dunlaying

No racing therefore January becomes the Silly Seaon or , more accurately , the silly arse season where everybody puts up a short one for Cheltenham .
Several of the better fancied horses have question marks against them for one reason or another .
Il Etait Temps , never won at the track .
Jonbon no longer a force .
L'Eau Du Sud , forget his win over Jonbon and he becomes a nobody .
Majborough , powerful but must improve his jumping .
Etc

A surprise entry for some is Calico but if you take a good look at his record you should spot that he is at the top of his form and could still be improving . He goes on any going . He has won twice at the track .
At 66/1 he might be worth an e/w interest .
Off of the top of my head he would need to find 19lb if all ran to form but it is more likely that he would need 13lb .

Silly Season is a term that I will always associate with Ian Balding . 
I believe it was the first good horse that he trained . What a great trainer he was .

Blackjack Magic 0
Annsam +1
Gabby Cross +1
Note Volatus +2
Credo +3
Copperhead +3
Le Milos +5
Gustavian +7
Digby +13
...........
Minella Trump 0
Triple Trade +3
Can You Call +5
Numitor +7
Hurricane Bay +9
Jet Plane +10

Donald's horse is friendless even though it has been tipped up .

No adjustment has been made for claims .
Some of the figures are from old form .
Il Ridoto 0
Riskintheground 0
Jungle Boogie +1
Twinjets +2+
Matata +4
Grandeur diameter +8
Glengouly +10
Moon d'Orange +12
Just Over Land +26+

The figure for Riskintheground rests upon one horse , The general figure is around one stone inferior but he ran a great race in The Hennessy over a distance that looked to be too far for him ,

The market screams that I have underestimated Just Over Land but I will just have to grin and bear it ,

Happy New Year

Inothewayurthinking -6 assisted
Galopin Des Champs 0
I Am Maximus +2
Fastorslow +3
Gerri Colombe +5
Grangeclare West +7
Lecky Watson +9
Affordable Fury +10
Stellar Story +11
Inothewayurthinking +12 unassisted
Montys Star +13
Croke Park +16
Champ Kiely +20

EDIT: At first glance it looks like Affordale Fury has improved another 4lb . Which would mean , by my reckoning , that we would have a situation similar to this for The Cup
Galopin Des Champs 0
I Am Maximus +2+
The Jukebox Man +4
Affordable Fury +6
I will tidy this up later ,

Majborough can be forgiven yesterday's defeat . For much of the race he was running on the slower piste . His jumping is improving and is probably better now than that displayed by I Am Maximus in the early stages of that horse's career .

Indirectly the 3 runner race won by Iroko gets confirmation . It looks like my suggestion was 1lb too high .
It was long odds on that I would make a dog's dinner of it working from memory so let me try again . Only the salient possibles as it is far too early .

Iknowthewayurthinking -6 assisted
Galopin Des Champs 0
Majborough +1+
I Am Maximus +2+
Gaelic Warrior +2
Fact To File +2
Fastorslow +3
Nick Rockett +4
Affordale Fury +6
The Jukebox Man +6
Banbridge +6
Haiti Couleurs +7
Jango Baie +7
Grangeclare West +7
....
,..
Iroko +14+ James Du Berlais has shored up the Iroko figure which now looks rock solid .


The jumping of Majborough has improved but is it slick enough for a Queen Mum ?
Only two turned up for the Irish Gold Cup , namely Firefox and Fact To File .

Pats Fancy -4?
Uncle Bert 0
Nassalam +5
Git Maker +8
Monbeg Genius +8
Where It All Began +9
Dom Of Mary +9
Intense Raffles +10
Rock My Way +12

Transmission 0
Hyland +2?
Ga Law +9
Johnnywho +11
Blow Your Wad +12

The figure for the top chap might be flukey and Hyland continues to disappoint .
With rain likely Hyland and Ga Law could be disadvantaged .
If it is not a typographical error Transmission was raised 7lb for nothing and then dropped 7lb for nothing !
..............?..
Brucejack 0
My Silver Lining +3
O'Toole +4
Grand Albert +5+
Famous Bridge +5
Latenightrumble +7
................
Opera Ballo 0
First Conquest 0
Miss Of Change +1
Nations Pride +3
Chicago Critic +4
Caramelito +4
Stormy Ocean +6
A cracking little race on paper . The favourite is short enough . Prague was only 2 lengths behind him in the race won by Zeus Olympios .

