Ffos Las - 31st July

    No bets at Goodwood today. I think Angel Gabrial can outrun his double figure price in the Goodwood Cup but it's a big step up in class for him.

    I backed Warrior of Light in a handicap at Newmarket last Friday but he was withdrawn before the race, I don't know why, but it obviously wasn't an injury as he's out this evening at Ffos Las. It's a similar type race and the same comments about him apply here - he's a horse with a progressive profile who should relish the trip. The Godolphin animal that heads the market is less solid than Connecticut (who impressively won that event on the July Course) was so I'm more confident of a return.

Clogau 25th Anniversary Handicap:
Warrior of Light £40w @ 5/2 (won)

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Goodwood - 30th July

    I haven't put Glorious in the title because from a betting point of view it really isn't this year. I fancied nothing yesterday and today's action is almost as uninspiring. The opener has tempted me in though, mainly because when I see a horse trading as short as Maid in Rio is for a 12 runner handicap I feel there has to be value somewhere. As solid a chance as that horse has I do like Lieutenant Miller at around 10/1. He has a number of factors in his favour today. One, he ran well in this very race last season in finishing second to another Johnston inmate in Broxbourne. Two, he has a better chance than his down the field run in the Ascot Stakes last time out would suggest. He was cut up by the winner that day and was tenderly ridden out by Ryan Moore. Finally, Goodwood is a turning, undulating track that is suited to the higher rated animals in handicaps and Lieutenant Miller carries top weight. He has a very solid each way chance.

Goodwood Stakes:
Lieutenant Miller £20ew @ 10/1 (lost)

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Ascot - 26th July

    I've been having problems posting this entry, it was ok for my initial post but I've just come to edit it to update the blog and find I've lost what I'd written.

    Suffice it to say I got the King George wrong and Taghrooda was most impressive. I was against the Gosden 3yos and backed Magician and Telescope.

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes:
Magician £40w @ 61/10 (lost)
Telescope £25w @ 11/4 (2nd)

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Newmarket - 25th July

    The penultimate race on this evening's card at Newmarket is an interesting 12f handicap that pits a couple of progressive looking 3yos against some older rivals. Warrior of Light and Connecticut are the names of these younger horses and they dominate the betting at 9/2 and around 6/5 respectively. The latter is trained by Luca Cumani and seems a bit of a buzz horse but I believe the price differential between the two is excessive. Warrior of Light went into my tracker after his last effort at Goodwood. He was hemmed in between horses around 2f out that day and had to be switched in order to make his claim but by the time he had clear air in front of him the winner had gotten first run and Goodwood is the sort of track where that sort of ground is difficult to make up. Warrior of Light ran on really well all the way to the line though, comfortably beating the remainder of the opposition and as a High Chaparral colt this step up in trip to a mile and a half should really suit. That same comment applies to Connecticut also and there was plenty to like about his last run at York but he does seems very short tonight.

32Red Handicap:
Warrior of Light £40w @ 9/2 (NR)

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King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes

    Up until a few days ago the King George looked a tight race from a betting point of view with Telescope a touch short but quite solid nonetheless after a really impressive win over course and distance in the Hardwicke, Magician priced about right at around 7/2 and Taghrooda at 11/2. But over the weekend the Oaks winner's price has collapsed whilst Magician has been really weak on Betfair. This drift suggested the Ballydoyle colt was a possible non runner but with Australia pretty much nailed on to run in the Juddmonte next month I can't see any other race for him so I took a chance last night at 11 and have topped up slightly at 8 just now. I'm always careful with horses from that stable who look artifically big for a race but it's a chance worth taking for small stakes.

King George:
Magician £10w @ 85/10

Redcar - 20th July

    Duke Cosimo is a horse I've had on my tracker since he won a handicap at Doncaster in mid May. He was trained as a 3yo by Sir Michael Stoute before joing David Barron this season. As good as SMS is David is a master with sprinters and judged on his aforementioned effort at Donny this horse looks on the up and up. He responded really well to pressure that day and I've been waiting for him to come out ever since. Not much else to say really, if a tracker horse runs under similar conditions that he or she faced when catching my eye in the first place they're gonna be a bet unless the price is stupid short and 5/1 strikes me as fair enough. He's a relatively lightly raced sprinter and has scope for further progress.

Yorkshire Summer Racing Handicap:
Duke Cosimo £40w @ 5/1 (lost)

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Newbury and The Curragh - 19th July

    We're in that time of the racing year where between Festivals a lot of the Saturday action is rather mundane. I don't like anything enough for a normal sized bet today but I have put a couple of horses in an each way double.

