Flat Racing 18th Dec

[chris34]

12.30 Southwell Je Suis Unrockstar is another horse that has benefitted from Nichols taking over the Glover yard having won his last 2 starts on the fibresand and showed a real liking for the surface, could still be well handicapped under 6lb penalty having won with ease last time out over the flying 5f. The biggest concern is the step back up in trip but won going away last time out and has run well over 6f before but does need to prove the improvement back at this trip. But current form of the yard is a big boost. 1pt win Je suis unrockstar 1.35 Southwell Diggeratt proved useful enough in the autumn for the Fahey team before joining current connections after winning a claimer over 11f around here droped back to a mile last time out in a claimer again and was made to work before going on and very much shaping as if stepping back up in trip was the way forward and gets that today, not thrown in at the weights only having 4lb to spare on OR on nearest rival top weighted Camps Bay but she comes into this in much better form than Camps Bay so should hold upper hand and the rest of the rivals have a lot to find at the weights. 1pt win Diggeratt 5/4 hills 2.40 Southwell Hard to keep track of all Dandy's runners at the moment and working out which ones are first string in races where he is running as many as 4 runners sometimes is very hard. He runs 3 in this race 2 from the satelite yard and 1 from his regular, the satelite yard are in much better form and are shaping well so that discounts Something for me and leaves Docoofthebay who is a useful horse on his day but not always the most reliable these days and therefore leads me to the far more reliable Thunderball despite running 2lb out of the handicap he isnt too badly handicapped having won off this mark last year. He is also a front runner and is well drawn to do that and has paid to be front rank recently around here as is usually the norm and shaped as if a drop back in trip would help last time out on fibresand debut when he was well backed and ran with plenty of promise. 0.25pt e/w Thunderball 14/1 lads 12.50 Lingfield I am not happy to give up on the Ex Cumani horse Before The War who has proved bitterly disappointing since catching my eye at Newmarket in the summer when staying on. Failed to build on that last start for Cumani at Redcar and failed to land a real blow on first time out for new yard and could strip fitter for that run and takes a big step up in trip today. That race is starting to work out VERY strongly for an AWrace which gives some hope to improvement off what looks a very lenient mark now. 0.25pt e/w Before the war 2.30 Lingfield Reverend Green is unexposed and was promising on debut for new yard last time out, that was his first race for over 200days and he only finished 1/2 length behind the useful Franco is my name, gets to run off same mark today and should appreciate this further step up in trip and has showed a liking for a deep surface at Southwell before so shouldnt have any problems should the surface ride deep again today and has won a bumper over 14f so stamina isnt really a concern and looks well treated if repeating that form again today! 1pt win Reverend Green 6/1 pp

[BKI Punter]

Re: Flat Racing 18th Dec 1:20 Lingfield Rakaan 5pt win - 6/4 (Paddypower) The more I look at this race I think the 6/4 on offer is tremendous value. Rakaan is one of two three year olds in this small field and goes up against a few exposed types in this class three conditions stakes. Rakaan is here on the back of a 142 day rest, but I don't think that'll hinder his chances. He came back from a good 8 month break to finish second to the then well handicapped Fireback. Didn't run well in a valuable handicap at Haydock but bounced back to win and then finish second twice on handicap marks of 97 and 99. This horse has won twice in fields of 9, his only bad efforts being in big field handicaps. He showed a lot of promise as a 2yo finishing second to Canford Cliffs on debut, and then not far behind Dick Turpin and Canford again in the Coventry and Richmond respectively. Has been tried at a mile twice in his career, once in handicap at Haydock in which his run was too bad to be true, ultimately eased way before the line so the losing distance isn't for reading into, and second to Start Right at Newmarket on a mark of 97 which proves he can stay the trip. His run behind Citrus Star was a cracker, that horse is now rated 102 with Rakaan on 101. Today he has the three year old weight allowance of a pound and is going up against mostly out of form horses. My worry is where the pace will come from, but Rakaan has disputed the lead before, and if allowed an easy lead here, could make all. Fallon gets on board which is a bonus too.