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Friday 25 February 2011

Blue Square Sprint Series Final Day

2.10 Lingfield - Blue Square Sprint Series Final Handicap

This is a chance for the lesser lights of the sprinting game to pick up some valuable prize money and the race has some decent sorts between marks of 59 and 79 in opposition. There are also one or two absentees that we were expecting to be in here but all of the 24 entered at the 5 day stage stood their ground and therefore there had to be several dissapointed. However it just goes to show that there is a need for this type of race for horses rated below 80 and maybe there will be a few more in the calendar in furture.

On looking at the race it seems to me that it will be between Arctic Lynx, Qadar, Waabel and Rio Royale for any Tricast followers. Qadar recently returned to someting like his best form of a few years ago when winning quite cosily here last weekend, he has in the past been as high as 100 in the Handicap and he goes here off 74 and the stable where considering running him in the listed race at 3.10 but have opted for this instead. There is likely to be a strong pace on from the likes of Waabel, although he mightnt be able to get to the front, which he will be able to sit off and come with a run up the straight. The only downside would be he was never one for running 2 good races together in the past and he might'nt perform this time on only his second run for the yard.

Arctix Lynx won well here last time off 74 and he is an improving horse that has been going really well at home according to his trainer John Best, he had Waabel 1 1/4 lengths behind here when on levels last time and thats how they meet again tomorrow. This will only be his eigth race and he seems to like the polytrack surface, he is drawn 2 so should be able to obtain a handy position to deliver his challenge, George Baker is on board and 3/1 seems a fair price.

Waabel recorded a faster time when beating Garstang than he did when finishing 3rd to Arctic Lynx and that may well have been due to his draw of 2 for the Garstang race and 8 for the other, tomorrow he is drawn 10 and he will need to exert a lot of energy to get to the front from there and for that reason I cant see him winning but he may be placed. Rio Royale is a very consistent sort who keeps getting in the money but they have all run well in one or more of the qualifiers and thats how they've made the final.

On balance Arctic Lynx has a good draw is a lightly raced improver and he is the worthy fav.

3.10 Download Blue Square Iphone App Cleves Stakes (Listed Race)

Well the title of the race is a bit long winded but the race should be over in a flash and it will be interesting to see how the time of this race compares with the earlier Class 5 over the same distance.

There are some good sorts here and its as good a race as you will get on the All Weather and its strange that it doesnt doesnt appear on the C4 schedule for the day, maybe they will show a recording. Still you can watch all the action on Attheraces and Hitchens who won well when last seen out here over the same course and distance back in Novemeber can prevail. She was still able to win there even though her rider dropped his whip and she was always travelling well in what was a strongly run race.
Several of the runners are up against it at the weights as its not a handicap and that is reflected in their price and the best in would appear to be the Irish challenger Duff. Eddie Ahern who knows this course like the back of his hand has been booked to do the steering on him and he has run well on his 2 runs here in the past and he should be thereabouts.
I'm not sure that Angel's Pursuit will be suited by the drop down to 6f here however you can never rule out a Hannon runner these days.
Five Star Junior and Anne of Kiev have been very consistent here in the past and it wouldnt be a suprise to see either of them being involved in the finish even though they are up against it at the weights.

Thursday 24 February 2011

Up a bit, down a bit

This week we begin Shawkantango who recorded another win at Southwell from Sleepy Blue Ocean in the Class 5 5f Handicap. He powered through at the finish under Robbie Fitzpatrick to be comfortably on top at the business end and his good run on this surface may not have come to an end just yet and he remains one to follow at this track. He has been raised 6lb to 64 as a result and he may run next at Wolverhampton on Friday but I'm not sure he will be as effective on the polytrack.

On Thursday 17th February at Wolverhampton the 3yo Sacrosanctus won by an increasing 4 1/2 lengths in the Class 4 6f Handicap from Restless Bay and it was a good performance because several came into the race in good form and he was drawn 8 of 8 which is usually a big negative here. He was pushed up into the lead from the off by his jockey Ian Mongan and he led throughout, kicking on in the straight to leave the others in his wake. He is now on a mark of 87, the handicapper having raised him a whopping 11lb for this win and it remains to be seen whether he has been hit too hard. This was his fourth win however on the All Weather and he remains open to improvement for his trainer who as we all know is adept with sprinters.

Qadar the 9yo turned back the clock in the Class 5 6f Handicap at Lingfield last Saturday, he was always travelling well and he was produced down the outside to win comfortably in the end. He has been raised 5lb as a result to 74 but in his heyday he won off a mark of a 100 here and he may turn up next in a Listed race back here.

