****The Shrewdies Team Selections Thread 2021****

Fair play Whippin

Hopefully the rest will turn up

I'll try to find a winner this time, I still can't wrap my head around going 14+ without getting close

Think I'll go with EW punts and just play the anchor role or something , try and nibble points leaving the likes of Chav and yourself to hit the main boys

Whippin, I don't see recent forum activity for Platinum & Tiger.
unlucky Stu and nocturnal are around but have you tried messaging them?

Evening Shrewdies

Almost choked on a glass of Cabernet

Keep the faith Sont,form is temporary,your time is a coming.

Fancy a 6/4 shot saturday ....... Not in my lifetime

Hope your all well,no heckling please until at least week 2.

WP has broad shoulders,feel free to hassle him at any point

We've found noc at least so that's 3, sure Tiger will join once he knows

Anyone seen Chavvers?

Yes, Chav has committed his future to the team for another season.

I'm guessing you've not been on the main thread for a while? I posted something of a meet the team thing on there last week. Here it is.

Meet the Shrewdies. This is my forthright and sometimes affectionate assessment of my team.
(In alphabetical order)

Chavman (Also known as: Chav & Chavmeister General)
Chav is very much the Paolo Di Canio of the team and like the fiery Italian, Chav is capable of moments of pure brilliance....selecting big priced winners comes so easy to the guy. But, Chav also wears his heart on his sleeve and this can lead to the issues with his temperament and in turn lead to run-ins with rule makers and opposing players alike. It will be up to his Captain and the rest of the team to help Chav keep a lid on things. He can then channel his energies into what he excels at.....finding tidy priced winners for the team.

Itsmeswaddle (Also known as: Swad, Brother Swad & IMS)
Swad, loves nothing better than sorting out the runners in class 5&6 handicaps. When most of us see a horse on 20+ losing run as horse possibly gone at the game, Swad sees a horse that's potentially well handicapped! His unique approach to the game helped him secure the biggest priced winner for the team last season. Maybe he peaked a little too soon? Because he couldn't hit those heights again during the rest of the season. Sometimes a little hesitant pulling the trigger he was left with no choice some weeks but to put up a shortie and that's just not Swad's game. A real workhorse, he won't fail the team through lack of effort, that's for sure.

Nocturnal (Also known as: Noc)
Noc, is calmness personified. You’d never know with him if he was on a 20+ losing run or had just backed a 33/1+ winner, which is something he manages to pull off throughout his betting year. He approaches both codes in a disciplined, well regimented manner and is always looking beyond those at the head of the market for his value bets. Noc, will regularly burn the midnight oil in an attempt to spot one the market and his fellow punters might have missed. Didn't set last season alight but it was at a time he was experiencing a case of seconditis with his flat bets. Of course he still chipped in with a customary big priced winner.
Noc, has since struck a rich vein of form this NH season, so I'm expecting a bold showing this time around from this much loved & valued member of the team. When Noc isn’t talking horse racing, you can find him in his large wine cellar!

Platinum (Also known as: Plat & Platty)
Plat is very much an unknown quantity. He stated he was more of a layer than a backer before the start of last season’s comp but acquitted himself well with a handful of winners.
Plat, seemed to be enjoying backing nature of the comp but then fell afoul of the rule makers and as a result one of his winning selections was deemed void. This unfortunate incident seem to take the wind out of his sails for the remainder of the season.
Plat, doesn't post much anywhere in Befair forum kingdom. So, I'm not sure if he's interested in taking up his place in the team this season? Hopefully he does and he returns with all guns blazing.

SontaranStratagem (Also known as: SS & Sonny)
Sonny, really tested the saying "God loves a trier" last season.
Because no matter how hard he tried, God wasn't prepared to give him any loving! I know he doesn’t need any reminding....but Sonny drew a blank last season. But, we had a sit down to see what we could do to help him get back among the winners this season.
To his credit, he's gone away and looked at his game and decided to make some changes with the full support of his family, friends and team mates. I now sense a new found confidence emanating from Sonny before the start of this season. He’s looking to play the percentage game and pick up bits and pieces in the Each Way market if need be. I really hope he can get on the score sheet early doors. Whether it be one off his shin 1 yard out or a 30 yard lash that takes a huge deflection, loops over the goalkeeper and nestles in the back of the net. He and the team will take it!

