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George's 2026 Selection Thread
George's 2026 Selection Thread
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Replies: 671
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cracking winner george well 2 winners really win and place very well done !
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Superb selection George, WD
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brilliant , well done george
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Thanks all, now for the tricky bit, trying to keep the P/L going in the right direction
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Almaqam, 1pt EW @ 16-1, 3.35 York
Avatar Jet, 1pt EW @ 14-1, 5.30 Carlisle |
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Almaqam
Almaqam would appear to be up against it here with him having over 7L to find with Ombudsman on their Royal Ascot form, however, there are reasons to think that Almaqam can get closer to his old rival today. The selection, who has been described as a "big, heavy and immature" sort in the past, might just be a better horse this year as a 5YO now that he has matured, judging from his win in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh (10.5f, good), which looked a big performance to defeat the subsequent Coronation Cup winner Bay City Roller by 2L, considering he had to do a lot of running early to get into a prominent position before going on to win in a time nearly four seconds inside the RP standard, and in the process seemingly dismissing the perception that he ideally needs an ease in the ground. His Curragh win came off a seven-month break so not unreasonable to think that such a big effort might have left its mark and that Royal Ascot, for all he ran respectably there, came too soon just 24 days on, so hopefully a two-month break since has acted as the pause that refreshes. |
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Avatar Jet
Avatar Jet, formerly trained in Ireland, was absent for 553 days, but has returned this year under the care of Declan Carroll to win at Southwell and make the frame twice, back at Southwell (1m) and then at Ripon (1m, good), from just five starts. It's the run at Ripon in June that makes him of interest here, as he didn't have the easiest of trips that day from a wide draw and in the circumstances seemed to do well to finish 4th, having been on a contested pace. The second and fifth have won since, while the third (Barley, who also runs in this) has continued to run well in defeat. He was then absent for 50 days, during which time he missed an engagement due to quick ground, and it's possible the run was needed back at Southwell over 7f from a wide draw, when he didn't see his race out having gone forward. Avatar Jet does have to prove himself on softer ground, for all he's by Belardo whose progeny generally handle cut in the ground. He's got a potentially good draw in two for one who can go forward in his races, and hopefully his jockey will be alert to avoiding the far rail in the home straight if it appears centre to nearside is where the better ground is. |
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WD GB. Good thinking out of the box. Went very close to winning.
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Cheers PHS. Fair to say that knocked the wind out of my sails!
But a great effort from him, and confirmed my impression of him at the Curragh, that he's probably a better horse this year. |
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Avatar Jet, who according to the RP form comment was sweating, went from the front again but didn't see his race out on the ground, so it does seem that he needs a better surface.
2026 Running P/L: +59.16 pts |
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WD George
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Wd George
 a tad unlucky,  gl .... |
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Just saw your post GB. G1's are not your usual MO but I'd like to see you tackle the better quality races more often. I backed Almaqam W&P too and to say it was tough result to take is very much an understatement!
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Thanks for the comments.
I'm liking the idea of concentrating on Group 1s, WP, but for now it's a 30-runner handicap at de Curragh |
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Absoluteassignment, 1pt EW @ 125-1, 5.08 Curragh (6 PLACES)
Marajito, 1pt EW @ 14-1, 7.30 Redcar |
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Absoluteassignment
Absoluteassignment was a selection over the 5f trip here last time when I wrote: Absoluteassignment is only rated 64 so doesn't face an easy task in a race of this nature at a top track for all he receives weight from most of his rivals, but he looks sure to be winning races at some point based on his handicap debut at Fairyhouse (6f, good, tongue-tied), where after racing keenly he ran on well to finish second to Stone Bear, who subsequently would be beaten a length by Midnight Dusk over the same C&D, and that 3yo colt would then run out a very impressive winner off a 6f Curragh handicap. The selection reopposed Stone Bear in that Fairyhouse handicap, when he was noticeably weak in the betting, and having been keen again he could only make some late-headway from off the pace. Absoluteassignment could do with settling better, and it remains to be seen what effect the tongue-tie being left off has, but interesting to see how he fares on this first crack at 5f, with Wayne Lordan taking over in the plate. ================================================================ That was an absolute shocker last time and it takes a leap of faith to pick him again, while it's also fresh in the memory how weak he was in the betting when returned to Fairyhouse on the back of a decent C&D effort there, so perhaps there will be a win in him at some point but it will be when the market vibes are positive, which they haven't been so far today. However, a chance is taken with the return to 6f looking a positive, also a hood may help with him having been keen in his races, and the tongue-tie which was missing last time is reapplied. Another potential negative is his draw in nine in such a big field, but a chance is taken at big odds. |
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Marajito
Marajito did the thread a favour when winning at Ripon (5f, good) back in the spring. Her victory then didn't prove a springboard to an improved run of form but she's been running okay, including last time back at Ripon (5f, good) when bumping into one who'd been revitalised by a change of scenery, and although there were just the five runners, the third has since just been touched off at Yarmouth in a well-run contest. I wondered two starts back at Nottingham (5f, g-f), when Marajito seemed to get tapped for a toe at a crucial stage, if she might be worth another try at 6f. Of her three previous attempts at the trip, two came when qualifying for a mark, and the other came at Nottingham last autumn on easy ground when never involved at odds of 80-1 in a class 2 Grassroots Series' Final. The selection is eligible for weaker races than this one but is on a mark she can win off, jockey Oisin McSweeney has a record of a win and a second from two rides on her, and she's 1-1 at Redcar. |
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A couple of poor ones unfortunately...
