Friday's Frantic Selections & Updates (profit) - 24 February

I type this as my other half sits growling something about handball at the TV

I, on the other hand, have been growling about missing Owen Glendower who was running (and winning) in the 15:00 at Huntingdon on Thursday.   This had been  a blog selection a short while ago which was a NR on the day and although a short price today, still won by 4.5 lengths.

The Tote JackPot has rolled over again to Sandown tomorrow.  An estimated £400K+ will be up for grabs and although Sandown isn't my best course (somewhat of an understatement with my strike rate of a mere 16.98%),  it would be rude not to have a go!

From the other meetings tomorrow, my win rates are Dundalk 30.77%, Wolves 29.78%, Warwick 29.63%, Lingfield AW 23.39%

4 winners (not bad given the stats above) and a profit of +4.38 

	Lingfield	First Choice	E/W or RF Choice
1	13:40	Clean Bowled 1st
2	14:50	Twinkled 1st	Shared Moment UP
3	15:25	Triple Charm 1st
4	16:00	Chjimes UP

Notes:

1/         Twinkled comes out top of my sheet but I’m not convinced that he’s good enough to lug around so much more weight than when he won here in a seller in his penultimate start (and win) so I've dutched with Shared Moment who needs to be held up (wasn't lto)
4/         Quite possibly Conor Dore could get the 1-2 in this race...I have Anjomarba a very big threat

	Sandown	First Choice	E/W or RF Choice
1	14:25	Wester Ross 2nd
2	15:00	Top Of The Range UP (3rd)	Keep Kicking (EW) 2nd

	Warwick	First Choice	E/W or RF Choice
1	15:10	Tarn Hows UP
2	15:45	Trigger The Light 3rd
3	16:20	One Lucky Lady  1st

Wester Ross
Sandown 14:25
2nd

Sleeps to Go

Saturday's Chilly Selections & Updates - 14 January

Well Venetia chose the race with my selection Problema Tic (at odds on no less) to break her 5 year duck in chases at Huntingdon yesterday.....well, it was Friday the 13th!  

Saturdays!......Ignore my usual criteria of "valid reason for not winning LTO" and take a very close at all of the Pipe runners - at least that's two things that I've learned over the years.  David Pipe has runners at Warwick in the 14:00, 14:30, 15:40 and 16:10 and at Kempton at 14:50 (2) and 15:50.  No winners today ...and I didn't even back any of them!


Excellent day for a Saturday with two nice priced winners and a forecast.  
Profits of + 24.95 (108%)


I also had Bronze Angel in the 14:40 Lingfield and could have sworn I'd added this below this morning before rushing out but apparently not :( I even had this note for it "1/ Mr Red Clubs is spoiling for his 5^th win in a row.  He’s up a class though and has not had as much time to recover as he had between his previous four wins which are both concerns."

	Punchestown	First Choice	E/W or RF Choice
1	12:45	Fully Funded 3rd
2	14:25	Ut De Sivola 1st	Hisaabaat (EW) 2nd
3	15:35	Lilywhitedancer (EW)	Paco Jack (EW) 1st

Notes:

1/            I’ll take a chance that Gates Of Rome (2nd) can stay vertical today – if he does then he wins
               For some reason I typed Fully Funded above but since neither won or were each way, then it's of no consequence

2/            Ut de Sivola could do no more than beat what he was against LTO and should storm this.  Hisaabaat will be better suited to this RH track and can follow home

3/            Ocean Bright is very tempting but the claiming jock has raced 38 times over hurdles here without a win so risky!  Lilywhitedancer (ex Mullinshorse) looks to have conditions and the longer trip should suite -  jockey/claimer rode a good race LTO on him.  Pack Jack could turn back the clock for a place.

	Warwick	First Choice	E/W or RF Choice
1	12:50	Up To The Mark 3rd	Marju King (EW) UP

Notes:

1/            Monarch’s Way is fav but best form in fields of single figures.

	Kempton	First Choice	E/W or RF Choice
1	12:30	Dubawi Dancer UP	Reyamour (EW) UP
2	13:40	Captain Sunshine F	The DruidsNephew (EW)1st
3	14:15	Only Witness UP
4	14:50	Eastlake (EW) UP
5	15:20	Requin UP	Coup Royale (EW)UP

Requin was very disappointing from an early stage - there surely must have been something amiss?!

My nightly nap is running at Kempton in the 15:20 and doesn't look much like a horse .......but then it is French (ils sont facilement confondus)! and it's not been chosen because of the pink silks!

Kempton 15:20
Requin - Pulled up

My DD has been busy these past two days turning the kitchen into an icing sugar-coated, sticky-floored cake palace!  This is the very impressive result:

I don't think it should be meant for eating.....just for taking photos of !

Saturday's Last (Most Excellent!) Selections & Updates of 2011 - 31 December

I had a wonderful time at Haydock yesterday, despite the constant and unrelenting rain.  My daughters tactic of backing Jason Maguire rides didn't pay off as well as it usually would as he had only the one winner.  She did vary this my backing Bishops Heir each way "because his rug is the same colour as my coat" however.  Mr Chippy was quite disappointing (as was Douglas Julien) and although he rallied 3 fences out he made up some ground he never looked as though he would quite there.  I think the highlight of daughter's day may have been spotting the limited edition Louboutin champagne flutes on the top of the bar display at the back.....


It was nice to exchange a quick hello with Northern Racing Club's non-tweeting representative there too.  They had sponsored the first race which Code Blue won and in which Sandynow was unplaced.  Sandynow shows why you shouldn't be tempted (subconsciously veered toward?) by a horse by the name....although in my defence, glimpses of form were there!. 


I quickly realised that my 'top rows' and stats were working out well for me so on track (and after 'big feet paddock inspections') I backed Tamarinbleu (who I had put a line through as he had a hefty weight) and Bold Ransom who both won.  Knock A Hand looked very well in the paddock and I really should have trusted my judgement there and didn't but I still ended the day with five winners and had an excellent time.  Thanks to some exciting and close finishes, we have a new recruit to live racing in my daughter's 22 yo boyfriend who had a great time on his first visit to a racecourse. 


In a direct reflection of my previous day's Doncaster Jackpot selections, I had the winners for the first five races, the 2nd in the sixth race but drew a blank in the last.  And to top it all off, the course were handing everyone vouchers for £10 off any bottle of champagne at any midweek fixture throughout 2011- result all round!

	Newbury	First Choice	E/W or RF Choice
1	12:55	Vendor 1st
2	13:30	Destroyer Deployed 2nd
3	15:40	Celestial Halo (EW) 1st	First In The Queue(EW)UP

	Warwick	First Choice	E/W or RF Choice
1	13:45	Great Reason F	Flaming Charlie (EW) 2nd
2	14:50	North Stack UP

Notes:

1/            I originally liked Great Reason but he may just need this first run of the season and if he does the  Flaming Charlie looks a decent each way proposition.

	Punchestown	First Choice	E/W or RF Choice
1	14:10	Darroun 2nd

Notes:

1/            The going doesn’t worry me for Daroun (despite being pulled out of an earlier engagement due to heavy ground) as sire loved the mud.

	Lingfield	First Choice	E/W or RF Choice
1	15:15	Chjimes  UP
2	15:45	Dingaan (EW) UP	Efistorm (EW) 1st

An absolutely brilliant end to 2011 with the final two selection winning at big odds. 
A profit today of an impressive +18.76 (117.25%)

Lingfield 15:15