The Good to Firm Sunday Blog - 27 May

Good to Firm all over ... Good to grief more like!  Only a fortnight ago dry weather seemed like a impossible dream.


On Friday a maiden called Dinkie ran at Catterick - she came 8th of 12.  Now this is a family nickname for my daughter and Dinkie (the horse)'s owner will have to pray that she doesn't take after her namesake Dinkie (the girl) who was born 18 days late and has never been on time since (work being an exception but this is necessary for shoe funds).   This race was won by Satsuma trained by David Brown - his second maiden débutante winner over 5f in recent days.  I've had a look and he does have Botanic Garden (run twice previously) running on Tuesday at Ripon in a 5f maiden which might be worth a second look.

Cathy Gannon was back with a bang this week.  She drew a blank from here two rides yesterday (Saturday) but had three winners on Thursday and Friday.  Three days with nine rides and three winners is a great come back after a few weeks away from the track with injury.  




In my daily quest for the winning gee gees, I have a check list that I work down once I've selected a horse in a race.  This determines if I back a horse and if so, then how much I stake.  If a horse is returning from a break of 90+ days with a claimer booked to ride then a line goes through it as in nearly all cases, the horse is having a pipe opener and the jockey is getting a bit more practise in,  Sounds obvious but easily forgotten or overlooked!


Johnny Murtagh lost his fourth place on Sindjara at the Curragh on Saturday for failing to weigh in.   Now he's not an apprentice nor is he inexperienced or unprofessional enough to have 'forgotten' to do this........ so there's only one explanataion......
He stopped for a toilet break half way round!  

My best picks today are:

	Curragh	First Choice	E/W or Forecast Choice
1	14:35	So You Think 1st
2	15:40	La Collina UP
3	16:15	Battleroftheboyne UP

	Kelso	First Choice	E/W or Forecast Choice
1	14:45	Carters Rest UP
2	15:20	Crowning Jewel 1st
3	16:25	Talk Of Saafend  2nd

	Fakenham	First Choice	E/W or RF Choice
1	14:25	Well Mett UP

Monday's Easter Holiday Blog & Updates (Profits) - 09 April

No more chocolate or Fairyhouse selections for me today....neither agree with me it would appear (I'll make an exception for the Irish National today of course!)  It would seem from yesterday's results that the best way to find a winner at Fairyhouse is to ignore the form and just look for what is being backed in the morning!  

Nine meetings today and we'll all be like kids in a toy and sweet shop - not knowing which way to turn.  I shall be concentrating on Huntingdon primarily as my strike rate there is a tasty 40.51% - selections up in the morning.

Six of Monday's meetings are available to watch free on At The Races with three only on RUK.  I knew there was a reason I cancelled my £20 a month subscription some while back!  Sorry RUK, but that really is way too expensive.

I was working away earlier on a tissue when I typed "perv huddled" instead of "prev hurdled".....much to the amusement of my daughter.  So everyone, rule #1 for novice hurdles is now that the selection must have been perv huddled!

Mikael Barzalona  - yesterday Longchamp today............Yarmouth!

My nightly nap has appeared on this blog before...and came 2nd.  He's dropping a class today,  has had a short break and running back at a more suitable (galloping) track, Huntingdon where he has raced twice in the past resulting in a win and a second:

Cry of Freedom

Huntingdon 16:05
2nd

Not at all bad a day with profits of +4.34 (+48.22%)

	Chepstow	First Choice	E/W or Forecast Choice
1	14:15	Black Thunder 1st
2	16:00	Take Of Shoc’s 1st
3	16:35	Pantxoa UP

	Plumpton	First Choice	E/W or RF Choice
1	14:30	Greyfriar’s Drummer 1st

	Huntingdon	First Choice	E/W or Forecast Choice
1	14:20	Henry Hook 2nd
2	16:05	Cry Of Freedom 2nd
3	16:40	The Falklander UP

	Fakenham	First Choice	E/W or Forecast Choice
1	16:25	Emperor’s Choice 1st
2	17:00	Earth Dream 1st

Back to the one and only Fairyhouse race I'll be looking at today (fallen out and sulking after yesterday's abysmal results!).  The Irish National.  Having spent quite some time looking, searching, checking, researching etc, I really quite like the look of Four CommanderS.  Although he's never been around Fairyhouse before, his form at Thurles and Down Patrick shows that he has no problem with right handed (wouldn't be much of an Irish racehorse if he did!).  Certainly the distance won't phase him given his decent third over further at the Cheltenham Festival in the NH Chase.... and herein lies the question mark - whether he's had enough recovery time after such a marathon?  A couple of others that made my shortlist are Cross Appeal (slight concern over stamina especially since he's a flat bred horse) and Alfie Sherrin (stable going through an unaccustomed cold spell and AP has jumped ship to Groody Hill - although that one could do with the heavens opening overnight).  Finally Aigle D'Or got a lot of my perusals and time spent on it.  He's fairly versatile going-wise and although he was behind a couple of these lto (Cross Appeal, Groody Hill) the step up in trip should suit and the Henderson/Geraghty combo isn't often found with odds of 22/1 to be had!  

Bearing in mind that the majority of bookies are paying 1/4 odds on the first five (hang your heads in shame Hills, Coral, Ladbrokes, Betfred), I shall be a National tart and spread myself about these selections (each way):

1. Four Commander UP
2. Cross Appeal  UP
3. Alfie Sherrin 3rd 
4. Aigle D'Or  UP

Monday's 13 days Til Xmas Selections & Updates - 12 December

The Tatling will finally be hanging up his racings shoes today at Wolves in the 15:45 today.  He's 14 years old and this final race will be his 176th.  It would be lovely to see him go out on a win but alas, 13 runs at Wolves have never resulted in a win and he has a horrid draw so unless the others all let him pass I can't see this changing!  Richard Kingscote has the honour of this final ride.


............and the old boy did it!  The Tatling won by a short head at 16/1 (33/1 on Betfair!) and does out on a high :)


Wolverhampton was a place of note again on Saturday when Richard Hannon had his record breaking 217th win there with Guava.

Fakenham selections below with the Wolves ones to follow:

	Fakenham	First Choice	E/W or RF Choice
1	13:00	Jimbill 1st	Bob’s Legend (EW) UP
2	13:30	Baharat (EW) 2nd
3	15:00	El Dancer 2nd
4	15:30	Sublime Talent 2nd

	Wolves	First Choice	E/W or RF Choice
1	14:15	Kidlat UP
2	14:45	Mr Red Clubs 1st
3	15:45	Grand Stitch 3rd
4	16:15	Boa (EW) 2nd
5	16:45	Perfect Mission 1st	Excuse Me (EW) UP
6	17:15	Deslaya 2nd
7	17:45	Idol Deputy 3rd

Lots of pretty colours again today with 3 winners and 7 places and just 3 nowheres from 13 selections -1.49 today

One to look out for next time is Excuse Me whoafter starting slowly, was denied a clear run and should do an awful lot better next time out.