Thursday the 29th of November...

19.05 Kempton: Hesperides @ 17/2 VC - 3pts win

 Big step up in trip for this filly but she is very interesting for that reason in this field. She's completely unexposed over this sort of trip, doing well over much shorter distances this year and improving well enough through her 3yo campaign. She got off the mark in a Kempton maiden over 12f in August and confirmed this decent performance with two fine placed efforts on turf then. I liked particularly her effort at Lingfield at the end of September, her most recent start. She was outpaced there on more than one occasion in that race but really made an eye-catching move between five and three furlongs out, coming from well off the pace to try and peg back the leader. The leader, also the eventual winner of the race, was not to catch though and she finished 3rd in the end but she clearly ran on well and and was full of running crossing the line. On that evidence it looks as if she is crying out for a step up in distance. Well, from 12f up to 2m is a massive step up indeed but her pedigree gives her a fine chance to stay the trip as her sire has had some fine success with stayers like Opinion Poll or also Cavalryman and her dam won over 13f at Lingfield's All-Weather. So I think that makes Hesperides a very interesting chance in this race here at her very first try over 2 miles. She is open to natural improvement anyway and if she stays the distance she could be quite hard to beat I feel.

Wednesday the 28th of November...

13.40 Wolverhampton: My Own Way Home @ 4/1 Bet365 - 5pts win

She ran a cracker two weeks ago at Lingfield, when she was trailing when turning very wide for home and losing ground as a result of that, yet she finished very strongly on the outside only hands and heels ridden and was beaten only 1½ lengths by Aldermoor in the end who was entitled to win the race. I feel this is a very strong form indeed. She can race off the same mark tomorrow at Wolverhampton which looks a very handy mark and with a useful apprentice on board who claims 7lb I think she has a major chance tomorrow as trainer PD Evans is obviously happy to use E J Walsh as they had two nice winners recently from three rides. My Own Way Home has a nice draw as well and the field looks not the strongest so I have loads of confidence in her chance tomorrow.

Saturday 24th of November...

12.45 Lingfield: Ready @ 4/1 Paddy Power - 4pts win

Ready gave an impressive All-Weather debut last week here at Lingfield winning a decent enough looking Handicap in pretty good style. He travelled nicely in rear but was there not in the best position as the pace was slow and as a result of that he was slightly outpaced when the pace increased considerably 3f out. He lost a bit of ground turning for home but found then another gear and produced a nice turn of foot to win with a bit of authority in the end. I'm pretty sure there is much more to come from him as he should be better over this fast All-Weather surface than over soft ground which he encountered all the season bar his debut - even though he did quite well in most of his races to be fair. I think he is the horse to beat in this race anyway as there are question marks about most of the rest of the field. Pace might be an issue in this small field tomorrow but I thought Ready has loads of speed and therefore he can win this Conditions Stakes.



18.20 Wolverhampton: Greenhead High @ 5/1 Bet365 - 3 pts win

Thought Greenhead High really showed a return to form last week here at Wolverhampton. He had the second widest draw to overcome and was bumped right after the start which surely didn't help the cause. As a result of that he had to race very wide the whole race yet he really stayed on very well on the outside in the closing stages. He didn't have a chance with the winner who won easily but he would have gone much closer and might have taken the 2nd place at least. He has a much better draw tomorrow even though stall one isn't easy either but still better than drawn very wide and he really get a big chance by the handicapper who took another 2lb off his mark which means Greenhead High can race now of 2lb below his last winning mark.

Friday the 23rd of November...

16.10 Wolverhampton: Venetias Dream @ 4/1 Bet365 - 4pts win

Venetias Dream was a massive eye-catcher on her most recent start three weeks ago here at Wolverhampton. That was also her Handicap debut and she travelled well enough in rear of the field but found herself then in some traffic problems in the home straight. She finished strongly when finally in the clear but had no chance with the winner in the end. She would have gone very close with a clear run though and should be poised to win soon judged on this performance. She's only 1lb up for her 3rd place there and I do expect her to take advantage of a lowly mark tomorrow in this Apprentice Handicap. 

