thehappysnapper

I've always wondered why bookmakers in the UK dont allow you to have more on the place than they do on the win. I know the each way terms sometimes favour the punter but its certainly not always the case yet still the majority dont offer place markets. And surely by offering place only markets they can just set the odds where ever they want anyway?

I have never kept a proper ledger of my bets so i cant be sure of this but it certainly feels like i have had more than my fair share of 2nds and 3rds down the years and not enough winners. I pretty sure most gamblers feel hard done by in exactly the same way so it could well just be the 'unlucky punter' in me coming out. So with the help of the betfair place market i intend on having a much larger stake on the place part of the bet (80/20 where possible).

On to the other bet at Ffos and i've come down on the side of Journalistic in the first at 20/1 win and 5/2 place first 3. Held up off a slow pace last time at kempton over 7f but showed definitely signs of ability and hinted the extra furlong and a more galloping track will suit.

Macdonald mor has plenty of questions to answer and the form of city dazzlers 3rd last time is suspect. I wish i had the stats for how many hannon 2yo's win on their 3rd start but i bet its not too many.

Nothing negative to say about Silver Lime who will certainly tough to beat and market has certainly backed that up. He has been off the track slightly longer than i like but thats not unusual for one of Charlton's so thats not really a negative.

A small bet win and place.

Both maidens at ffos las interest me but it is the 2nd on the card that i have decided to play in and its Clive Cox's gelding Drakes Drum that will be carrying the lofty expectations of my followers, which i happen to notice currently stands at none.

I'm not totally convinced the form of the newmarket maiden in which he made his debut will work out to be very strong as not many horses have run since but enough horses carried decent form into the race to suggest its not going to be terrible. Was sent off 8/1 and travelled nicely enough until meeting the rising ground in the last furlong which looked to catch him out a little especially on the soft ground. The combination of a flatter track, better ground and benefit of a run will stand him in very good stead to go extremely well this afternoon. Clive also has his string in good health and rarely makes the trip to ffos las with just 5 runners (1 winner, 20% strike rate not to be sniffed at) since the course openned.

Been through the field with pretty fine tooth comb, which wasnt hard being just an 8 runner contest. Taking 9/4 about Change The Subject and/or Quadrant looks a highly risky investment altho both have bits of form that would make them hard to beat if at their best. Both sporting headgear now and on the back of disappointing runs last time Change the subject a well beaten favourite on the all weather which he may not have liked but being an american bred im not sure we can just put it down to that especially as he was also beaten 29l at haydock 3 starts back. In 5 starts it looks to me as tho he has only put in 1 decent effort and doesnt appear to have 4 good excuses for the others. Interesting to note he was wearing first time head gear when running a close up 4th on handicap debut and may already have got wise to that judged on his last effort at Wolverhampton.

I probably fear Quadrant most of the two as he seems to have better excuses and has actually already got his head in front just to be dsq on a dope test. Was a very competitive handicap that he got beaten in at newmarket so that was no disgrace and last time was coming back from a long break so could have been badly needing the run again. That said he had no problem running a big race first time out in april behind dubawi sound so i think its more likely he is now regressing fast. The ground may well have been an excuse at ripon but if didnt like the good to soft there he probably isnt going to like it at ffos las today either.

Always difficult confidently taking on newcomers from big yards like Al Zarooni's Nakhutha and it will be worth keeping an eye on the market. Really rate AZ as trainers go espeically with his 2yo's but was looking at some stats when he puts tony murgia up and it doesnt make good reading for godophin fans. Hes ok on 2yo's winning on 18% of his rides but out of 28 rides on 3yo's for Al Zarooni he is yet to bag a winner 20 of them have been in maiden company. Now Al doesnt have a problem sending out 3yo winners but for some reason when he does Mr Murgia is nowhere to be seen.

The only other runner worth a mention is Henry Candy's Beachamp Zorro but he was sent of 40/1 in the same newmarket maiden as Drakes Drum and was comfortably held. I think its unlikely hes going to make much more improvement than Drake to bridge the gap.

Lets hope Drake can kick the driest blog in the history of the internet off with a winner at around 6/1 or bigger.

Before i get started 'blogging' i have had to google exactly what a blog is..

From “Web log.” A blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is “blogging” and someone who keeps a blog is a “blogger.”‘

Pretty much what i thought it was to be honest so im on the right lines and off to a good start.

As this is a betting website i guess i'm going to blogging about my punting life rather than what i had for breakfast or how many pints i drank last night. I suppose i will be using this to keep track of wins and loses as well of course in true betfair forum fashion slagging off bad rides and generally whinging about how unlucky i have been.

bet one at ffos las coming up shortly.