Well it's that time of year already and the bag is packed for a full week at the Ebor meeting.. Hopefully you will point us pinstickers in the right direction.Always been impressed with your racing knowledge..cheers in advance.
Wednesday It looks as though I won’t have to bleat on this year about rain softening the ground and upsetting the form book. I’ll have to come up with another excuse! 1.55 Culturati (10/1 Hills) A lottery of a race but this is a very unexposed Godolphin sprinter and he was tenderly handled when making a comeback run at York – perhaps in anticipation of this. He is also 20/1 for the Ayr Gold Cup, which might look a nice investment if he should take this heat. 2.25 Watan (2/1 General) Won on debut at Goodwood recently in a fast relative time and looks to have most scope for further improvement of these. 3.00 Cross Counter (7/4 General) Miles ahead of these on form and on time (broke course record at Goodwood last time out). With a slight question mark over Aidan O’Brien’s runners at present he looks a good bet here. 3.35 Poet’s Word (7/4 General) Massive performance in the G1 King George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July. This is a great race with Roaring Lion and Saxon Warrior renewing rivalry and receiving weight, but Poet’s Word is a typical Sir Michael Stoute improver. The 4.15 and 4.50 races are tricky events on which I wouldn’t personally be wanting to hazard much money on them. Good Luck with yer bets and enjoy your day!
Disappointing day, results-wise. 1.55 Culturati 4th 2.25 Watan 2nd 3.00 Cross Counter 2nd 3.35 Poet’s Word 2nd 0/4 -£40 to £10 level stakes. Three seconds, but that's how it goes at York. The racing is so competitive you can often be very close, but no cigar! I personally thought Buick could have gotten a little more out of Cross Counter - but was he too worried about missing out given that it might have raised CC's handicap mark for the Melbourne Cup? Roaring Lion looked the best horse in the 3.35 but a slight scintilla of doubt crept in with the way the race was run. Poet's Word was trapped inside when Benbatl switched, allowing Roaring Lion to get first run. Too much to ask Poet's Word to quicken again over a trip possibly slightly short of his best. Watan met a bigger improver, but should not be written off. The interesting one was Culturati. This one ran well, staying on into 4th and nearly snatching 3rd. He ran over 7 furlongs last time but was down to 5 furlongs today. The way he stayed on suggested 6 furlongs would be ideal, which is of course the trip of the Ayr Gold Cup. Again, Buick didn't seem overly anxious that he couldn't quite reel in the leaders, and his mark will remain the same for Ayr if he gets in to the race and if that is Charlie Appleby's plan. Anyway, one or two firms have shortened him up a tad (only 20's with Boyle's and 888 Sport now - shorter elsewhere) suggesting that my sniff of a plan might not be wholly wide of the mark. Interesting. Tomorrow's poor guesses: 1.55 Angel's Hideaway (9/4) This should rest between the above and Fairyland, but with many of Aidan O'Brien's still not on top form Frankie can hopefully oblige. 2.25 Fanaar (10/1) /Masaru (6/1) Fiendishly complicated two year old sales race as ever, but these two looked to me to hold out the hope of more potential than the rest. 3.00 Seniority (7/1) /Afaak (7/1) Again, two that seem more unexposed to me, and hopefully they can improve past a competitive field. 3.35 Sea Of Class (11/8) By far the best and the most unexposed of these, notwithstanding the presence of the admirable Laurens in the field. 4.15 Lah Ti Dar (1/1) A good thing to continue her progress - interrupted since May by injury. 4.50 Move Swiftly (11/4 Paddy Power) Best on form and time here, and with further potential for improvement. Good Luck to all!
Well done on Old Persian and Ginger Nut, Yarms. I don't know what to make of Saxon Warrior now. It seems he's not quite the prospect he looked back in May, although Aidan's do seem just off par at the moment. Wat ch out for his when they do get firing again. Enjoy the ladies - especially Angels Hideaway and Sea Of Class!
I like a bet too Orsenkaht. I've gone same as you with 4 of those. My selections: 1:55 Angel's Hideaway 9/4 £5 win 2:25 He'zanarab 7/1 £2 win 3:00 Afaak 8/1 £2 win 3:35 Coronet 6/1 £2 win 4:15 Lah Ti Dar evens £10 win 4:50 Move Swifltly 9/4 £5 win 20p win Lucky 15 on same selections in 1:55, 2:25,3:00,4:50.
Gone for :- 1.55 Angel's Hideaway 3.00 Afaak - £5 win 3.35 Laurens 4.50 Move Swiftly £1 Lucky 15 on same selections.
Thursday: 1.55 Angel's Hideaway UPL 2.25 Fanaar UPL /Masaru UPL 3.00 Seniority NR /Afaak UPL 3.35 Sea Of Class WON 7/4 4.15 Lah Ti Dar WON 4/6 4.50 Move Swiftly 2nd 2/6 -£10.83 to £10 level stakes. (0.5 stake returned for Seniority NR) Meeting: 2/10 -£50.83 to £10 level stakes. Angel's Hideaway got murdered in the first and blow me, Masaru got the same treatment in the second! Seniority was a non-runner but Afaak ran his race, simply not being good enough on the day. But what a ride from Frankie to get Mark Johnston the record! A brilliant moment. Then came Sea Of Class - something really special. Have a look back at the replay and just look at how well she was travelling. One of those rare races where you could name the winner over four furlongs out. She is now almost favourite for the Arc. And no wonder, because last year's winner of this race went on to score in Paris, and this race didn't come close to getting to the bottom of Sea Of Class. Friday No prizes for picking Stradivarius and Battaash. Just enjoy watching them win - they are not a working man's price. 1.55 FIRST NATION (5/1 Bet365) Hopefully has a little more scope for improvement than most of these and Charlie Appleby is still in fine form. 3.00 CHUCK WILLIS (14/1 Paddy) /LEGENDS OF WAR (9/1 Paddy) Chuck Willis could be 'under the radar' and will improve. Legends Of War hasn't yet shown his true potential ($900,000 purchase) but he is a seriously good horse waiting to happen. No clue re the other races. Good Luck to all!
