once again. Further to this, if looking through Sandreamer's previous race where she finished 2nd to the very useful prospect Maureen, a line of form can be established with today's 2nd favourite Hoyam. Sandreamer finished 1.25L ahead of Hoyam that day and given that she was beaten by Ed Walker's filly in this Listed contest at the very least she seems the value call given she is more than twice the price of Hoyam Today Sound of Guns is again upped in class to contest this Group 2 event over 5f at Doncaster and its clear she is going to have to raise her game to land this. To my eyes she has definitely shaped as if she will improve with every run and I'm very confident that a race of this nature is within her sphere of ability. William Buick takes over in the saddle again after being unavailable for her last effort and although Luke Morris gave her a fine ride the last day, Buick seemed to get on with her extremely well when partnering her to victory and he is riding extremely well at present. Purely on form lines through Sandreamer, she is vastly overpriced at 10/1 and rates the value call in the race but I really, really rate this filly very highly and I envisage her having an excellent career ahead of her. I think if she was trained by one of the bigger named trainers she'd probably be half her price but I'm a big fan of Ed Walker and I think he's a great trainer in the making. With her trainer in good form at present, I really rate this filly's chances and see her putting in a tremendous run and I will be very surprised if she isn't very close at the finish. She's taking on some proven top class performers today and I think after her run we'll find out just how good she is. I don't get extremely bullish too often about a horses prospects but I really think Sound of Guns has what it takes to make it at the very top level.
Will try get write ups done for these at some stage. 2.20 Doncaster Saddler's Rock 3/1 NB (big bet) 3.05 Sandown Dixie's Dream 18/1 4.05 Doncaster Galician 12/1
I should have said by nearly all on here ROTO. Apparently *** was unbeatable at the time. Anyway, my value selection is ASKER TAU @ 20-1. Good luck all.
After having the bumper winner at Uttoxeter the other day, I'm sticking with the Mark McNiff yard in this evening's Ulster Cesarewitch (7.05 Down Royal). Whisky Galore (what a lovely name for a horse by the way) has never won a race in 28 attempts and hasn't run on the flat for well over 2 years. He started his racing career with Clive Cox and his best performance was probably a staying-on 2nd over 11.5 furlongs on Gd/sft at Lingfield in a Class 5 handicap under William Buick (off a rating of 70). He was shipped off to Ireland not long after that and McNiff wasted no time in sending him novice hurdling, although he was tried once more on the flat but was tailed off with the blinkers on. That was his last run on the flat - 29th June 2010, and after one more run over hurdles the tongue strap was applied, and to good effect, with 2 close-up 3rd places following. Over the next 18 months they tried different trips with him, tried novice chasing (fell at Hexham in June this year) but to no avail - that elusive victory could still not be attained. BUT, over the last couple of months he seems to be finding a bit of form, and would surely have landed his first victory at Perth at the end of July had his conditional jockey not had trouble with his equipment (sporting life write-up: "Held up, headway 3 out, led next when rider lost one iron, soon ridden, rider kicked other foot out of iron flat, headed near finish opened 13/2 touched 13/2"). That was 3 runs ago and he has subsequently put in 2 decent performances over 2 miles with cut in the ground, both times staying on well for second place. So his hurdles form now reads 222 and it's back to the flat for tonight's race and to me he looks a very interesting proposition off a handicap mark of just 58 with a 10lb claimer in the saddle. I've had a nice e/w dabble at 16/1 BOG and it will be Whisky Galore for me if this fella wins. Best of luck everyone
Stick in case you had forgotten with your old age and all that another 6 rivals finished in front of F&G that day not just Saddler's Rock. F&G managed to beat just two home. Just as your boy did last time out when 9th of 11 strange that NAP today SADDLER'S ROCK should be able to take care of this lot on better ground good luck all.
Saddlers Rock and Certify will be going in a decent sized double. Doncaster 1.50 - NUMBER THEORY 12/1 (NAP) will have to give weight all round in this one and Sir Graham Wade is sure to be well backed. I think though the deciding factor in this race will be the ground, looking through the form of some of the fancied horses in this race and there aren't many runs on ground softer than good. NT stepped up to 14f lto and loved the trip, staying on well to take 3rd in the Ebor and will love the ground. Seems to have a very good relationship with todays jockey Russ Kennemore.
