Kempton is a 'wait until later' selection brief as the forecast tomorrow is for heavy showers as is also Southwell (yes, it's all weather but it can still be slow all weather - a real trudge!).
My nightly nap is Trans Sonic in the 15:10 at Southwell (2nd)
He's dropping a couple of grades into this class 6 claimer and can cope at Southwell when the fibresand is on the slow side. He is paired up with Daniel Tudhope again who took the ride last time he won very easily by 12 lengths at this same mark and here at Southwell. His only real competition for the lead should come from Maslak who I'm not totally convinced has the proven stamina to take on Trans Sonic on this surface - certainly my pick is way ahead on speed ratings.
No winners today (that doesn't happen too often) but still a profit thanks to big priced Lord Grantham coming in 3rd. Profits of +2.59
Kempton
|
First Choice
|
E/W or
Forecast Choice
|
|
1
|
14:20
|
Call Back
|
Lord
Grantham EW 3rd
|
2
|
14:50
|
Emperor Charlie UP
|
Haar
|
1/
I really cannot see anything else in this line up to trouble Call Back so
barring falls, he should win. Lord Grantham is the most interesting of
the newcomers to hurdles and might place. Henry Daly stable is going well
right now and LG had blown the cobwebs away in a bumper in March (pulled too
hard to do himself justice).
2/ Emperor
Charlie will like the good ground and has Lucy Alexander’s value claim on top
of the super light weight and having won by 19 lengths carrying 10-2 LTO,
shouldn’t have too much problem following up.
Haar will also like the good ground (this is all assuming no rain as
forecast!) and I’ll forgive his last two outings as these were both on soft. I think he’ll need to come down in the
weights before winning though so e/w only.
Southwell
|
First Choice
|
E/W or Forecast Choice
|
|
1
|
15:10
|
Trans Sonic
|
Exeter
|
First Choice
|
E/W or
Forecast Choice
|
|
1
|
15:30
|
Fairoak Lad
|
I learned today that AP McCoy, Mick Fitzgerald and Carl Llewellyn are all patrons of the Alder Hey Hospital's charity Imagine. Every year on the Friday of the Aintree Festival, a contingent of jockeys all visit the Oncology unit to raise awareness for the charity.
 |
| Pics from the 2011 visit |
The fall out from Saturday's Grand National rumbles on with John McCririck reverting to type and becoming the "industry expert" for the Daily Mail - as you'd expect he hasn't exactly defended the racing industry again (he bit the hand that fed him by selling an interview to the Express in the immediate aftermath of the new whip rules calling for all 'barbaric' whips to be banned altogether) although on this occasion he has been a little more restrained when talking about Synchronised.
"Racing must review whether horses should be allowed to take part if they get loose and run free. For years, along with others, I’ve campaigned for horses to be withdrawn if they unnaturally exert themselves at such a crucial moment. The industry must act to cut down this kind of avoidable risk."First I've heard of this years old campaign of yours John!
However, the best quote and dose of common sense I've heard during the whole debate was from Paul Nicholls who said:
"There are risks and we all try to minimise them. A lot of people need to grow up and realise that it is life".
