Resident tipster
What a difference a day makes!
7 July 2012
I woke up this morning to blue skies and that big yellow thing (I forget it's name) shinning brightly in the sky. Haydock, Beverley and Sandown go ahead and thank the Lord for that. After a blank evening last night there had been rumours that I'd have to paint the spare room today if racing was off!
With no racing last night I got a lot done; dinner with the kids, chatting to the wife, paying the electric bill. All things that normally go on the back-burner when the racing is on. Don't get me wrong I love my home life but we all have an understanding that trading is a priority, up until the last race at least, as the bills need paying. I get the feeling even they thought that having me not glued to the screens was a strange feeling, as did I.
Spa's Dancer ran a cracker at the Curragh last week and nearly stole a big pot under the safe hands of Liam Keniry. The heavy ground just got the better of Ed De Giles's five-year-old but he was still nearly four lengths clear of the third place horse at the line.
Conditions will hopefully not be quite as testing as in Ireland but he should handle the soft ground better than most. Let's face it there will be no course records being broken today. Captain Bertie would be my main concern as the form of his run behind Fury has been franked several times. Trade Commissioner is far to short for a horse that has never won on ground as soft as this.
In the Coral-Eclipse it is hard to look away from Nathaniel as he is proven in the grade and will love the ground, but first time up after a couple of setbacks is not what you want in a 3/1 second favourite. Indeed trainer John Gosden has expressed his concern about the money that has piled on to his horse this week and has urged caution. He is more of a Lay than a Back selection for me.
Farhh is a worthy favourite but should be backed in running to ensure he doesn't get upset in the stalls and Sir Henry Cecil's Twice Over is huge on the exchanges at around 20/1 and 3.7 for a place. I can't have Crackerjack King as Marco Botti's form has been patchy to say the least. I would be happier to have Bonfire on my side for the forecast as he plainly didn't act on the track at Epsom and I can see him chasing home Frankie's mount today. I will be waiting until the stalls open before lumping on Farhh.
Today's 'Penalty Kick' must be Thomas Edison in the first at Bellestown, who was cruising behind the leaders two furlongs out before coming down last time out.
Haydock drains really well so any improvement in the ground this morning will surely help the Cumani/Fallon combination of Franciscan and hinder the very short McCain favourite Lexis Hero, who has an extra few pounds to carry after his emphatic win in the Cumberland Plate.
Luca Cumani has a good record at the track and if I had to choose one horse to be in the frame Franciscan would be the one. I see the ground throwing up some strange results for the next few days, however, so stakes should be kept to a minimum.
You never know if the weather doesn't improve soon the spare room may even get that lick of paint.....no wait I have gone too far again.
Good luck today.
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Lay of the Day
Today's LAY selections should be set up at the usual rates @2.2win market and 1.44 place LAY
3.45 Sandown: Nathaniel
4.00 Haydock: Yes Two
Today’s Competition Selections ( 5pts points win)
2.40 Sandown Spa's Dancer
2.55 Haydock Set To Music
3.10 Sandown Starscope
3.25 Haydock Franciscan
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