17.10 Wolverhampton: Thecornishcockney @ 14/1 Bet365 - 2pts win

This horse must be so frustrating for connections as it is one of the unluckiest horses in training I suppose. He is still a maiden after 22 starts, though he showed some really good performances in the recent number of weeks, particularly his last to runs are quite interesting. At Wolverhampton almost a month ago it looked as if Thecornishcockney finally could get off the mark when he was wearing a weird looking combination of different headgears for the first time. He made an impressive move from the rear of the field on the outside from 4f out to take the lead when the field approved the home straight while certainly travelling like the winner. He only had to pushed out to win his race but then somewhere from nowhere came the eventual winner Kittens passing Thecornishcockney to win with a bit of authority in the end. Kittens was simply too well handicapped this day but Thecornishcockney came still well clear of the rest of the field. He was raised by 3lb for this performance and confirmed this eye-catching run with another one at Lingfield then last week. He was simply in an unfavourable position when the pace increased and the leading pair kicked away in a slowly ran race, yet he finished enormously from an impossible position and wasn't far beaten in the end. Again a very good performance in my ind and I do think this horse is actually better than the bare results suggesting. He steps up in trip tomorrow again and should run a good race. I think he surly will outran his price.

19.40 Wolverhampton: Kingswinford  8/1 Betfair - 3pts win

Still an All-Weather maiden but there is surly not an issue with this surface. He ran more than well in his last two AW starts, I'm happy enough to ignore the Doncaster form in between btw... Kingswinford ran a mighty race earlier this month here at Wolverhampton anyway, travelling beautifully  and probably would have won the race with a bit more assistance from the jockey which was an inexperienced apprentice unfortunately. After that came the poor Doncaster run but most recently then another good performance on the AW, then at Kempton, back over 7f, when Kingswinford stayed on very well on the outside which suggests that he may want a bit further now as he already proved to stay further anyway. He's now 3lb up in the mark but I'm not so concerned about that. With George Baker is a decent jockey booked for the ride which should be a big help for the horse.

Thursday the 22nd of November...

19.40 Kempton: Ghostwing @ 14/1 Bet365

Ghostwing is a frustratingly inconsistent sort but on his day he can be outstanding (in relation to the class and opposition he is running against). In January this year he took advantage of a slipping mark winning in breathtaking fashion at Southwell. He wasn't able to live up to his new mark and the expectations after this success for most of the year then though, failing to produce as good a performance as this Southwell form until he emerged at Brighton in September when he made all and won easily a decent class 5 Handicap only hands and heels ridden. It followed a couple of bad performances then but I thought his most recent run at Lingfield suggested that he might be back in form and could take advantage of a now again very low All-Weather handicap mark. He travelled in rear of the field which is quite unusual for him and was then never a really asked for an effort in the home straight. He finished 8/10 eventually but the overall run looked not that bad to me. He drops another 2lb in the mark and has an apprentice on board who claims 7lb in addition to that. Ghostwing is drawn in box two which should helpful to get a good early position and I actually expect to see him running well tomorrow at least.

Wednesday the 21st of November...

15.00 Lingfield: Aegaeus @ 6/5 Coral - 8pts win

You could argue that this is a bit of a frustration sort but he is still lightly raced and I think he has a bit of talent. I actually hoped to see him in a Handicap again as his most recent performance at Lingfield two weeks ago was one of the most eye-catching ones I've seen for a while. He travelled in rear all the time three-four wide but switched to the inside turning for home which proved fatal as he had to come through the whole field and had loads of traffic in front of him. He travelled super well but had loads to do, yet he finished bravely and strongly and just failed to win it. He looks to have a couple in pounds in hand actually and even though I don't like these maiden races I just can't see him getting beaten in this field.