The Curragh race was on split screen so I'll have a proper look back at that one later on Replay, but I saw enough to see that Absoluteassignment was well beaten. I made a note to keep an eye out for Marajito when she was tried over 6f again, but she wasn't winning at any trip this evening, having been too lit up on the front-end. 2026 Running P/L: +55.16 pts |
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Cercis, 1pt EW @ 9-1, 5.13 Windsor
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Cercis
Cercis has been initially rated just 58 after three starts, and so may find better opportunities in handicaps in due course, rather than taking on potentially better types as she does here from the Walker and Haggas yards. However, those two fillies that dominate the betting for this are returning from long absences, so I'm going to take a chance on Cercis, for whom the return to 6f may suit. Not much went right for Cercis nine days ago at Doncaster (7f, g-f), having been awkward at the start and pulled hard, then having gone clear at one point, she was only headed around half-a-furlong out, ultimately proving no match for a long odds-on Shadwell-owned colt. It did seem on that Doncaster card that getting some cover was no bad thing, so all things considered the effort of Cercis can be marked up, for all it might have been a case of something had to finish second in that four-runner contest, with the second favourite having blew out badly. The BHA's update page informs us that a strong breeze is forecast during racing, so it remains to be seen if certain tactics are favoured on the night. |
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I know how fond you are of those big field class 6 Classified races. So you might be out of your comfort zone to tackle group races on a regular basis?
But it could be a idea to mix it up a bit. |
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WP, I have plenty in the notebook that contest Group 1s, but the point is the market is well clued up about the horses and therefore the betting tends to be accurate about an individual's chance.
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Maybe. But you can also get hype horses in these races and these invariably go off very short in the betting and thus other runners in the race can represent true value. I would suggest a joint thread whereby we choose selections from class 3 and above races but the first class 3 this week is Novice at Kempton and the Charlie Appleby short priced fav will be tough to beat. So we'd have to wait until Thirsk on Friday for a couple of Handicaps to get our teeth into. There's absolutely nothing wrong with British racing though! They did have one good idea about breaking up a week like this one up with some good competitive racing, but that was soon put in the bin
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WP, thanks, but I'm happy to concentrate on just this one for the remainder of this year.
Why don't you start a Group race slection thread? |
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I might do this, GB
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GL George, with your picjke
me ownne opinione; thinkke bothe favs is opposable in thisse.... Sunday Girl 10/11 guessingge wandttes furda.... laid ye Frankel beasdte for 2-pl atte ~4/9... hopingge ye other #Blondie one, Just Dreaming 22/1, can mekk boldde bidde fromme frondte like in her 4th & lto runne, at Salisbury oer ye sixxe... tried lead thenne, saddle slippedde, finiscjedde 2ndde atte a hundred in a stiffishhe affair and time were only moderate thatte daye... still, hopingge canne be in frondte forre longge wayes ere mightte gette #turnedde#ova at shawtte price in ye runne, Just Dreaming, ye hoss whatte represendtes lst yrs winningge jock/traina combo... PS- never mindde themme Group races i sez  ... largely too hardde - too many ones and twos in formme-figures; as well as everythingge else... some punters dinna give a crappe ahboute "quality" racesse : a 5to2 winna in Classified , Cl4 or Maiden is same as 5to2 shotte winningge in #Derby, etc...  us 2 centtes.. gl todaye :) |
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Good luck WP & vonclausewitz
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Von on the wind up, surely? lol I thinkee mightte be zee beasdte Rico
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A headwind at Windsor this evening, so I was pleased when Cercis got some cover behind Sunday Girl, but that one proved to be in a different league, and my pick wasn't any match for Encore either.
