BBOTD 21st April

[hereforthep]

14.40 Wincanton Moghaayer - 1 pt win @ 5/2 Bet365 Moghaayer looks the best pick in this tight race he has blinkers fitted for the first time and champion jockey McCoy on board has lesser weights for this race and has won hurdle races in the past and could get back to winning ways if he responds well to the blinkers

[Monterosso]

Re: BBOTD 21st April 3:30 Folkstone - Waabel - 1pt @ 15/2 (VC) I've missed the earlier 9/1 that was available for this fellow, but I still feel that he's significantly overpriced and definitely worth a shout in a race of this nature. Being a 7 runner race, there's no real point going each-way, but he could have a much great chance of winning than the current market expects. Jim Best's 4 year old, Waabel, has proved to be a good talent since reverting to sprinting trips on the all-weather, winning twice at Lingfield, a course which is notoriously tough to make all of the running at, but he managed to do exactly that, twice. The first of those runs was off a mark of 72, where he made every post a winning one, beating a couple of decent types in the process and looking value for further than the official ½ length winning margin. Next up, over the same C&D, Waabel showed bright early speed to get over from a poor draw to attempt to make all once again. However, his early exertions told as he was headed a furlong from home and then went on to lose 2nd place in the final couple of strides, but it wasn't a half bad effort at all. He went up another lb on the back of that run and once again ran over 6f at Lingfield. This time, Waabel had a much more favourable draw in stall 2 and broke quickly to set out and make the running. He wasn't for catching this time and won a shade cosily, with many of his rivals failing to land a blow. A 4lb rise followed before running over the same C&D again but he couldn't get to lead from a poor draw and probably ran as well as expected given his preference to make the running. Connections then stepped him up to a class 4 contest, yet again at Lingfield over 6 furlongs. However, the race contained suicidal front runner, Billy Red, who blasted off in front and gave my selection absolutely no hope. It was a poor run from Jim Best's charge, but it has ensured that he's a nice price to land this contest and I think he'll have things to his liking. This is the first time that Waabel has encountered 5 furlongs in his career, but given that he has showed so much bright early speed, including on turf, I'm of the opinion that it could see him in an even better light. He is bred to stay further, being a son of Najah, a Group 2 winning mare over 1m 2f, by an easy 4 lengths nonetheless. However, his sire, Green Desert, has bred many sprinters and if his sons record is anything to go by, he's passed on plenty of speed to him too. Lots of his progeny are fast ground horses too, so conditions over this trip could be exactly ideal for my selection, who only encountered this ground on 2 occasions before, over trips over 7 & 8 furlongs, which is too far for him evidently. His dam also won on fast-ish ground. Waabel has impressive form behind the likes of Kalk Bay, who has proved most progressive since and only bet my selection by a neck in a 7f contest at Chepstow. I think this sharp track is perfectly ideal for Waabel. He should also be suited by the undulations of the course which suits his running style and given that he's drawn close to the favoured rail, he should be getting out to make all of the running. Paul Doe takes the ride and he boasts a fine record for the Jim Best yard, with 14 wins, 5 seconds and 10 thirds from just 53 rides, giving the pair a 26% strike rate and a £58 LSP. Best also has a fine record on course and this is possibly his best chance of a win today. Doe also gets on well with the horse having won on him three starts ago in that career-best effort, but as already explained, they had no luck last twice. I think they could be making it 2 from 4 here, with conditions ideal and a course to suit. 15/2 is a huge price and I reckon he could go off 4/1 or less. Diamond Johnny G also interested me at 16/1 and he's probably worth a tiny stake saver. However, I'll stick with Waabel and place a medium win stake on him gaining his first career win on turf, where he's unexposed and running over a sprint trip for the first time since making his racecourse debut for Michael Jarvis back in July of '09. He should go well here, but God knows what'll happen! That's my only bet of the day. It's quite a terrible card at Folkstone, bar this race, which should be interesting at least.