16.30 Kempton: Sakhee's Pearl @ 4/1 Bet365 - 3pts win

She ran in a couple of better races recently and often gave a good account there. She was particularly eye-catching last time out at Kempton when she travalled very well in rear of the field and made eye-catchingly progress on the inside when turning for home, she was badly hampered in the closing stages though and lost every chance to finish well as a result of that. The race was never ran to suit anyway thanks to a slow pace so it was extra difficult to come from off the pace. She takes a step down in class today though, which should be in her favour and looks well in form and also weighted to win again as she's only 1lb above her last winning mark. Nathan Sweeney claims valuable 5lb again and I'd be surprised if she would go close today.

Wednesday the 14th of November...

17.25 Kempton: Ihtifal @ 5/2 Paddy Power - 6pts win

Ihtifal really showed a massive performance at Kempton two weeks ago. She bounced out of the gate and made it from the widest draw over to the inside rail to take the early lead. She set a brutal pace and had the whole field early enough under pressure. She still was able to kick on 2f out and looked a sure winner entering the final furlong but got a bit tired in the end and was overhauled by two closers eventually to finish only 3rd. There is not doubt that she would have won with a more sensible ride and rightly she went up 3lb in the mark for this effort, yet I think that won't stop her from winning tomorrow. She looks to have still a bit in hand in my mind and the drop back to 5f shouldn't cause any trouble. She has the speed no doubt and has a much better draw this time. She'll be very hard to beat.

Friday the 9th of November...

16.20 Wolverhampton: Chambles @ 8/1 Bet365 - 3pts win

Chambles was a massive eye-catcher last time out here at Wolverhampton. She had a wide draw to overcome and missed the break. She's done well to get back in touch with the field and travelled then pretty well until they turned for home. She looked a real threat 2f out but was then badly hampered. She still managed to finish fourth in the end. Chambles is now 4lb above her last winning mark but looks still on the upward. The trip might be a bit on the short site considering her sire won over 11f but she won over this sort of distance already as well as she looks to have plenty of speed and she stays all the way either. A genuine pace looks on the card in this race and from a decent draw I think she will go very close tomorrow. 

Thursday the 8th of November...

16.50 Wolverhampton: My Sweet Lord @ 6/1 Bet365 - 5pts win

Lightly raced sort that was massively impressive last time out here at Wolverhampton. He had to overcome the widest draw that day and almost dashed all chances with a poor start which meant he was early behind and had to use loads of energy to get back in contention with the field. He then travelled well enough in rear until turning for home when making big move on the outside and finishing very strongly. Not strongly enough to beat the lightly raced winner though and he had to pay tribute to the poor start eventually as well but he still came clear of the rest of the field. This was a massive performance in my mind meaning that My Sweet Lord is a good deal better than his actual mark. He steps down in class tomorrow but can still race of the same mark and looks for me very hard to beat in a weak race if he starts better this time. The price is way over the top and absolutely crazy. I think he should be rather a 15/8 chance or so therefore I'm slightly more aggressive with my stakes on this selection.

Wednesday 7th of November...

One winner today. Filfil, the biggest bet of the day won impressively. He was well backed too. The day ended disappointingly though. Barton Bounty finished a decent third and just bumped into a very good horse - fair enough. Icebuster though was almost criminal. James Millman gave the horse a shocking ride. To be fair the horse didn't really settle for a long time over this new trip but still turning for home Millman had so much horse beneath him. He was sitting clearly on the best horse and if he would have chosen the outside route like George Baker did on Peachez - the eventual winner (DH) - he would have won the race most certainly.

18.25 Kempton: Comedy House @ 12/1 Bet365 - 2pts win

Comedy House ran a very impressive race at Lingfield lto. The actual performance was way better than the bare result might suggest. He travelled very well in rear of the field but this was the worst place to be in a race ran on a very slow pace. As it appears to be the best place to be is in a prominent position at Lingfield's new AW surface at the moment anyway. So he had everything against him when the field turned for home. He was miles off the pace and had just way too much to do. He wasn't even in the picture of the TV cameras in the closing stages until a few yards out but just finished like a train eventually and has been beaten by just 2½ lengths then. He steps up to 2m tomorrow, which should suit him. He won over this sort of trip in a NHF race on the Lingfield All-Weather track in February this year when braking his maiden tag. This race tomorrow is just so poor I think Comedy House has a stand out chance to win for the first time in Handicap company.

