I backed a drifter in the next at Bev, come back in now.

Good luck saddo

Cheers saddo.

The expert on RUK was suggesting maybe on pedigree he might prefer easier ground, so maybe not one to give up on yet?

I've got two picks in a 6 runner maiden KC and still can't find a winner!

Nice run round for Legato, but that's the chance you take with a horse having its third run...

Super Julius, 1pt EW @ 20-1, 4.05 Sandown.

Super Julius was selected when he ran at Bath last Friday when I wrote:

Super Julius showed a fair level of form as a juvenile, notably when finishing 6th of 23 in the Super Sprint at Newbury when having to concede 13lb to both subsequent Group 3 winner Mrs Danvers and subsequent Listed winner Clem Fandango, as well as 9lb to subsequent valuable sales race winner Stormy Clouds (who ended up rated in the 90s); he also had a low draw that day and was drawn away from the main action.

It's easy enough to make excuses for his 3 subsequent defeats, upped to 6f at Chester and getting involved in a speed duel that set it up for the only other runner in the race, then having over-raced in a competitive nursery at the Ebor meeting, before ending his juvenile campaign with a luckless run at Chester having been dropped in from a wide draw.

He is undoubtedly a well-handicapped horse on that Super Sprint form, and he returns having been gelded, dropped 7lb from his initial mark to one of 81, and dropped markedly in grade to class 4.

Two concerns regarding his chance today are fitness returning from a break and whether he wants the ground rattling, but no surprise if he turns out to be well handicapped, even if today the run is needed or the ground is too quick.

He didn't look well handicapped in that lower grade race, but he seemed to do plenty on the front end and might have needed the run, plus it's possible the ground could have been quick enough for him, so I'm tentatively going to give him another chance in the hope he's ridden with more restraint this time and that pipe-opener has advanced his fitness.

Delannoy, 2 pts win @ 5-1, 7.05 Doncaster

Delannoy shaped nicely on his debut at Sandown last September when seemingly not unbacked (opened 25-1, returned 12-1), not getting any luck in the run up the straight and shaping better than the bare result. The form has worked out quite well so far this season with the winner The Great Escape going close off a mark of 90 at Sandown on Friday in what looked a strong handicap, and the third Mister Manduro just failing off a mark of 85 in a Bath handicap that featured some unexposed three-year-olds (the third Permian has since just narrowly failed to land the Epsom Derby Trial).

Delannoy's two runs since have not promised as much, but one came on soft ground that might not have suited, and the other came on his reappearance on the AW at Kempton when not knocked about and perhaps in need of the run.

He goes handicapping off a mark of 69, with the step up in trip likely to suit judged on pedigree (dam a 12f winner by Monsun, out of a 10f Listed winner).

Thanks for the vote of confidence chav, I knew I could depend on you!

But even if they continue to drop out of the back of the telly, so long as I'm not starting threads suggesting that people lump on odds-on shots that then drift and fail to hit the frame, I won't be too disappointed with myself!

A couple against the field in the opener at Doncaster

Amood, 1pt EW @ 25-1, 4.50 Doncaster

Amood has been worryingly weak in the betting this morning, but a chance is taken anyway at the price. It looked like he would have placed at least with any luck in the run on his latest start in the race won by today's Chaplin Bay (who he meets on 3lb better terms) over 7f at Newcastle.

The main negative to his chance today could be if the ground gets too lively (currently good to firm, good in places (watered). He's 1lb below his last turf winning mark, so at least there's no complaints from a handicapping perspective on this switch back to turf.

Inexes, 1pt EW @ 40-1, 4.50 Doncaster


This is perhaps more speculative but a chance is taken on Inexes (who is out of a Dalakhani mare) now trying a mile for a first time for his current yard. His first two career starts were for John Gosden, who interestingly ran him over 9.5f on debut, when he finished second and seemed to stay despite having raced keenly, and then over a mile.

He hasn't always had the best of luck during his races (including on his final start of 2016 at Kempton), but the way he's been keeping on over 7f in some of his starts could suggest he's worth another try at this trip.

He's been off for over 6 months, but Marjorie Fife is perfectly capable of having one ready off a break, as she showed with Samtu and Medicine Hat during the winter.

Summary of today's selections:

Amood, 1pt EW @ 25-1, 4.50 Doncaster
Inexes, 1pt EW @ 40-1, 4.50 Doncaster
Delannoy, 2 pts win @ 5-1, 7.05 Doncaster
Cape Peninsular, 2pts win @ 4-1, 7.20 Wolverhampton

First 4 drawn 15,16,14,18 and all but Desert Ruler (appeared not to get a clear run) challenged on the stands side. Find it hard not to think something of that.

