Day: July 23, 2009

 

I enjoyed a much more successful time of it today with 3 winners fom last night’s preview. Dancourt and King of Wands won their races at Sandown with some ease giving Ryan Moore a quick fire double. Halfway House was the other winner coming in at 4/1 at Folkestone.

There are just 3 runners from my list to follow entered tomorrow but all 3 have live chances. Two of them clash in the 4.25 at Ascot. Course and distance winner Alanbrooke is the obvious choice and I see that the majority of the newspaper tipsters have gone for him. He has certainly come on plenty now that he is tackling staying trips and the application of blinkers has also helped. Darley Sun is likely to prove the main danger. He won at Haydock a couple of starts ago before chasing home King of Wands who was a comfortable winner this afternoon.

The 6.10 at Newmarket doesn’t look the strongest of contests and John Gosden’s Bruton Street looks to have a fair opportunity of gaining his first win.

The 12 year old sprinter Digital has raced 143 times and won prize money of over £150,000 so has been a great servant to connections. He is owned by former trainer Bill Wightman and trained by the ever popular Mick Channon, ironically Wightman trained Mick’s first winner as an owner way back in 1972. Old Digital turns out again tomorrow in the 8.55 at Chepstow and it would be nice to see him notch another success.

On the subject of veteran sprinters, I see that The Tatling, now a 12 year old, won today at Bath. This grand old campaigner has now won 15 times in his career. That is about it for tonight.

My thanks to the artist Lisa Miller for the picture of The Tatling.

Not one of my better days today with all 4 selections going down.

There are 7 runners from my list to follow in action tomorrow and I will take a brief look at their chances.

At Bath in the 4.40 we have Hillside Lad who won at Salisbury last time out. He may have been a little flattered by the result that day but is not without a chance of following up.

At Doncaster in the 8.25 the lightly raced Scene Two was disappointing on his last start but may well be capable of better.

Spirit of Dubai (Epsom 7.40) was 4^th in the Lingfield Oaks Trial but has not been able to reproduce that form since. If back to her best she would not be far away.

Halfway House won on firm ground at Brighton and looks to follow up at Folkestone in the 8.05. 6 Lbs higher now which will make life more difficult but has a good attitude and is not without a chance.

The well bred Dancourt has a good chance at Sandown in the 4.30 while King of Wands is preferred to Clowance House in the 5.00.