Sunday's 'Better than the Supplements' Blog & Updates - 26 February

Baby Mix was trending on Twitter yesterday after his win.  Katie Waissel (remember her from X Factor 2010 on the right there?) tweeted the question "Baby Mix is trending!  Is one of Little Mix pregnant?"  Bless!  Someone did put her right .....

Paddy Brennan had a fantastic day with a Kempton treble on Saturday - unfortunately I only picked Nacarat from his three but that is better than none.  I was happy for the stats in the Racing Plus Chase to be wrong (or for the stats to be readjusted as someone suggested to me) - the stat in question was that of the last 10 runnings of this race had been won seven times by a 7yo or 8yo.  

New equation: (Nacarat + Kempton) - Kauto Star = 1

Now that's more like it.  I ♥Towcester badges on order but despite three winners still -1.62

	Towcester	First Choice	E/W or FC Choice
1	14:20	Asaid 1st	Hinton Indian (Forecast) UP
2	14:50	Sunny Ledgend 1st	DJ Milan (EW) F
3	15:20	My Viking Bay 2nd	Roybuoy (Rev F’Cast) UP
4	15:50	Lights Of Broadway(EW)UP	Baltic Pathfinder (EW) UP
5	16:25	Tarateeno UP	Fiveways (EW) UP
6	16:55	Pensnett Bay 1st

1/         Asaid was last seen racing in a grade 1 hurdle in Leopardstown (4^th and went for the ground) so I cannot see him breaking a sweat to win this – he’s shaped up as if a stayer so the stiff course shouldn’t be  any problem.

2/         John Ferguson runs Creekside in this and though it’s tempting to suggest that he’ll have a double, I think he may struggle up the hill (breeding doesn’t suggest stamina either).  DJ Milan went over too far LTO and on g/f so has to be forgiven that run.  Jason Maguire up today and Don McCain has done nicely with another horse for these same owners…..

3/         Trappy trappy….none of the runners have much form to speak of so this really is the best of a bad bunch!

4/         I do like Way Back When an awful lot but just a little concerned about stamina.

5/         Tarateeno’s C&D form looks very attractive as long as Collin Bolger can keep him out of trouble.  Fiveways is an e/w pick due to the trainer (36%) and jockey (44%) strike rate in hurdles races here….stamina may be a problem though so only a small ‘investment’!

When Hunt Ball won the 14:30 on Saturday making it six wins from seven starts this season (I was on Not so Sure Dick thinking the big weight pull would reverse previous form) his owner, farmer Tony Knott was there to watch him win again.  He is just so enthusiastic and ran across to lead him from the course to the winners enclosure but stopped short of jumping up behind the jockey this time around.  It's great to see someone so genuinely delighting in his horse and the sport - it really doesn't matter to him if it's the Gold Cup or a class 3 £7k race at Wincanton.  I can only imagine what will happen if Hunt Ball wins at Cheltenham next month???

Since there was prize money for the first five home in Minella Class's race yesterday and he was one of only five left in the race when he pulled up quickly, the inference has to be that there was something amiss.  

 I'm a little worried that Peddlers Cross (the most gorgeous horse in training at the moment - just look at that photo above!) has been forgotten with all the chat about the CheltFest contenders who have run recently.  He has multiple entries:  Arkle, Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and Jewson Novice Chase.   He's really not likely to be running in the Champion Hurdle or the Champion Chase which realistically leaves the Arkle and Jewson.  Only 2 from 44 have won the Arkle without a run in the same calendar year so although this is the race for which he's second favourite, I really hope he goes for the Jewson!

    

Nightly Nap is running (hauling itself up the hill) in the 14:50 at Towcester:

Sunny Ledgend

Towcester 14:50

1st

I notice that Ladbrokes are offering Switcherooney specials.  No, they aren't offering odds on what age the horse will reach before he's able to beat it's owner at Scrabble or chess but they do  have three  other markets offered:  

• 4/1 to win it's debut race
• 16/1 to beat a horse owned by Alex Ferguson or Michael Owen
• 50/1 to win at Royal Ascot this year.  

Sadly injury has forced the retirement of 28 year old jumps jockey Phil Kinsella.  After 9 months on the sidelines with a fractured neck, he returned to racing at the start of February only to hit the deck when his horse was hampered during a hurdles race and which resulted in a double fracture to the skull and the loss of hearing in one ear.   I'm sure I'm not the only one who hopes that he'll be 100% successful in whatever he chooses to do next.