Tiger Tiger (Also known as: Tiger)
If they handed out awards for consistency, Tiger would carry off the prize every season. I don’t have the stats to hand but I think I’m right in saying that Tiger put more wins on the board for the team last season than any other member. Tiger’s motto is: A bird in the hand is better than 2 in the bush. He likes form horses and tends to get on those at the head of the market before the inside money comes flooding in for them. I’m confident, Tiger will again make sure we put some points on the board most weeks, thus taking the pressure off the flair players in the team so they can do their thing. Away from horse racing, Tiger is a huge fan of Alcoholic refreshments!

UnluckyStu (Also known as: Stu)
Stu, is the quiet one of the team and likes to go about his business with the minimum of fuss, rather like how his selections win! Stu, put a number of winners on the board last season and I noticed he looked to Ireland for most of his selections. Now, I’m not sure if he’s based in the Emerald Isle or that he just has a unique insight into the Irish horse racing scene. Either way, I hope he returns again this season to help us build on the team’s decent debut run in the comp.

Just a bit of fun so I hope you chaps won't desert me and the team now.

east end boy confirmed for you.

How about we give unluckyStu until Saturday evening and then we'll try and fill any vacancy on the go?

East End Boy(Also known as: TBC)
Well, we did it. We beat the transfer deadline and brought in a new player in the shape of, East End Boy. Myself and the rest of the lads would like to wish you a very warm welcome to the team. I was given an an extensive dossier from my scout on EEB and I feel once he's adapted to life in team Shrewdie and finds his feet, he will be a major asset to the team. If I can get 2/3 winners from EEB this season, I would consider it a very tidy bit of business. Good luck and welcome, East End Boy.

Hello Captain Whippin . Do you need a vice captain. I have never been accused of been shrewd but i will give it a go and hope i dont let the team down.

You're not wrong there, Noc!
Just treat it as a bit of fun and don't be too hard on yourself if you don't happen to put up a winning selection. All I would say to yourself and the rest of the team is just put one up you'd be happy to back with cash. Win or lose, I really can't ask for more than that. Good luck and enjoy!

Dont worry East end boy you can't do any worse than my first effort in this

Chav isn't messing around this season. I like it!

I fancied McFabulous to win the stayers and backed the horse for the race in the AP market months ago. He's just too short for me today, especially with the trip shorter than ideal. I'm kind of disappointed they are swerving the stayers hurdle. Apart from the front 2 in the market, there isn't a whole lot of strength in dept to the race. Also it's not beyond the realms of fantasy to think the horse could reverse the form with those front 2, If he was held onto longer and with improvement likely after that race and the one at Kempton and also conditions likely to be much quicker at Cheltenham. Really strange decision to turn down the chance of Stayers hurdle glory IMO.

GL this week team.

Thought that we might all have been given an extra selections, or even three, or one a day during the Cheltenham Festival?

So much for Sportsbook, I think Envoi Allen will go off 4/9 on the day, tried to get £1k at 4/5 and was knocked back, was quoted £325 max, tried the same with Galvin in the National Hunt Chase, even worse here, not only knocked back but was only offered £83!! Waste of time. Two that I think will both shorten either pre race or during the race.

I am weighing up a selection tomorrow, I will give the selection THEOTHERSIDE running in the last at Newcastle, I would prefer 8 run and its well found in the market with such a long absence (6 months), if you can completly ignore its two runs on soft and worse...which I can...its potentially well in here. Hannon poor form but the jockey is well worth (7) imo.

Into a class 4 and its already scooped a class 2 last season. Mark of 84 and (7) taken off by the claim is fair.

Run style suits Newcastle, should be staying on to the line.

GL if you play Swad.

Positives: Class of the race. Useful claimer riding. Lightly raced & more improvement likely to come. Stable SR at the course. Not much strength in-depth to the race

Negatives: Stable form. Unproven at the distance. Could be a tee up race. And my main concern, first race on the tappy.

Tiger, on this occasion that knock back might just have saved you a few quid.

I have gone for one today 3.10 Brianstorm

Good luck east

Oh Dear