Goodwood - 12th June

    A good start to this hectic period of the betting year on Wednesday with Express Himself narrowly scoring at Haydock. I was really pleased with this win, not so much the financial reward (it was a small bet) but with the way he won. He lost four or five lengths as they came out of the stalls and winning after such a tardy start just showed how well handicapped he was.

    I'm very keen on Putting Green in the 7.00 at Goodwood tomorrow. This horse was fifth in the now famous handicap at Sandown that Jack Hobbs plundered at the end of April. But it was his run over the same course and distance a month later when he narrowly failed to beat another Jack Hobbs victim that saw him enter my tracker list. He was held up that day and had to be switched a couple of times from his inside position on the rail before flying home on the outside. He was beaten a short head but had to cover more ground than the winner who had the run of the race. Since then the third from the Jack Hobbs race demolished a handicap on Derby day at Epsom off a slightly higher mark and the only worrying thing is the presence of a Cumani talking horse at the head of tomorrow's market. I say worrying because I tend to always fear that trainer's horses in handicaps but he has ensured a better price than expected about the selection. I managed to get a slice of 100/30 when the market opened earlier this afternoon and have topped up just now at 11/4.

Sir Eric Parker Memorial Handicap:
Putting Green £60w @ 313/100 (3rd)

(-580.75)