Darran
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Posts posted by Darran
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Re: Npower League Two > Ante-Post 2011-12 Season I know exactly what the market is for but I was just pointing out how much easier it is to get promoted which is what you were talking about. In my view Crawley had a side that would have held there own in League 1 last year. Not sure of the exact double promotion numbers but obviously Stevenage did it this year. You mention Notts County's money ran out but didnt they also win the league? Im with south eastern ram on Akinde. I watched him a fair bit when he was at Ebbsfleet and it was clear how good a player he was, I think him and Tubbs will be a fantastic partnership in this league. If Crawley did pay £275000 for Brodie (its a figure that has been suggested was actually a fair bit lower than that) then it was a bad buy and it speaks volumes theyve loaned him out for a season. Also Akinde and Thomas were both on a free so in my view thats pretty good value for money. There really isnt that big a step up from the BSP to League 2.
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Re: Npower League Two > Ante-Post 2011-12 Season Crawley already had players more than good enough for this league and I think the signing of Akinde was a superb one. I dont know much about Thomas but given he scored plenty in League 2 last season he looks a decent buy. Its easier to get out of League 2 than the BSP as there are 4 promotion places to go for compared to just 2 in the BSP. Look at what the promoted sides have done in previous years as well and Crawley have to be the strongest team yet to have gained promotion. Also worth considering that come Jan they will be in a strong position to get new players whereas the others wont have as much money to do that.
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Re: Barney Curley - How does he get away with it?
Yes addpea' date=' I saw that interview in which he listed his reasons for disliking the handicap system. However, it wasn't at all clear to me what he was proposing in its place!?[/quote'] You just have every horse racing at its level and you move up and down the levels depending on how the horse runs. Everything is off level weights unless there are penalties. Its another reason why I love betting on hunter chases, apart from one race, I dont have to worry about handicaps. -
Re: Cycling 2011/Giro D'Italia 2011 Find it very hard to Cav not winning Green this year but I doubt he is going to be much value to do so. Id be surprised if hes much bigger than 4/6.
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Re: Barney Curley - How does he get away with it?
He does what probably most trainers in the country do but just better than most. Everyone who has an average/poor horse wants it to be handicapped to win. The other thing he does differently is he likes a massive gamble. Again in my view nothing wrong with that given the low levels of prize money in this country. There is a simple way to stop this and that is to do away with handicaps. Mark Johnson mentioned it in an interview I saw a few weeks back and to be honest I can see where he is coming from.This guy should write a book. He tends to have some great stories to tell. What about the countless other situations? Does he remove eyes there too? The main thing here is that he doesn't lay his horses when they're not trying. Or at least he hasn't been caught like Howard Johnson and Ferdy Murphy in the past. That's why the stewards are not as hard on him. I hate Barney Curley, I've always said that. He should be banned. His horses aren't trying 99% of the time only to be well handicapped when he is trying to land a gamble. This shouldn't be allowed. -
Re: Npower League Two > Ante-Post 2011-12 Season I think Stevenage look worse than they actually are. I was never that impressed with them the year before when they won the BSP but actually they just dont play pretty football, but what they do is not concede goals and you have to admit they do that very well. Crawley were a bit unlucky not to go through last season unbeaten and given they have improved the squad already I cant see past them not winning. Also worth remembering they outplayed Torquay in the FA Cup and given they ended up in the play-offs it shows that even last season they had a team that would have gone close to winning League 2. As for their crowds they already have gone up. They were getting over 3000 per game in the later part of last season and there ground only holds around 4000 so not much scope for it to go higher. Id imagine they will get over 3000 for most matches next year.
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Re: BBC Coverage & Sam Hitchcott's Tattoo But how often is the Queen going to have a runner in the race, I cant even remember the last time before Saturday. Its hardly the same as Frankie and McCoy as they have a ride in the race every year.
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Re: evo stik prem ante post 2011-2012 Youl be waiting a little while yet its a bit early for those leagues at the moment. Ships will probably know better but Id have said its July before they get priced up.
