Hi all,
I have finally got rid of the niggling cough I have had for the past ten days. It’s a long time since I’ve had a cough like it and not something I want to go through again anytime soon.
Inside today’s main piece I have some future winners from my noteboook that ran last week.
You may be wondering why I have been quiet regarding my tipping/punting performance in the past two weeks. Well, there hasn’t been much to be talk about since Royal Ascot. I accept there have been some dreadful picks but there’s been several occasions when my selections haven’t had the rub of the green.
This game is about fine margins. Sometimes they go for you, sometimes they don’t and these things even themselves over time.
Yes, I’m on a losing run but I’m not afraid of losing runs and each loser is just another step to big-priced winner.
Tipping is just a small part of what I do. I consider myself a horse race analyst who provides people with my selections. The real meat, if you like, comes with the quality of content and level of analysis that I provide.
Daily Punt readers get an idea of the content I provide each day and it’s a fraction of what I will be producing for Newmarket’s July Festival later this week.
It’s no consolation to those who have followed my selections but I’m going into Newmarket’s July Festival with plenty confidence that a profit will be made.
Last Week’s Notebook:
Sandown
Starlore provided Sir Michael Stoute with a first juvenile winner of the season in the novice race (7f) at Sandown on Friday. Taking it up 2f out he idled when hitting the front and held on by a nose from a strong finishing runner-up. The son of Kingman is capable of better.
It’s a race that should produce plenty of future winners.
Runner-up Maximum Dividend ran green in the early stages but once the penny dropped was staying on to good effect. There are surely races to be won with the son of American Pharoah.
Just 1 ½ lengths separated the first five home. Arabian Crown who was sent off the 5/4 favourite was another to run green and was doing his best work at the finish. A mile should suit the colt and he could turn out to be a better prospect than the two who beat him.
Both the fourth Wild Waves and fifth Devil’s Point made promising racecourse debuts. The former is bred to do better over middle distance as a 3-year-old. Meanwhile the latter lacked experience but is another who should improve with racing.
Miss Cynthia did best of those ridden prominently in the 1m 6f handicap at Sandown on Friday. The 3-year-old shaped like a real stayer who should be suited by a step up to 2m. Came up against a well handicapped horse in the winner and will surely be placed to winning advantage.
Haydock
Lordship defied an 8lb rise in the weights for a Yarmouth win to land the 1m 6f handicap on Saturday’s Haydock card. He’s a gelding going places who is very effective on quick ground. Nicely on top at the finish on Saturday. Next month’s Melrose Handicap at York Ebor Festival looks an ideal target given trainer William Haggas loves having winners at York. A lot depends how the handicapper reacts to this success.
Doncaster
Strong Johnson – Paul Midgley
Strong Johnson is on a losing run of 16 which goes back to August 2021. And he's yet to trouble the judge on five runs since joining his present trainer. However, he’s tumbled down the weights to a good mark and travelled as well as anything when 3 ¼ length 6th of 8 to Rogue Lightning at Doncaster on Friday. Now eligible for 0-80 handicaps and will surely be placed to winning advantage over 5f before too long.
Tuesday Preview
The best of today’s action is at Pontefract. The Listed Pipalong Stakes (3:20) is the feature race of a six race card this afternoon.
The going was good on Monday afternoon. However, there’s fair bit of rain forecast so the ground is likely to ease before racing.
Pontefract
Purplepay has run in Australian Group 1s on her last two starts. And the filly bids to return to the form that gained her a Group 2 success at Chantilly last June. She has 12lb and more in hand of her rivals on official ratings in the Pipalong Stakes and a reproduction of her best form which has come on soft ground would see her win the feature.
Irish trainer Gavin Cromwell has his first two runners at Pontefract this afternoon – Dha Leath (3:20) and Earls in the 6f handicap (3:55). The latter gets the first time cheekpieces for the drop back to 6f and isn’t handicapped out of it if the forecast rain does ease the ground.
Top-weight Billy No Mates must be respected in the Atlas Leisure Homes Limited Handicap (4:30). He’s a consistent enough handicapper in this grade and now 1lb below his last winning mark. Ease in the ground suits the 7-year-old and he should be bang there.
In Wednesday’s column I will begin my preparation for Newmarket’s July Festival with a dive into the meeting stats.
Tuesday Selection:
Yesterday’s selection Judgement Call had no chance once the rain changed the ground too soft.
Pontefract
4:30 – Billy No Mates – 17/2 @ William Hill.
Good luck with your Tuesday bets.
John
John, everyone has bad runs, having the courage to stay with your beliefs is the way out of it.
Hi Ted,
Oh I intend too.
Cheers
John