Saturday 21st January 2012

Apologies for my absence from the blog this last week - family commitments and health issues dominate in the Taylor household - but hopefully most are becoming resolved  and on the mend. 
Great racing today in three races at least and though I don't have time for the usual stats here is the round up
Peter marsh chase at Haydock - 
Only one of the favourites animals have won this in the last 8 running's
most Winners aged 8 (4)  9(2) 10(1) and last years winner aged 12
Prices mainly inside double figures though two long priced animals at 20/1 and 33/1 
The trips the thing on this heavy ground and your looking for a horse with good recent form who can stay over this distance plus ( last years winner had an 80% strike rate from 6 runs at Distance plus)
I really do like According To Pete who showed a great return to previous form at Christmas achieving  my mark of the low 150's and today runs off   a mark of 142. harry Haynes gets on well with this animal who stays and stays at the front of the action - has run up a sequence in the past and was very taken with his win last time. However ---- Jefferson also runs the Kings theatre bred King Fontaine who was reported to have swallowed a mud clot (was up with the pace till fading out of it)when racing against According to Pete last time at Wetherby and has Costello riding  today has the complete profile of past winners at the age of 9 will stay extreme distances is at the bottom of the weights and from the top sire . 
 Consigliere put up a fantastic performance at Wincanton last time and is in my notebook   as a horse that has improved for the step up in distance, is also a horse that has been capable of putting in a sequence of wins on soft ground - he has not put it all together in big fields in the past so if any of my pennies go there it will be in running bet as its profile is one of betfair price going out and out for the first 2 miles! 


The Victor Chandler chase Ascot 3.10  has a very lively market and the winner rarely comes from outside of the money - I am not in the camp of saying this is a good renewal of the race  The Nichols Novice Al ferof is no doubt a good improving animal  but a close win over For Non Stop at Sandown did not convince me - showed bags of guts butttttttt - When Master minded won the race as a comparative novice he beat home Tidal bay in the similar Sandown Contest! its a very funny old match of the gaes as well today with in the main 8yr olds taking the prize the majority of the field is 10!  In a race where getting the trip of 2m 1f is paramount  I cannot have Somersby even with the cheek pieces (no Tongue tie today) 
The race that will produce the winner was at Kempton last time _ Finians Rainbow made a howler and any similar mistake will cook him today despite its wonderful late run to get home in front of  Wishful Thinking and Oiseau De Nuit (had no trouble matching the front pair and was left in the lead five out. He maintained his advantage and his rider, who was unable to claim, fired him at the last trying to steal enough momentum to go on and win, but the horse didn´t come up for him and the pair dropped back into third.Jo Tizzard takes the ride today and is reported to be firing at home ) - so its a small bet Wishful and win/place market Oiseau for me (as long as all 8 line up)


The big handicap at Ascot is a pin job for the 3.45 and am staying with Renard for Venetia Williams who ran King Edmund very close around this track over shorter in a very fast run race coming late only to stumble at the last  - always looked a stayer in his early running but its win have been around the 2mile mark - my instincts say he is able to get this distance  though he has been clobbered by the handicapper he has still got scope and off avery decent mark  for today's run I still say he can get it under Scudamore and rates my each way selection - hope there is a bit more cut than they suggest and ascot always runs slower than the prdictions


 Good  luck today guys


 Bob