    Al Kazeem returns to action today after proving mostly infertile at stud and I want to be against him at around 2/1 as we have no idea what kind of form he'll be in. There isn't a whole lot running against him but the presence of the Fabre trained Triple Threat is interesting. It's clear the master trainer has brought him over for decent ground and that bit of the going description that contains the word firm may bring about some improvement as his form is largely better on good ground than softer.

    Over in Ireland Ballydoyle run half the field in the Irish Oaks and Bracelet appeals most from a form perspective. Riding arrangements however seem to indicate she is third choice at best which is a bit of a turn off. This stiff 12f will suit her given how she powered all the way to the line in the Ribblesdale and it's hard to see her out of the frame if she runs to form.

Steventon Stakes/Irish Oaks:
Triple Threat (lost)/Bracelet £10ew double @ 6/1 and 9/1

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Ante-Post

    Of all the horses in my tracker Wilde Inspiration was the one I was least convinced of but his performance in finishing second at Chester on Saturday confrmed the worthiness of his inclusion. Drawn 7 of 9 his jockey took him to the inside rail before making a move down the outside and ending up a touch unlucky. He covered more ground than any other horse in the race and is a winner waiting to happen.

    On the ante-post front apart from a pretty forlorn looking wager on Flintshire for the Arc I have no fancies at all in the upcoming Group races and the second part of the season will probably be dominated by cuts at the big handicaps. I took 14s about Pallasator for the Ebor when the prices came out a few days ago as I think the race will suit him and expect a big improvement from his first run a week or so ago at Haydock. That race was over an inadequate mile and a half and I thought he would struggle to be honest but he battled all the way to the line and as a big very tall horse he can only progress from that run. I backed him last year in the Cesarewitch when he looked to have every chance before fading in the last half furlong or so but he's a lightly raced animal and that race generally goes to battle hardened pros. He has a big chance on the Knavesmire. Angel Gabrial heads the market and is naturally hugely respected but he went up a whopping ten pounds for his Plate victory and that as well as the step down in trip is enough to put me off.

Ebor:
Pallasator £20w @ 14/1

Arc:
Flintshire £10w @ 41/1

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Arkle:
Josses Hill £25w @ 108/10

Gold Cup:
Champagne Fever £10w @ 20/1
Taquin Du Seuil £5w @ 26/1

Newmarket and Chester - 12th July

    This Saturday is probably the most controversial race day of the year and has been since the July Cup was moved to it's current spot. With good action on the July course, York and Ascot trainers, jockeys and punters are spread thin and the general feeling is at least one of those meetings should be moved to a quieter weekend. Personally as a very selective punter I don't really care as I don't study every race on a card and never have done. I look at the conditions races and any event that a tracker horse pops up in.

    The July Cup looks a fascinating renewal with so many in the field not guaranteed to appreciate the conditions and although Slade Power looks incredibly solid as one of the few in it who that comment doesn't apply to I think we could have one or two outsiders hitting the frame and I'm prepared to give Astaire another chance after his rather disappointing run in the Diamond Jubilee last time out. He helped set the pace that day and was found out to a certain extent but the soft ground he'll encounter today will suit him and I think he has place claims. The rest of the field seems to be made of animals who are tricky on the ground (Aljamaaheer, Sole Power), trip (Gregorian, Hot Streak) or a combination of both.

    My other bet is in the last at Chester. Wilde Inspiration has been on my tracker since his unlucky in running second in a handicap at Doncaster in May and this is his first race in similar company since. He has won a maiden since that effort and went up a couple of extra pounds for that win and carries top weight today but Chester is one of the best courses in the country for weight carrying and I was happy to take 6/1 about him yesterday evening.

July Cup:
Astaire £25pl @ 5/1 (lost)

Apprentice Handicap:
Wilde Inspiration £40w @ 6/1 (2nd)

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Newmarket - 10th July

    The July meeting at Newmarket is a "festival" that doesn't really get my juices flowing but I usually find a bet or two. Sir Michael Stoute has the front two in the market for tomorrow's Princess of Wales's Stakes but I think the price differential (evens and 7/2 in a place) between Arab Spring and Hillstar is excessive and I've backed the latter. It's a fascinating clash between the two in many ways with Arab Spring graduating from handicap company and Hillstar being a fixture in group races and their last two efforts on the same day at Royal Ascot were radically different in terms of the way the respective races panned out. Arab Spring was always well placed in his handicap and kicked clear in the straight, the race very much going his way. Whereas as Hillstar was anchored towards the rear in the Hardwicke and by the time he got a run Telescope had been booted into an unassaible lead. He stayed on well to finish second though and overall his form on a decent surface such as we have on the July course tomorrow is the best in the race for all of Arab Spring's promise (don't forget he made the frame in last year's King George) and I think he's overpriced.

Princess of Wales's Stakes:
Hillstar £50w @ 36/10 (2nd)

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