Urban Chic 0
Goliath +1
Los Angeles +1
Al Riffa +1
Sosie +2
Giavellotto +4
Moments In Time +4
Eydon +4
Ensued +5
Bundle Award +5
Ka Ying Generation +7
...............
Embroidery 0
Beauty Joy +2
Voyage Bubble +2
Soul Rush +4
Red Lion +5
Patch Of Theta +6
Happy Together +6
Galaxy Patch +6
Copartner Prince +6
Beauvatier +6
The Lion In Winter +7
Sunlight Power +7
My Wish +7
Docklands +7
Pray For Me +13

The top one won the Japanese 1000 beating a filly that nearly won The Oaks .
.........?....
Romantic Warrior 0
Quisisana +1
Chengcheng Glory +1
Bellagio Opera +2
Straight Arron +3
Rousham Park +3
Galen +6
..........
The Japanese figures should be eyed with suspicion as I do not know the horses but Urban Chic will be correct and Embroidery is quite likely to be correct .

Ga Law 0
Martator +5
Vincenzo +6
Holy Joe Smoke +6
Imperial Saint +7
Colonel Harry +9
Kim Roque +11? Said to have winning chase form but I have no record of it
Il Ridotto +11
Glengouly +12
Es Perfecto +13
Jagwar +14
Will The Wise +20



Today a 10/11 shot beat a 5/6 fav . Something similar happened in the late 60s when 10/11 joint favourites were returned .
..............
Blaze The Way 0
Cruz Control 0
L'Homme Presse 0
King Turgeon +1
The Short Go +4
Henry's Friend +6
Velvet Elvis +6
The Doyen Chief +12
Heracles Westwood +13

Blaze The Way is by Getaway who was by Monsun . It is possible that he needs soft ground .

Garlic Warrior 0
Fact To File 0
Djelo +4++    sorry , it must have been a moment of senility
Banbridge +4
Il Est Francais +6
Master Chewy +8
Jango Baie +8+
The Jukebox Man +10+



The Djelo form is crabbable but he won in good style despite the yard being in the Doldrums .
I note that The Jukebox Man is priced at a general 4/1 . Ridiculously short . Take a look at his form , there is nothing there to say that his price should be in single figures .
By my reckoning L'Homme Presse ran to within 8lb of his very best figure . If he comes on for the run he could be +2 here .
If one takes the most optimistic view of Iroko's Ascot win then The Jukebox Man comes into the reckoning . However , that would mean rating Firefox at his top figure . That would be no problem if it were not for the fact that you would then be obliged to say that the other runner ran to his best . The Jukebox Man might be as high as +3 . The plot thickens .
......?.......
Majborough 0+
Found AFifty +1
Solness +1
Hercule Du Seuil +2
Marine Nationale +3
Only BY Night +6
Captain Guinness +10

The Mullins outsider might run well . The figure comes from his run against Il Etait Temps and Gaelic Warrior .
.......?......
Our Power 0
Confusion +2+
Snappers Hill +3
Butch +6
Marble Sands +8

Djelo 0
Hitman +5
Saint Sam +5
Edwardstone +5
Boombawn +6+

Djelo looks vulnerable . Pic D'Ory let the Wetherby form down and behind the front two there was nothing .
.......
Found A Fifty 0
Banbridge 0
Energumene +5
Majborough +12+

This favourite is too short as well .
The figure for Energumene comes from his Sandown form . He would be a long way clear of these if anywhere near his old form .
Gordon's horse has the benefit of a recent run .