Ante-Post

    The period between the end of Glorious Goodwood and the Ebor Festival at York is one of the quieter punting times for me and although I haven't had any bets in the last week or so I've been watching a fair amount of racing and thinking ahead to the Jumps season. Losing my job on the railway at the start of the year has had a really beneficial effect on my betting, it's sort of concentrated my mind and made me focus on where I do well and where I don't and I've eliminated the bets that don't work for me. Watching lower grade racing in an attempt to obtain tracker horses has been the big positive this summer and I will continue to do this in the winter, something I haven't really done in the past. Although I prefer the jumps my winter betting strategy has always revolved around Cheltenham and whilst that Festival will continue to be enormously important to me I'd like to just watch more action and pick up horses to follow. I think the reason I've always nixed the idea of watching lower grade stuff is the thought that soft ground handicaps always finish with horses strung out over large distances. There seems no reason not to give it a go though.

     I got in early on Pallasator for the Ebor itself and I'm in a good position with his current odds looking very short at around 4/1. It's a competitive race obviously but I thought it prudent to add one of his biggest rivals and I expect a big run from Havana Cooler who ran a cracking race at Goodwood last time out. That course didn't seem to suit the horse that much as he wandered under pressure and the long straight at York will be far more up his street, as it will Pallasator of course.

    As you can see from the bottom of the page I'm very keen on Josses Hill for the Arkle and I'll be putting him in doubles throughout the remainder of the flat and into the winter. If he takes to fences like I expect him to I want to be in position for a huge pay-out in March.

Ebor:
Pallasator £20w @ 14/1
Havana Cooler £10w @ 11/1
Havana Cooler/Josses Hill (Arkle) £10w dbl @ 10/1 and 10/1

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 £10w @ 26/1