todays posts and comments

Nice to have you back Martin - hope the treatment is doing the business and you will be returned to the rudest of health soon. Happy new Year to you to son.


 Rade  your getting the hang of things that's true Loved your in Running posts - but as always I caution you on trying too many ideas at once - you need to concentrate on what you are doing at the same time as learning the tricks - you are trying to cram your head with positives and some will stick whilst others will get you all over the place - the reading material you have put up is good - dare I say very good - but it has to be applied in the way it was written.


 The horse conformation highlited is everything but its directed at 2 yr old's  first run etc. Its a start and its gold IF your going to back 2 yr old's My Advice is DONT - Martin made the point that Horses can tell you a lot with their body language BUT form in the book is what you need. 
 I endorse that but you should never do one without the other!!!!!!


So lets say am going to the races
 I have studied the Vfb for Form and current well being - best DSR Best distance best ground best handicap mark 

1. I have select the animals I want to back (or lay) in the best race of the day based on clear previous form over at as many runs as you can. This is the race you concentrate on.Base your selections on form and prizes won at the best distance and ground.
2. Check if the have any sort of headgear first time today the days since they ran and if that's favourable.
3. Watch each of your selected animals in the parade - Take your Time
4. Has it got a nice even gait  and walking with its head looking down no sweat or rolling eyes? (plus) 
5. has it got an ass like a cooks bum tight and full of muscle?(Plus) - are its rib cages showing?(minus) 
6. Is it walking round without tugging at the loose rein ? (plus)Jig Jogging?(Minus) Walking on the grass instead of the Ring path are there two handlers? (minus)
7. Does it throw its head about when mounted buck a little ? (Minus)  
8. Look at the newcomers - I saw Best Mate walk into the parade ring first ever run in a bumper - he looked like the god of all horses and knew it himself - Wrote that I had seen the future Gold cup winner - it was my finest hour of horse watching he bought me my first  quality car!  ( I never give up an opportunity to tell that Story)     I digress

by then you can have whatever Points added or subtracted  to have narrowed your selections.
All I do myself is add the number of minus or plus to each animal - Normally I have narrowed the field down to what I want to back or lay to two or three horses - any more than that am unlikely to have a bet! The horse I select for the win is the horse I lump on.


 Now the Down side this is horse racing - a bit of blowing paper/ a dog/ a flash photographer animal falling in front/barging /rein snap saddle slip bit moved  and even mud clot in the mouth, broken blood vessel forced out the list goes on and on ///


There was an illustration of the Australian wonder horse winning the king George and I made notes that day on the second rather than the winner ---- take a look at the race and see what Note I would have made and come back to me on them   
 What your Articles talk about is some pointer on in running and refer to a nodding horse - we have referred to those on the blog in the past as "bridle" horses who lob along without urging or extension by the jockey this is the animals style and  "nodding" if it is travelling as smooth as this in its lower paces it is not using excess energy to get to the leaders - now the Acid test comes into play - can it continue once the jock has asked it to go past a horse still travelling well able to move at a higher pace still able to get lungs full of air ? We often come to the conclusion that it can and wins nicely without acceleration because it doesn't have to. It is a stayer - BUT if it has to accelerate and gurgles its  a dodgepot for the distance. I should be noted as such and backed only when getting same conditions but further.


and to conclude this diatribe let me reprint the best bit of your posting 
We have a disproportionately high opinion of ourselves. We attribute success to our own internal abilities. We blame failure on external factors - (Anyone who has had a bet should recognise this. If you back a winner it is because you are the biggest genius on earth and everyone needs to know it. Backed a few losers and the jockeys are hopeless, the trainers are all bent, the other horses blocked yours in or you were unlucky (whatever that might actually mean..). Anything that lets you off the hook.) 

How many times Have I heard that wailing  and have been guilty of the "blocked in unlucky" wail myself on many occasions !


 Come back to me with  the notes I  made on the runner up to Choiser 
(Martin Do Not cheat by looking at my Notes First you old reprobate!)


Bob