Desert Orchid
Senior Jockey
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2005
- Messages
- 25,034
I have half an eye on Nelson (boom boom) ...
- my kind of humour...
You're Tim Vine in disguise, right?
I have half an eye on Nelson (boom boom) ...
I'll chip in with Savalas 22/1 for the Portland, angles are : handles all surfaces, cheekpieces on first time, stable recently rattling in big price winners & only runner out this weekend
... quiet in between then popping up nicely in big handicaps
I'll be disappointed if I don't get my head in front with these longshots today.
5.15 Ffos Las
The Bear Can Fly 40s (Sportsbook and PP), 33s general
Down to 10 runners but still a nice each way angle here. Ground coming right at Ffos Las and should hopefully be soft by race time. PLY taking 7 off can only help.
3.10 Brighton - Towelrads Boy - 25s general
I don't think this is without a chance today. Was held up at Kempton last time and presumably didn't stay the trip but ran at Leicester in June over 6 like he needed further.
I'm hoping over this 7f they can go a bit quick up front and this one can pick up the pieces as the come back up the stiff finish.
Three-year-olds have a good record in this race, probably due to being steep curve horses, and two recent such winners have gone on to much better things. Addeybb is touching G1 class and GM Hopkins has been a regular under big weights in the big handicaps in the last couple of seasons. For that reason as well as because I have him as a +p horse, Jazeel is on the short-list.
Four year-olds have a poor record with only four managing a place in the last ten seasons. I’m not a believer in stats and no doubt a 4yo will win this one day if not this year but it does make you wonder. 5yos fare a little better with two winners but from many more runners. The other two winners in the last ten years have been older than five, probably down to being sleepers dropping back down the weights, with the other two age groups caught somewhere in the handicapper’s grip. However, there are two four-year-olds who might not be. Keyser Soze threatened to land a big prize earlier this season and has been given a quiet time of it lately while bottom-weight Little Jo is definitely on a curve that might be quite steep. He’s officially 6lbs well in so it’s no surprise to see him at the head of the betting. Both have to be on the short-list too.
The others for consideration are the two sleepers at the top of the figures on their old form, My Target and Swift Emperor, and Nicholas T. My Target has come down no fewer than 24lbs in the last 18 months and has only run twice on turf in that time, being tailed off (100/1) in last year’s Hunt Cup and a decent runner-up last time. He’s actually been dropped a pound for finishing second that day so the handicapper clearly doesn’t rate the race. I think he’s worth fun money at decent odds.
The handicapper hasn’t yet split Swift Emperor’s ratings between turf and all-weather despite the horse looking better on synthetics, certainly this season, but his ratings have been picking up lately on turf and it may be that he is just starting to come into form this autumn. His overall profile suggests he’s maybe a spring & autumn type. Again, I won’t miss a little fun money at long odds.
Jim Goldie brought Karaka Jack down from up here in the central belt to win this race in 2015 and he is more than capable of pulling off a job. At the longest odds of the lot and a +p type Nicholas T gets the vote as the main bet, each-way of course.
I’m happy to let Little Jo win unbacked, likewise Jazeel and Keyser Soze.
Bets
5.15 ½ pt ew Nicholas T 33/1; ¼ pt win My Target 25/1; ¼ pt win Swift Emperor 25/1
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Market Rasen 2.50 Waltz Darling 33/1 could be very well handicapped if anything left in the tank? Seemed to love the course and going last year