Finally Five Star Junior gained just reward in the following Class 3 6f Handicap as he posted 3 or 4 good efforts in similar company this winter. He came with a storming run down the outside to get the better of Star Rover and Avertisement and he has been raised 3lb by the handicapper to 96, however he is a consistent sort and you wouldnt put it past him following up.

Wednesday 23 February 2011

£1,573.39 tricast at Kempton !

Yesterday's post picked out a shortlist of 4 for the 8.00 at Kempton as follows :

CLEAR PRAISE
SIOUX RISING
JACK RACKHAM
EBRAAM

The first 4 home were :
EBRAAM - 16/1
JACK RACKHAM - 12/1
SIOUX RISING - 15/2
CLEAR PRAISE - 13/8

That produced a whopping Tricast payout of £1,573.39 !

You wont need me to tell you again that you should pay careful attention to the shortlists as they have been showing continued success.

Tomorrow sees Where's Reilly running in the 4.20 at Southwell over 6f, he was unfortunate to come up against a rejuvenated Bookiesindex Boy last time out here when he came second and he remains on a mark of 68 which is 6lb below his best winning mark here albeit that was over 5f. However 6f might suit his style of running that bit better as he tends to break slowly and come with a strong run in the latter part of the race, he also seems to be in good heart at present.

Tuesday 22 February 2011

Clear Praise to pounce late ?

The 8.05 Racing at SkySports.Com Handicap has attracted a decent field at Kempton on Wednesday night and the recent scorer Clear Praise could be the one to be on given the manner of his win here last time out in what was good time. Selected as an All Weather horse to follow after that run he is reunited with Hayley Turner for this Class 4 Handicap for which he has been raised 6lb to 81 but he could be ahead of the handicapper for a while longer yet as he is considered to be an exciting prospect by his trainer.

However these handicaps have to be won as they wont be given on a plate and there are some others of interest namely Sioux Rising, Jack Rackham and Ebraam.
Sioux Rising has been running consistently on the Polytrack and she was only beaten a head last time out at Lingfield behind Anne of Kiev and Five Star Junior in a Class 3, with the latter winning another Class 3 Handicap last Saturday off a 1lb higher mark she is likely to be in the thick of things once again and is switched back to cheek pieces on this her first visit to Kempton.
Jack Rackham is no spring chicken but he hasnt got many races on the clock and he is reasonably handicapped on the best of his form and Ebraam is another who likes the Polytrack.

In conclusion Clear Praise looks to be on the up and granted luck in running she is up to winning this.

If you havent checked out the clip of Black Caviar (previous post) winning in Australia at the weekend then please do so as it is a race to savour for serious racing enthusiasts.

Friday 18 February 2011

Its Saturday, its Lingfield !

For all you All Weather lovers and I know there's lots of you.......we have a Class 3 6f Handicap to get our brains ticking.

Its a trappy looking race with several comimg back after long breaks and this is probably more of a warm up for the turf, which is not that far away.

Of those that have been running recently you would have to be looking at Advertisement, Five Star Junior and Perfect Act. The first of those, Advertisement, is trained by Jeremy Noseda and he won very nicely at Kempton last time over 7f and he shouldnt be troubled by dropping down a furlong as they are likely to go a good clip and he should be able to pounce late. He looks to be an improving type having only had 10 runs to date and it wouldnt be a massive leap of faith to see him run well off 87 and George Baker (17 wins this year) rides again.
Five Star Junior ran well last time out when 2nd beaten a short head to top AW performer Anne of Kiev and he has run consistently well on the sand over the winter, Perfect Act also has plenty of form with Anne of Kiev but I think she may the weaker of the three.
Its Advertisement then for me to continue his good run and I will be looking out to see how Humidor gets on after his break.

Thursday 17 February 2011

Up a bit, down a bit

For the second week running we had a winner from the previous weeks highlighted horses, this time it was Shawkantango who won at Southwell today.

This week we start at Kempton with the Class 5 Handicap run over 5f, the race was won by Barnet Fair by 3/4 length from Palais Glide, he missed the break but it didnt make much difference as he was able to sit of the pace before making up ground effortlessly turning into the straight, he was then put about his work and he knuckled down well to be on top where it mattered in a good time. As a result he has been raised 5lb 80 but only having run 8 times he is now starting to come into his own and he may well improve again if kept to the polytrack.