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Re: Sam Hitchcott - Tattoo
Liam Treadwell wasnt complaining anyway as he got a new set of teeth for free out of it. Lets be fair its quite funny if someone has a mis-spelt tattoo.I think it was unprofessional of her to mock him twice in twenty minutes. The second time spelling it out for the viewers . Its the second time i've noticed her try to humiliate a jockey. The other time was Liam Treadwell when he won the Grand National. She embaressed him by urging him to show him disfigured teeth on national TV. Hope others make a complaint to the BBC like last time. -
Re: BBC Coverage & Sam Hitchcott's Tattoo I agree I thought the coverage of the other races was very poor. The Diomed they gave more attention after the race than before but most people watching the BBC coverage probably would rather more in depth stuff before the race. To be fair what else was the BBC meant to do about Carlton House. It was the fav and owned by the Queen and a lot of people would have been watching just to see how the horse got on and I dont see how they could not of covered it any other way. You have to remember that the BBC have to cater for all and if you dont like that side of things then watch Racing UK. The BBC could do with better presenters though, I would axe them all apart from Clare and Bartlett.
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Re: BBC Coverage & Sam Hitchcott's Tattoo Why the BBC keep wanting to employ people who know nothing about racing to do the racing coverage I dont know also why is Fitzy doing Flat coverage? I think Clare is good and actually there are often over 100000 people at the Derby because its free in the centre of the course so what she said there wasnt really wrong.
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Re: Harry Findlay worried about sharing Scoop 6 bonus Like I say he sold most of his horses before the BHA stuff.
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Re: Female Racing Commentators I cant stand Tony Ennis but everyone has there own favourites, I know one person who really likes Lee McKenzie! I was more talking about the young commentators who arent on the list yet for example Gareth Topham is very good and in my view more than good enough to be on the list already but he is a 1.01 chance to be on it at some stage.
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Re: Female Racing Commentators There are some decent young commentators out there but they dont get a look in which is why I hope this female business is a one off because I can see someone getting a job as a token women. Thommo has no chance of getting kicked off the list anytime soon and hes not the only one not up to the job.
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Re: Harry Findlay worried about sharing Scoop 6 bonus Lets just say I think it says plenty that he had to sell his horses and he had a lot less even before the stuff with the BHA.
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Re: The Other Side Of The Fence Never be put off by the price, just because a horse is 5/4 doesnt mean that it isnt value. I focus on hunter chases and very often horses are priced up bigger than they should be and that includes odds on chances. Its the same thinking if you fancy something at a big price, if you think youve found something that other people have missed then go for it.
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Re: Harry Findlay worried about sharing Scoop 6 bonus To be fair I have heard it mentioned that he could do with the money.
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Re: Female Racing Commentators Ive been told about 15 have applied so far including a trainer and a broadcaster. If one is good enough then I havent got a problem with it but it annoys me that a female could be fast tracked just for the sake of it.
