It's right about now at Royal Ascot . . .

4 well back favs won yesterday.

I thought you were going to say that the idiot jocks switch sides on the straight track. They did that yesterday, for no obvious reason, but the much smaller group ended up dominant. It's a farce that the draw should play such a role, and it's the same every year. Right now if you have something low then you are almost certainly struggling unless we get the infamous switcheround. How can you bet ante-post under those circumstances? Then you have the guessing about horse and ground when you get quick ground. I don't believe that the vast majority of punters can tell which horses who have form on good ground will let themselves down on quicker. Much easier to determine between good and soft. As for favourites, good luck if your bag is backing shorties. Most will get beat. Even the much hyped one on the first day fell over the line. The meeting is stacked against the punter. You can have horses run really well, beat a stack of other runners, and get nothing back for the experience. That isn't a good experience, particularly on repeat. We get involved because it is Royal Ascot, but there comes a time when the prudent move is to say no thanks, and hoist the white flag. Losing isn't great. I might still land on a big price, and cover the losses, but the reality is I probably won't, and it will be more of the same. There is far too much guessing and luck involved with flat racing full stop. It lends itself far too much to inside knowledge compared to the jumps, and of course there is far too much of it, most of it dirge. Those who think otherwise put your bets up pre-race, and we can see if you simply talk a good game, and enjoy the buzz of losing money.

I thought Fat Boy Slim was appearing after racing.

It’s easy enough to lay ‘em differentdrum.

I don't know whether it is or not. My enjoyment has always been trying to find a winner before the race, not a loser. Not saying I couldn't, each to their own.