Tislaam looks to be pretty exposed as a handicapper, however he won the Class 5 at Kempton over 6f on 9th February with a little bit in hand and as a result he has been raised a lenient 3lb to 70 on the AW. He didnt get the best of breaks jumping up when leaving the stalls and he ended up on the inside rail where he was chopped off going round the turn. He then moved towards the middle at the back of the pack as they headed up the straight, he went for a run but was blocked when full of running, a gap appeared and he picked up in eyecatching fashion to break through and win going away. As Ive said he has been around a bit in his short career but he should be up to winning again on this showing.

Lingfield next on Saturday 12th February and Division 1 of Blue Square Sprint Series Qualifier over 6f which saw Norville win by half a length, but it was the performance of the second Primo De Vida that caught my eye. He was sent on in the front from the start and he led the field a merry dance before gradually being worn down by the field to succomb in the final furlong. As a result he has been raised 2lb to 72 and certainly on this showing if he was to adopt the same tactics again he may be difficult to catch.

Finally Breathless Kiss won that afternoons Class 4 6f Handicap by 4 1/2 lengths in a time that equalled standard for the track and this was a good effort from him although as a result he has gone up 9lb to 89 so the handicapper is taking no chances.

Wednesday 16 February 2011

Lets do the Tango !

Shawkantango has certainly come to like the Southwell fibresand winning his last two races at the venue in decent style. He gets a chance to extend his winning sequence to three on Thursday in the Class 5f Handicap at 4.00pm where he takes on 6 rivals and is partnered by Robbie Fitzpatrick. He has gone up 6lb for his latest win and if you were looking for negatives he is not the best of starters, however he usually finishes his races well and he may be capable of improving once again on this surface having  beaten some of the others previously. There shouldnt be too much in the draw with only the seven runners and Sleepy Blue Ocean who has won 3 times this AW season might be the one to give the selection most to do.

Monday 14 February 2011

Grand National weights announced 15th February 2011

Although this a purely sprinting based blog I do have a large soft spot for the Grand National and I will be allocating a stand alone page for the race and its build up so please keep a lookout for this over the next few weeks.

The weights for the race are announced on Tuesday at the Official launch at the Intercontinental Hotel in London and I will be providing an initial assessemnt of those that take my eye.

Saturday 12 February 2011

Garstang to make it six wins ?

Garstang has a chance to record his sixth win at Lingfield in the 3.05 sprint final qualifier this afternoon, he didnt have the best of draws last time out and having only been raised 3lb for his last win here when beating Picansort (runs in 2.35) he should be competitive for his in form jockey. A much better draw this time in stall 4 he should hopefully be able to get a good position in a race which is likely to be run to suit with a bit of pace up front. However it is a trappy little handicap that really any of the runners could win on their day and its difficult to come up with a shortlist as such and therefore an ew bet on Garstang at 7/1(Boylesports) is probably the best option.

Thursday 10 February 2011

Up a bit, down a bit

Well last weeks edition highlighted two runners from the race won by Sleepy Blue Ocean and they were Bookiesindex Boy and Where's Reiley and low and behold they finished 1st and 2nd at Southwell today in another 5f handicap with the exacta paying £59.41.

This week we start at Southwell on 3rd February where the 4yo Shawkantango won the Class 6 5f Handicap by 1 3/4 lengths from Cheveyo as a result he went up 6lb to 58. He's now 2-2 at the track and only having had 10 runs to date he looks open to further improvement on this surface. He is related to Catmint who won a Class 4 off 81 over 5f in her 10 race career a few years ago. He came on for his first run back here after a break and whose to say he wont do so again and he should be followed next time.

At Wolverhampton on 4th February Brave Prospector won the Class 4 Conditions Stakes over 6f by 2 1/4 lengths from Piscean who is no slouch and although there were only 6 runners it was a taking win by him and he is well capable of following up in a similar type of event.

Well thats it for this week and I'm off to Wolverhampton tomorrow night to make sure Gracelightening doesnt disgrace herself in the 7.40 after her previous stalls problems.

Wednesday 9 February 2011

Where's Reiley to shine at Southwell

The American bred Where's Reiley has 4 wins to his name at Southwell so clearly acts well on this track and he showed last time out that a win was not far away when he came with a strong run to finish a close 5th behind Sleepy Blue Ocean here and meets that rival on 5lb better terms. A couple of others who finished in front of him there also oppose but he should be able to get the better of all of them and the stable were 2 -2 here on tuesday so are continuing their good run of form.
Others that should be involved in the finish are Sloop Johnb who is in the form of his life at the moment and David Nicholls Six Wives who won in a good time here last time out when making her debut for him after a 3 month absence and she could be a real thorn in the side for the selection with her jockey claiming 7lbs if she improves for the run, although her jockey does not have many wins to her name.
Bookiesindex Boy often comes with a wet sail only to fall in a hole when put under pressure and a similar scenario looks like unfolding for him.
Overall then Where's Reiley should go very close for his in form stable and the 9/2 with William Hill represents good value.

