Wednesday's 18 Days Until Christmas Selections & Updates - 07 December

A lesson learned yesterday was not to discount a horse purely because of the jockey  - which I did twice in one day!  Nanna Maura and Matrows Lady both won - one ridden by Brian Hughes who has a relatively poor record over hurdles at Sedgefield (11 wins from 145 rides) and the other by James Best, a 7lb claimer.  Ending the day just slightly down, I've put yesterday down as a good learning experience.

Probably just as well that I didn't get my internet back properly until around 15:00 given what was happening at the NH (how badly could Le Roi Rouge and Koup De Kanon run?)  

Kempton made up for it though (although Next Cry in the 17:50 foiled my 8 lines of winning placepot!).....3.58 PROFITS today

	Kempton	First Choice	E/W or RF Choice
1	16:20	Quizzed 1st
2	16:50	True To Form (EW) 1st
3	17:50	Next Cry UP

	Hexham	First Choice	E/W or RF Choice
1	13:20	Le Roi Rouge UP
2	13:50	City Of Doral UP
3	14:20	Koup De Kanon UP
4	15:20	Mr Chippy 2nd

Notes:

2/            Edge Of Town is new to chasing and has been off the track for almost 2 years but if anyone can get him ready FTO  then it’s McCain and this small field will be in his favour but the heavy ground conditions today will be a baptism of fire for him on his chase debut and although stamina and ground shouldn’t present too much of a problem, the sharp track might.  I’m not convinced that Bescot Springs can cope with the ground with confidence also being an issue after his LTO fall.  City Of Doral may well do better than expected having contested some much better races in Ireland if it gets too much for Edge Of Town.  Not one for many£££ though.

	Leicester	First Choice	E/W or RF Choice
1	13:30	Joker Choker 1st	Take Of Shoc’s (RF) UP

Notes:

1/         The Henderson unchased horse Joker Choker looks to have the best chance here but will be a short price – although an easier introduction to chasing would be hard to find.  I’m intrigued by the booking of McCoy for Take Of Shoc’s who should like the better ground and won comfortably won a PTP in the past and may be worth putting in a reverse forecast.

The vagueries of racing is such that Will Kennedy has been jocked off Time For Rupert.  I don't know who'll be taking the ride from now on.  Will he did absolutely nothing wrong (some may suggest that the horse was aimed too high too fast) but I guess is the jockey the easiest 'part' to replace in a not always so well oiled machine.


Johnny Farrelly had the most horrendous fall yesterday and was ambulanced to hospital where he was found to have broken his collar bone.  He was very lucky but it is a reminder of how dangerous the sport is and how jockeys (mainly NH) can be out of action with no income for weeks or months.  The Injured Jockeys Fund does some good work and you can help by donating or buying from them ... click the flashy vastness of red at the bottom of this post!

Here's a Canon (Kanon if you're German!) with a twist !

You may have seen it before - the original YouTube video had 85 Million + hits

It's not too late to order your Christmas Cards!  Click the image below to go to the Injured Jockeys Fund website to order

Sunday Mumblings, Selections & Updates - 06 November

The Breeders' Cup Classic was an exciting, shocking result straight from a soap opera.  Drosselmeyer ridden by Mike Smith charged up the outside to go past Game On Dude who had attempted to make all ridden by Smith's ex-girlfriend Chantal Sutherland.  You couldn't make it up!  
There was a 2009 reality TV show in the US called (inventively) Jockeys which this has brought  this pair more exposure than would normally have been the case.  I wish they had one over here - that would make some addictive viewing I'm sure.
Most annoying of all is that I'd thought To Honor And Serve had an outside chance but didn't cotton on that Bill Mott was also running Drosselmeyer with the better jockey aboard.  Ah well - it wasn't the most profitable BC meeting for me but was super good fun to watch.

Paul Hanagan retained the Champion Jockey title for the second year running having started Saturday four ahead of Silvestre De Sousa.  Silvestre had just 4 rides at Doncaster yesterday from an 8 race card...... which seems incredible to me for a top jock.  Three of his rides were on rank outsiders so there wasn't much danger of him winning but wouldn't you have thought that some trainer or owner with a decent horse might have booked him just this once.

Well done Champ!

I'll be concentrating on Market Rasen today since I have a better success rate there than with Market Rasen.....selections will be added to along the way!!

Market Rasen	First Choice	Danger
13:15	Unknown Rebel 1st	Kazlian 2nd
13:45	Fennis Boy 1st	Denton 2nd
14:20	Koup De Kanon UP	Hi Dancer UP
14:50	Wyck Hill 1st	Total Submission 3rd
15:25	Prophete De Guye 1st	Double Chocolate UP
16:00	Sambelucky UP	Galley Slave PU

Profits today of +1.28 (more if like me you had each ways and forecasts!) 

Sundays Jumpy Selections & Results - 30 October

I think we can safely say that my forte in NH is in novice events and hurdles!

Seven races, seven winners, three (rev) forecasts....... and a Chuck Testa advert below - can it get any better? !

A very good day today with +12.11 profit

Huntingdon	First Choice	Danger
12:55	Hope Point 1st	Romantic Girl UP
13:25	Balzaccio 1st	Jolly Roger F
13:55	Folk Tune 1st	Pillar Of Hercules 2nd
15:00	Fintan UP (3rd)	Bowntobebad 1st

Carlisle	First Choice	Danger
13:10	Koup De Kanon 1st	Monkton Vale UP
14:10	Benefique 2nd	Super Duty 1st
15:15	Hidden Keel 2nd	Mr Moonshine 1st

Here's a thought!  Many non-racing folk that I know have watched racing and mistakenly thought that the jockey was hitting the horse with the whip with every stride.....it can sometimes appear this way to the non-initiated.  It may seem ridiculous to those who watch horseracing on a daily basis but I wonder if something as simple as pointing this out to the great British public might be an idea?  

In this sport there are (has been and will be) some less than honest jockeys, trainers, owners and punters.  While racing is trying to clean up it's image, is it really such a good idea to tempt jockeys to the dark side by relieving them of an income for weeks on end? 

Hear what Chuck Testa says:

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