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Re: Jumps Racing ~ Friday May 27th
As Ive mentioned Id be very careful about that Newbury form as he beat little that day. I wouldnt be certain he will stay and his jumping is a concern as well but certainly one of the possible winners my feeling though is theres a couple in the race better than him.8.25 Stratford: Turko 1pt win @ 11/2 Bet365 BOG Was well backed at 9/2 for Fox Hunters at Aintree when last seen in April before taking a tumble. Previously had won at a canter over 3m a Newton Abbot. This jockey was in the saddle on that occasion so obviously gets on well, should stay the trip and likely player at a decent price IMO. -
Re: Jumps Racing ~ Friday May 27th Heres my thoughts on the cracking hunter chases tonight at Stratford 5.45 A tricky race to get us underway where we have the two horses who have filled the first two positions in the last two years, Cannon Bridge (1st 2010, 2nd 2009) and Lady Myfanwy (2nd 2010, 1st 2009). I find it hard to see it happening for a third time as Cannon Bridge is now 13 and his two runs so far this season have not shown much promise. I am however very interested in Lady Myfanwy who doesn’t have a penalty in this year’s race and looks well weighted as a consequence. She did disappoint a bit at Cheltenham but always seems to run well here and on the whole has had a very good season. Mad Victor was fifth in this race last year when favourite and he never really got involved. He carries a penalty for his Worcester win last week which was in a poor contest and he was flattered to finish so close to Creevytennant at Cheltenham. Although I can see him running well, the fact he disappointed in the race last year puts me off. I don’t really know what to make of Shouldhavehadthat. He easily beat Ice Tea at Bangor last time but I think it’s safe to say that horse didn’t run his race and he was a well beaten 2nd at Aintree the time before. His point form is reasonable but nothing special and although he wouldn’t be a shock winner, he is not for me. 13 months ago Hoo La Baloo finished 2nd in the bet365 Chase at Sandown and if he is in that sort of form he is a certainty here. The problem is he has been shocking in points this season. I saw him make his seasonal debut at Horseheath and he found nothing after travelling well, which is something he also did when he was beaten at 1/4 last time out. He did manage to win two starts ago but the time was pretty slow and unless the move back to Paul Nicholls has brought him back to life he simply can not win this race on the form he has shown this year. I also fully expect him to be priced up much shorter than he should be because of his former glories and because of the Nicholls factor. A quick mention for Warsaw Pact who was behind Lady Myfanwy last time but does now have the superb Gina Andrews on for the first time and a good showing from him would not surprise. Tip - Lady Myfanwy Alternative - Mad Victor 6.15 Speaking of Paul Nicholls trained horses being too short, we have another in the second race with Takeroc. This is a horse who doesn’t want to win and although it wouldn’t surprise me to see him placed again, I find it very hard to see him score. The race he won at Leicester earlier in the season was so bad it was a gift and this is a lot stronger. I Have Dreamed was impressive at Kempton but then disappointed at Aintree where he didn’t really jump well and the gamble connections took in stepping him up to three miles did not work. This is the ideal trip for him and I expect a much better run tonight. Gaelic Flight had gone the wrong way under rules but has got a couple of decent enough victories in points this season. He did unseat his jockey at the weekend though and I can’t help thinking that this trip is going to be on the sharp side for him at the age of 13. I think Overlut is very interesting in a race that he won in 2009. He seemed to be struggling this season but he was given a wind up and returned to win last month in a fast time, beating a useful yardstick. That run suggests he is back to his best and if that’s the case he should go close here. Ryeman’s only win in 15 starts under rules was in this race last year but this looks a much stronger renewal and as his record proves, he does find it very hard to win. The other horse worth a mention is McCauley who has been crying out to go left handed after the way he has run at Ludlow and Towcester this season. He does have a few lengths to make up on Takeroc based on their Hereford run together but I think McCauley has improved since then and a bold showing at a big price would not surprise. Tip - Overlut Alternative - I Have Dreamed 7.20 As I write this, Upton Springs is currently favourite for the John Corbett Cup, which surprises me. She ran a cracker at Cheltenham last time when finishing second but there looks to be more progressive horses than her in the line-up and she doesn’t seem an obvious candidate to get this longer trip either given how badly she faded at Cheltenham. The strongest bet of the night for me comes in the shape of My Flora who should go off favourite. This horse looks very progressive and has been aimed at this race. Billyvodden was the horse who beat Upton Springs at Cheltenham on the same card as My Flora did back in March. My Flora was a second faster carrying 7lbs more weight. After that win she made her rules debut at Bangor where she