Well done on your winner, btw

Oh yes, so it did, but my main point was that John Gosden seemed to think it was mile + horse and there was some evidence that the horse stayed beyond 9f, so was unexposed at around a mile, and the run style over shorter had been suggesting he was worth another try at such a trip.

Cheers Virgin

Probably is George. They're well known for it... or reporting the going as GS when it's G.

Thankfully a better day with a 40-1 placer and 2pts on a 4-1 winner. As for Delannoy, think I need to have serious words with myself putting up horses at 5-1 with that sort of profile.


Running Totals
P/L : -18.55

Win stat: 7/73 (9%)
Place stat: 21/73 (29%)

Points staked so far: 128
Points lost on multiples: 7 (included in overall P/L)

WD with Cape Peninsular George

A couple against the field in the finale at Gowran Park

Estrenar, 1pt EW @ 14-1, 5.05 Gowran
Dark Amber, 1pt EW @ 14-1, 5.05 Gowran

I thought Estrenar ran better than the form book would suggest when beaten over eleven lengths on his penultimate start at Cork over 8.5f, given in a race where the first three all came from off the pace, he had contested the lead from wide draw, fought his way to the front three furlongs out, but only gave way at the furlong marker where his exertions started to tell; and it should be noted that Bay Hill, who had chased the pace before finishing fourth, has since come out and won a 16-runner handicap at Cork.

Connections of Estrenar then opted to run him from 5lb out of the handicap in a higher grade race at Naas, and there was no disgrace in being beaten just under three lengths, which has resulted in the handicapper putting him up 2lb to a mark of 63.

He's back in a more realistic grade here and although he could have done without that 2lb rise, particularly with a promising 7lb claimer being replaced, he still looks fairly treated on his form from last season when not beaten far behind improvers Creggs Pipes and Eddystone Rock.


Dark Amber hasn't won since August 2015 when she was rated a strone higher than she is now, but there have been signs on the AW during the winter that she might have fallen to a mark she's capable of winning off, including for her new stable, when not beaten far in a couple of handicaps at Dundalk this year, particularly as her latest start came over an inadequate 7f.

She won't mind being back on turf with some juice in it and provided there's a pace on, hopefully she will be finishing off to good effect.

Diable D'or, 1pt win @ 16-1, 2.50 Bath

Selecting horses trained by Eve Johnson-Houghton that ran well in the Newbury Super Sprint last season hasn't exactly been a recipe for success so far on this thread, but at least Diable D'or was 'notebooked' this season and that run came on his reappearance over 5f at Nottingham when he was noted being denied a clear run as he tried to make headway from the rear; it would have been late headway, but he did shape better than the bare result and suggested he had returned in reasonable form on his first run since being gelded.

His standout piece of form came in the Super Sprint when finishing fourth having tried to make all and conceded weight to fillies who went on to win in Group and Listed class, with a subsequent Listed winner just behind him.

He's been dropped 2lb for that reappearance run (when ridden by a 3lb claimer), and although if the ground turned soft that would be a concern, a chance is taken at the odds for the minimum stake.

Faintly, 1pt win @ 11-1, 3.40 Beverley

Faintly was selected on the thread last week at Wolverhampton having caught the eye on his reappearance over the same C/D, then not had things go his way at Catterick. He shaped as though he was still in good form back at Wolverhampton, finishing off well, but the pace scenario didn't really set up for him. He will once again probably be dependent on a decent pace and luck in running, but he has run well here previously and in the hope he gets the breaks, is given another chance for the minimum stake.

A couple against the field in the 4.15 Beverley:

Mairee, 1pt win @ 11-2, 4.15 Beverley
Cornborough, 1pt win @ 14-1, 4.15 Beverley

Not sure what happened last time at Chelmsford but prior to that Mairee had been running consistently well, including on the AW, notably when trying to concede 7lb to the well handicapped Gossiping at Kempton. There is no issue with the return to turf and perhaps this course will suit her usual prominent style well, particularly as she's well berthed to obtain a good position from stall one.

Cornborough could make no impression on his reappearance at Pontefract, but he was never in a good position as the race panned out and was noted hitting the line well; that was his first run on the Flat for over a year having generally been in good form over hurdles in the interim where he has improved to a peak mark of 132, and that suggests a mark of 70 could be a favourable one if carrying that improvement back over to the Flat.

This track could suit if there's a good pace to aim at and he won't mind any rain that falls.

4 selections and 4 pts staked, hardly excessive!

I just need the other 3 to be withdrawn now and I'll have a couple of trebles up!