That'll teach me for taking on the big boys. 2026 Running P/L: +53.16 pts |
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ya were right tae hae a go, George
props to those who tekk on shorties |
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Thomas Tallis, 1pt EW @ 14-1, 4.35 Wolverhampton (4 PLACES)
Thomas Tallis was only officially rated 38 when contesting a one-mile, 0-55 handicap last time at Southwell, but it didn't look a bad effort based on how that race panned out, with him having to use up some gas to get to the lead and eventually cross to the rail whilst not having much peace on the front-end, in a contest where the two who beat him were ridden more patiently. His revised official rating is only 44 and he's now into a 0-60 contest, while 7lb claimer Finlay Bassett is still awaiting his first winner after 34 rides, but the selection has only had the six starts to date so hopefully he can build on that latest effort. |
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looks good price thatte one.. GL.. done win and 3/4pl; & w on Book Of Life 11/2....
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Unlucky George
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hhmm, dunno aboute jock on le picjke Thomas Tallis... seemedde to have plenty of horse , did plenty lookingge aroundde, andde foundde plenty trouble.. mebbe inexperience / mebbe horse notte good enuffe... lookedde to be bout evs or shorterre to fill a top3 spotte there - comingge close 2bidnesse endde :( goes downne as unlucjky one thatte..
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Try to take your oven gloves off when trying to post,Von Strublhoffer
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Yes, made for frustrating viewing. I think the problem was he was stuck in behind the two pacesetters who were feeling the pinch rounding the home bend, then had nowhere to go turning in and ended up clipping heels.
2026 Running P/L: +51.16 pts |
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Cotai Starlight, 1pt EW @ 10-1, 4.00 Carlisle (4 PLACES)
Chapel Island, 1pt EW @ 16-1, 4.49 Navan (5 PLACES) My Mate Beattie, 1pt EW @ 28-1, 6.30 Southwell |
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Cotai Starlight
Cotai Starlight was a selection last time when I wrote: Cotai Starlight was the outsider of the field when scoring at 28-1 at Ayr (6f, g-f) last month, and showed that was no fluke by running respectably under a 6lb penalty a week later back over that C&D (g-f) to finish a 2L 4th of 9; the runner-up from the latter contest has won subsequently. She's been weak in the betting this morning ahead of being tried at 5f and running at Hamilton for the first time, with easier ground forecast, but a chance is taken at a double-figure price in this hands-and-heels race, with her still being open to improvement after just six starts. =============================== Her chance was compromised at the start at Hamilton when being squeezed out and on the backfoot thereafter. She still has to prove that 5f is suitable but looks worth another chance at the trip granted getting away on terms this time. |
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Chapel Island
Chapel Island was a selection last time when I wrote: It looked a mark-up effort from Chapel Island two starts back at Navan (good) when he was tried beyond 10f for just the second time, having had a tough trip from the widest draw in a field of sixteen, in a contest where the three who finished ahead of him had all been ridden more conservatively. He finished well held last time, however, in a field of seven at Down Royal, when tried over 13f, so while it's possible the trip might have stretched him, the race might have come soon enough thirteen days on. The concern today is the drop back in trip to 9.5f on what may be the quickest ground he has encountered, but that penultimate effort suggested he should be up to winning in this 0-60 grade when things pan out more favourably, so a chance is taken in the hope that this doesn't prove to be too sharp a test for him. ==================================================== Chapel Island ran well to finish 3rd at Gowran having had plenty of use made of him when down in trip to 9.5f. In contrast to last time, he's been weak in the betting so far today, now back up markedly in trip to 14f, along with a rise in grade, while having a wide draw to overcome, but a chance is taken at the odds in the hope he gets a reasonably efficient trip returned to Navan. |
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My Mate Beattie
My Mate Beattie was a selection last time when I wrote: My Mate Beattie is still a maiden after 26 starts, but only 9 of those have been on turf, and she showed enough last time at Ffos Las (6f, good), from out of the handicap, when finishing a close third, to suggest a basement-grade race can fall her way. The winner has since run well to make the frame in a slightly higher grade at Windsor. It's a slight concern that the selection has generally been kept away from quick ground on turf, and she does appear to have a bit of a knee action, but I'm going to take a chance at the prices that she back that latest effort up, returned to 0-50 classified stakes company. ================================================================= My Mate Beattie could only finish 5th of the nine runners at Yarmouth, but had to be switched to the far side for a run in a race where the pace held up, and did enough to suggest she was still in form. She's returned to the AW this evening and back up in distance to 7f, but has made the frame on four occasions over this trip on synthetics including once at this venue. |