ended up winning very easily after some sketchy jumping in the early stages. In my view that was down to the quick ground and the rain that fell yesterday will have been a massive boost to her chances. I think she could be a potential Cheltenham horse next season and if that is the case she will be hard to beat here. Dammam won the Intermediate Final at Cheltenham earlier in the month and given how much the form has been boosted, he holds solid claims and should run his race again. Bobs Law was a decent winner of a Chepstow Hunter Chase last month where Rosies Peacock was withdrawn at the start. Rosies Peacock has won since then when he beat Pathian Prince by further than Bobs Law did at Chepstow. Rosies Peacock will probably be a bigger price than Bobs Law but shouldn’t be and is my main danger to My Flora. I’d be a bit surprised if any of the others were good enough to win this. Tip - My Flora - NAP Alternative - Rosies Peacock 8.25 Finally we have a really decent renewal of the race which used to be known as the Horse & Hound Cup, and behind Cheltenham and Aintree, is the third largest Hunter Chase of the season. The shortlist contains Aggie’s Lad, Eleazar, Surenaga and Turko. Aggie’s Lad has done nothing but progress with each run and followed up his Carlisle win (strong form for a three runner race) with a very comfortable success at Aintree. If Shouldhavhadthat runs well in the first race then the Aintree form will look even stronger. The trip shouldn’t be a problem but he probably could have done without the rain as he loves fast ground. Eleazar is a hard horse to weigh up. The reason I say that is because I am not sure how well Dante’s Storm ran at Uttoxeter as he had no response to Eleazar once that one had gone past him entering the home straight. Either Dante’s Storm underperformed, is not as good as I thought he was, or Eleazar put in a brilliant performance. I am going to tentatively go with the later as I think this race has been the target for him. He has needed plenty of pushing to keep him interested in the early stages in his two runs so far this season so the trip should suit him perfectly and as long as Ryan Mahon can make sure he is not to far back early doors he can run a big race. He isn’t going to be the pick though as I’m with Surenaga. He won the Royal Artillery Gold Cup at Sandown in February before finishing third under a penalty in the Grand Military back there. I saw him in his next start at Maisemore where he was hugely impressive and beat Lady Myfanwy (runs 1st), Dennis The Legend (won a Towcester handicap last week) and The Polomonche (won at Aintree recently). Following that he went on to win one of pointing’s big races, the Lady Dudley Cup, beating Cedrus Libani (won twice since) by a very easy 12L. I have to admit I can’t find any negatives to his chances and all being well he should be bang there in the closing stages. Turko has had a decent season and clearly still has enough ability to hold decent claims here. I would be a bit concerned about his jumping though and his Newbury win was in a very weak race, but he wouldn’t surprise me if he won. Of the others, Templer, who ran a huge race to be 2nd in this last year, has place claims but struggles to win races as was proven at Cheltenham last time when he only just won a much poorer race than this. Mister Apple’s ran a bit of a stinker at Cheltenham but a first time visor might perk him up and with Tom Cannon on top I would not want to rule him out in a hurry. Finally, Herons Well surely will not stay the trip. Tip - Surenaga - NB Alternative - Eleazar
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Re: Summer Jumping
Yeah I go most weekends during the main months of the season. My main horse racing betting is on hunter chases as well.Must have picked it up wrong, i thought it was Sunday just past. Do you go ? Thanks. -
Re: Summer Jumping
The Point To Point season doesnt finish until June 18th.Yes the jumps should come to an end, HOWEVER the rain aint stopped in Scotland for days so the ground is going to be great ground for chasers, but it would not be like that all the time. The P2P season from what i know finished on Sunday ''yesterday'' but yes it should finish up and prepare for a new season. -
Re: David Fitzgerald (Racing Commentator) Yes I cant stand Thommo either he is a terrible commentator.
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Re: David Fitzgerald (Racing Commentator) When I heard it was him I groaned as I thought it would be one of the two point to point men, but to be fair to him he had at least try and do the home work of where the horses had been running and winning to fill up a bit of time in between fences. It was nice to hear some of the point tracks I go to mentioned in commentary. He did miss Think On This falling though which was a bit poor.
Barney Curley - How does he get away with it?
in At The Races - Racing Forum
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Re: Barney Curley - How does he get away with it?
Yes but how many classified races are there? Very few. I suppose he could still do it, but it would encourage more horses to run to their merits because you wouldnt be trying to get them well handicapped. Also if they are all running of level weights and you had a horse who had dropped down the grades that horse probably wouldnt be a massive price anyway. Sadly it will never happen because the bookies would hate it.