I've had a shocking week, but I've given them a good study this morning on the way to work - cant beat a 45 minute train journey and the Racing Post. I think some of the favourites are decidedly shaky today - with the exception of Stradivarious. He goes.... 1.55 - Mister Belvedere - 18/1. In cracking form, won last time out with the pair clear. Only gone up 3lb for that win. The fancied horsed have to give the selection the best part of a stone. 2.25 - No bet. Hopefully the fav wins the million pound bonus. He's a cracking horse. 3.00 - Showout - 11/1. Archie Watson does superbly well with his 2 year olds, and in my eyes, a lot of the more fancied runners are underpriced on what they've achieved or priced up on connections. 3.35 - Blue Point - 9/2. Is he an Ascot specialist? My view is no. I think he's a 5 furlong specialist and some of his bad defeats have been the trip rather than the track that's beaten him. 9/2 despite beating Battaash last time out who is 4/6? Its worth a good punt imo.
Today's selections. Best Odds Guaranteed Coral. 1:55 First Nation 11/2 £2 win 3:00 Legends of War 7/1 £2 win 3:35 Mabs Cross 14/1 £1 E/W 4:50 Crack On Crack On 5/1 (Beaten by a Length Move Swiftly Free Bet from yesterday £5 win). All the above selections in a 20p E/W Lucky 15.
1.55 First Nation UPL 3.00 Chuck Willis UPL /Legends Of War 2nd 0/2 -£20 to £10 level stakes. Meeting: 2/12 -£70.83 to £10 level stakes. A fifth 2nd of the week! Such is racing. Good to see Stradivarius collect the £1M Stayers' Bonus. It was a hard-fought win but Frankie just got him to prevail even though not at his best. The Nunthorpe didn't prove the match between Battaash and Blue Point that many (me!) expected, being fought out instead by two Yorkshire-trained horses. In the end it was a victory for Barnsley-born trainer Bryan Smart, who used to ride over the sticks for Jenny Pitman having first learnt to ride retired pit ponies. Alpha Delphini and Mabb's Cross would not beat the likes of Battaash and Blue Point in 19 out of 20 races but yesterday it was their day, and they provided a great finish. Legends Of War stepped up on his previous form, but not quite enough to defeat another Yorkshire-trained winner in Emaraaty Anna for Kevin Ryan. Ryan previously trained the winner of this race (Gimcrack Stakes) for 'Blueline' Pete Tingay, with Astaire (by Intense Focus out of Runaway Dancer). Saturday 1.50 MUSTASHRY (4/1 Paddy) If you like you can turn the BBS pages back to 26 August last year when I selected Mustashry to win this very same race (that might be the last time I tipped a winner!). Like then, he comes here after winning his only race this season. Lord Glitters has been highly tried but I think that Mustashry is the slightly more progressive of the two. Sir Michael Stoute's 14 day strike rate is (7/31) 23% whereas David O'Meara has had (7/70) 10% winners to runners in the last fortnight. Lord Glitters has recorded career high ratings on fast ground but his only turf wins have come when 'soft' has appeared in the description.Four of Mustashry's five career wins have come on good or good to firm. 3.00 EXPERT EYE (11/8 General) One time favourite for this year's 2,00 Guineas, has rediscovered some of his old form at Royal Ascot and Goodwood recently. My clear nap of the day. 3.40 NAKEETA (12/1 Laddies) TEODORO (12/1 Laddies) MUNTAHAA (20/1 Hills, Bet365) The Ebor Handicap - the mother of all difficult races! But it's a puzzle to be solved and I take three against the field. Willie Mullins' Stratum has been all the rage for this ante post after hacking up at Newbury by 3 lengths. But back in fifth was Nakeeta, who won this race last year, and who is 4 lbs better in with Stratum here for the 3.75 lengths he was beaten. Trainer Ian Jardine has stated that he will come on a bundle for that run and that a repeat Ebor win has been his target all year. He has a 4 lbs higher handicap mark than last year, but in the meantime finished fifth in the Melbourne Cup giving the winner of that race 3 lbs. With stamina and course suitability proven through his win last year, he has to have a major chance again. I split the stakes with Teodoro and old friend Muntahaa. Teodoro would have been given 9 lbs more to carry here if the handicapper had assessed the weights for this race after this one's 3 length win at Haydock recently. He steps up in trip here, but at the price I'll trust the trainer on that score. Muntahaa already has a Group 3 win to his name but drops back into handicap company here for the first time since his Chester win in 2016. He has had a lot of racing at Group 2level since, so should find this easier.
HAJJAM 3.15 EACH WAY WHISKEY SOUR 3.40 EACH WAY Woteva ya all decide gud luk av a gud day cos im gunna scunny