Tuesday 6th of November...

Had to wait a while to find that many good things as I've found for tomorrow. As you may have seen I'm pretty selective at the moment which means I don't have many bets of course. It's just a result of the end of the flat season and the start of the All-Weather season. I'm a bit cautious but also didn't find that many eye-catchers in recent weeks. It's also the case that I'm just waiting for the right chances as I said a couple of days ago, I have to improve my strike rate to increase the profit. That's what I do so it's very unlikely to find three good bets on one day and then even on one card. But it's the case tomorrow and I'm very hopeful for Tuesday. Should be a cracking day!

17.00 Wolverhampton: Filfil @ 5/2 Bet365 - 5pts win

Filfil looked talented when winning on his debut but couldn't quite confirm this promise in subsequent starts. His performance in his most recent start was eye-catching for me though. The race was ran at a slow pace, he took a keen hold early on and wasn't in the best position when the leaders kicked on. He ran on well in the closing stages though and finished 3rd in a hot handicap. Yet he gets 1lb off his mark as a result of this effort and should really be hard to beat in this race here tomorrow in consequence. It's a small field which means there is a question mark about the pace again but there might be the chance that he tries to make all from the front and I think this is a weaker race than the last one anyway.



6.30 Wolverhampton: Icebuster @ 4/1 Bet365 - 4pts win

This is really interesting horse. He caught my eye in his last three starts, which makes him a monster chance for me in this race. I though he should have won lto at Kempton when I would have liked to see a bit more aggressive ride by his jockey. But it wasn't to be that day, though you couldn't be more than impressed with his effort. He looks in tremendous form and the step up in trip trying 14f for the first time should really suit. This race looks a bit weaker than the races he contest recently on and I'm actually pretty confident in his chance, the only slight worry is that he might be a horse that usually travells well, stays on well in the closing stages then but just fails to win the races. We will see, he certainly deserves this chance tomorrow anyway.



19.30 Wolverhampton: Barton Bounty @ 5/1 Bet365 - 4pts win

He is in excellent form as he won here at Wolverhampton three weeks ago. He confirmed his well being with an amazing effort at Kempton just six days ago then which ensured him a place on my list. I always feel 10f at Kempton is a difficult trip for horses coming from behind. So it was no surprise to see Barton Bounty failing to make it two in a row. He travelled well enough in rear and his jockey knew 3f out he would have to gain some ground if he wants to have a chance to win. Barton Bounty made ground then turning for home, but had to do this wide around the whole field and had finish very wide as a result as well. He really finished like a train in the final furlong but it was just too late. It was a fantastic performance though and he is able to race of the same mark again tomorrow. He's never won of a high mark like that but he clearly demonstrated that he is up to it.

Friday 2nd of November 2012...

16.45 Wolverhampton: Who's Shirl @ 6/1 Bet365 - 3pts win

Who's Shirl is poised to win a race finally again. She really caught my eye two times in a row on the All-Weather at Wolverhampton npw and it's simply time for her to take advantage of a slipping mark if she finally gets a trouble free run. She finished 3rd in her penultimate race when she was travelling in rear and had to finish off very wide racing eight or nine wide turning for home. She stayed on very well though and wasn't far beaten in the end. It was a different story last time out when she was travelling best of all until 2f out but was then brought into all sort of trouble by her jockey. That's the only worry I have tomorrow actually as Kelly Harrison takes the mount again. Who's Shirl didn't win for two years now and is down to a very handy mark as a result of that racing off 8lb below her last (turf) winning mark. She's yet to win over 7f but I'm not really worried about that fact as she really ran on so well in her penultimate start when she had so much against her, so I feel the distance won't be an issue. It's noteworthy that she also raced once over 9f in her career - here at Wolverhampton, when she finished a very creditable 4th only 2½ beaten.