Review of the day

I’m a little unsure as to how to feel at the end of today…

I think that I read most of the races really well – and made the appropriate adjustments for the rain.

However, the bottom line on the P&L was a half point loss, so that can’t be good – even though I would hope that some of you may have been able to use the write-up to eak out a small profit on the day…

Starting with, what ended up as, the only tip of the day: Our Island…

In fairness, he ran a highly creditable race to finish third.

He looked the most likely winner 3 out (when he traded odds on in-running) and battled all the way down the straight.
However, he was simply beaten by a better-handicapped horse in Arbor Supreme…

As I said in the write-up, my intention was to put up Arbor Supreme as a 0.25pt saver. He was 16/1 last night – and his SP was 16/1. However, in the window when I could tip him, he was a best priced 10/1…

I really don’t know how I can handle that kind of situation, as 6pts is a lot to be losing out on what is just an insurance bet.

However, this is not the first time (in fact it is happening with monotonous regularity) that I’ve missed out on a winner due to the price not being there…

Hopefully a few of you did have a saver on him. He was around 30 on BF at the off – so a couple of quid would have done the trick.

From the P&L perspective however, he is another one that got away…

Over at Sandown, Wings of Smoke ran almost precisely the race I expected…

He travelled like a dream: traded odds on in-running – but ran out of steam up the hill.

Roll on to the final race of the day there, and it was virtually the same for Able Deputy…

Whilst on the one hand, it is pleasing to have dodged them both (and therefore saved a point), it is really frustrating to think what might have been.

Both horses would have stood a much better chance of getting home, if the rain hadn’t materialised.

For Able Deputy, this is the second time that exactly the same thing has happened.

If his connections are frustrated (and I suspect they will be) they want know how I’m feeling about it !!

Earlier on the Sandown card, Monkerty Tunkerty was declared a late non runner – which was disappointing…

With hindsight, I would have staked him more aggressively than I did as the more I looked at the race, the more I fancied his chances…

However , it would appear that he was unable to make it to the course due to travel issues !

You couldn’t make some of this up, could you ?!?

Finally, over at Exeter, The Big Freeze got up in the shadows of the post, under an inspired Richard Johnson ride…

I won’t bother going on again about how highly I rate Johnson in a finish – but if you are in any doubt about his strength, just watch a replay of that race !

Of course, he was helped massively by the fact that I didn’t tip him – or am I just becoming a little paranoid ?!?!?

There is a ridiculous amount of racing tomorrow – and some of it looks very good indeed.

Here’s hoping that we get one or two breaks, which I’m, starting to think, are becoming a little overdue…

TVB.