I start today feeling trapped between a rock and a hard place and with no way out. Racing’s great and good got together earlier in the week for a strategy meeting and it appears that everyone may, just may, be pulling in the same direction at last. Great news I hear you cry, but wait a minute - who was actually represented at this meeting? Which of the major bookmakers, who I may see as an enemy on occasion, but who sponsor oodles of races and know as fact what races yield the best returns to the levy – correct, not one bookmaker was invited to the meeting. How about the HBF (Horseracing Bettors Forum), like it or not the only officially recognised body to represent punters views and supported by the BHA (and Yes, I am a member) – I’m guessing my invite got lost in the post? Of course I am delighted that they are finally acknowledging there is a problem but we are all in this together, and if they try to solve it while ignoring the betting of the business I am frightened that they are doomed to failure before they really get started.
Luckily for you that’s all I want to say this week (I’m on another holiday) but next week will be all about the Arc from Paris – bring it on!
On to the racing
2.25pm Newmarket
Faint heart never won a fair lady as they say (or said a few thousand years ago), so I will ignore the prices for a change and go with my gut at newmarket this afternoon, so fingers crossed all round. Plenty of better judges than me still think Mawj may be the best two-year-old filly they have seen this year so far, and who am I to argue when she is currently trading at a double figure price. Trained by Saeed bin Suroor, once the Godolphin king-pin but now overshadowed by Charlie Appleby, the daughter of Exceed And Excel has won two of her four starts, one over this C&D, and was last seen coming home fourth at York in the Lowther Stakes where she failed to get to the front early on as expected. I doubt they make that error again here as I am sure she is already crying out for further than this, and if she makes her own running, she could well come home alone.
3.00pm Newmarket
The Middle Park Stakes looks a very decent contest on paper at least, with four of the eight declared a winner last time out, and three of the others placing. Big stables are represented via the likes of Blackbeard and The Antarctic (Aidan O’Brien), as well as Mischief Magic (Charlie Appleby), but sometimes you just have to look for better value, and Zoology ticks a lot of boxes. Trainer James Ferguson may not be a household name (yet) but he comes from a superb and powerful racing background and he may have a good one on his hands in Zoology. A once raced son of Zoustar, he breezed home at Yarmouth by an easy four lengths, showing a decent turn of foot in the process, and although he clearly needs to take a step up on that to have any say here, he is expected to improve considerably and may even surprise them all- though I will settle for a place today.
3.40pm Newmarket
Sean Woods used to train for my father many many years ago before his move to Hong Kong and he could not have been any clearer about how strongly he fancies Savvy Victory ahead of the Cambridgeshire due off at 3.35pm today. The booking of Ryan Moore to ride certainly catches the eye, and the son of New Bay arrives in good form after winning easily enough at Goodwood last month. Put up 6lb by the handicapper for that success, he carries a 4lb penalty instead thanks to race conditions so he is effectively 2b well in according to the handicapper, and with a clear run he should go close, though do shop around for the most places you can find in a field this size.
Sean’s Suggestions:
Zoology each way 3.00pm Newmarket Saturday.
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