Thursday 3 February 2011

Up a bit, down a bit

Well this week see us start with Arganil who won with a little bit in hand at Southwell in a Class 3 Handicap there over 5f. He missed the break and then struggled to go with the early pace but when they approached the 2 furlong marker he came through the small field well and won going away, albeit by 1/2 a length. He has only been raised 2lb as a result and is now on 96 which is still some way below his best and he looks capable of winning here again.

There were a couple to take out of the following Class 5 Handicap over 5f won by Sleepy Blue Ocean namely Bookiesindex Boy and Where's Reiley. The first of those travelled through the race very well and he looked as though he was coming with a well timed run to win it, but as his want as soon as he is put under pressure he stops giving and never got up. The latter Where's Reiley ran a strange race he was last of the 14 for the first 2 furlongs before making up significant ground on the far side to be the fastest finisher and he looks like his turn isnt that far away. He came into his own at this track this time last year and won off a mark as high as 74, he is currently on 68 and his trainer has a 21% strike rate here - +£85.64.

At Kempton on 27th January Clear Praise won the Class 4 Handicap over 6f by 1 1/2 lengths from Vintage in a time of 1m 11.73s which was fast by 0.13. Simon Dow's 4yo Gelding by Songandaprayer has run all of his 7 races to date on the All Weather, winning 3 and he had little difficulty taking this off 75 coming with a wet sail down the outside from last place to win with something in hand, he has been raised 6lb to 81 as a result but he looks well capable of winning again being only lightly raced.

Garstang worthy fav ?

Garstang got back on the winning trail last time out, however he may have his work cut out to win from stall 9 at Wolverhampton and he will need to break pretty smartly to be in with a chance.
On the plus side though he has only gone up 3lbs for his win and the 2nd there Picansort has won since off a 2lb higher mark and Garstang may well have improved more than the 3lb he has gone up now he has had a couple of runs.
The stable, as we know, have been in fine form and provided Garstang gets a decent start he should be difficult to beat on his favoured surface and if there's any of the forecast 4/1 about in the morning it will be worth the risk.

On the subject of the surface a lot of trainers and jockeys have been showing signs of disapproval about it recently particularly when its been freezing and the field may cut up if the temperature drops.

Tuesday 1 February 2011

Patience is a virtue !

At this time of the year there's not a great deal about sprintwise unless you want to bet on low grade races that can be won by anything that shows a bit of form on the day. Its a much better idea to wait for more profitable times ahead and maybe pick up a couple of winners along the way that fit our criteria.
That said we can still keep our eyes on things and look out for improving horses and a few that have popped up in this last week or so are as follows :

Joe Le Taxi was raised a whopping 12lb after his win over 6f in a Class 6 Handicap at Wolverhampton on 17th January to a mark of 65. He had duly won by 5 lengths under Greg Fairley and he was able to come out and win again by 3 lengths this time at Southwell 10 days later carrying a 6lb penalty. On both occasions he was running on very strong at the finish and you would have to think that he is capable of winning again either over 6f or 7f.

Arctic Lynx was the worthy winner of Class 5 6f Handicap at Lingfield on 22nd January, he sat in 5th on the inside for most of the race and he was produced between horses up the straight to win by 3/4 of a length in what was a good time for the day only being just outside that recorded by Anne of Kiev in the following Class 3 Handicap. As a result he was raised 5lb to 79 and this gelded son of One Cool Cat could well be up to winning again from his new mark for his trainer John Best having only had 7 runs to date.  Afterwards his trainer John Best said "Arctic Lynx put up another great performance to win with a bit in hand. He certainly looks to be progressing well. His next target will probably be the final of the Blue Square series on the 26th of February. George thought he possibly got to the front a bit too soon but had no option but to take the gap when it appeared. He said he idled a bit when he got to the front and there's more improvement to come."

Anne of Kiev continued her improvement in the Class 3 Handicap at Lingfield over 6f when she got the better of Five Star Junior and Sioux Rising when she came with a strong run to win and only two short heads seperated all three of them at the line and afterwards her trainer Jeremy Gask said "I would say she will now wait to tackle a Listed race at Lingfield towards the end of February".

There are now 3 parts of the Sprinterstogo 2011 Master List covering horses A to R accessible (See "Pages" right).