Flat Racing 30th Aug

[chris34]

4.40 Southwell Wouldnt usually be betting in AW maidens so early as this but Scrooby Doo might just be a value bet should the Noseda runner be priced up skinny. Scrooby Doo has had 4 runs to date with 3 on the fibresand and all 3 have been promising runs and proving he is perfectly at home on the surface which cannot be said for many of these as it is very much an unknown. Well drawn to get to the front from stall 3 and should appreciate the return to 6f on breeding. The main threat will be the Noseda runner with the yard in such hot form but would rather back something with course form. 2pt win Scrooby Doo 6.10 Southwell Competitive little race for a Southwell handicap. Record Breaker has long been regressing although he is well handicapped on best form he just looks worth opposing. Native Colony has improved with the step up in trip but they have been extremely weak races and the race he won last time out looks awful a 5 runner maiden handicap and a 6lb rise looks extremely harsh on the face of it and will need to improve further and unproven on surface. Miereveld comes from a yard that does extremely well with its runners around here and has won over this course but over a much shorter trip and off a low mark of 46, 13 lengths adrift of Sennockian Storm on penultimate start when 2nd over 1m4f but questionable that stamina gave out and a further step up in trip doesnt look a bright move and will need to find a lot more off a mark of 58. All My Heart offered enough on handicap debut to suggets he is capable of winning a race at some point of this mark but also looks to need further than this and doesnt look the yards typical handicap blot and perhaps others better treated at the moment. May Contain Nuts is closely related to the very useful Southwell specialist Lucky Punt who is a prolific scorer round here in these colours. Got off the mark last time out at Salisbury over this trip on soft ground winning very comfortably. Race appears to be working out well and a 5lb rise looks lenient especially if he handles the fibresand aswell as his brother. The other interesting runner has to Trojan Gift who has shown little in last 2 runs but has run 3 times around here and all 3 times ran really good races, only win to date came 3 starts ago in first time cheekpieces over this course and 2f further beating the useful benchmark Bring Sweets. Only 3lb higher than that win and although ran abmissmal last 2 starts on turf could easily bounce back returned to fibresand and sporting the first time visor today. 2pts win May Contain Nuts 1pt win Trojan Gift 8.25 Wolverhampton For an AW race this is full with front runners is gonna be run at a break neck pace probably and come behind runners are often favoured around here and that should suit a couple of these. Tarooq was a gritty winner last time out at Kempton over a mile but is likely to be up with the pace and that might catch him out in this field if getting burnt up in the front and a 4lb rise and had previously failed to see this trip out which is another worry and not one to be taking at a short price in my opinion. Satwa Pearl hasnt been seen for nearly 3 months when making a very promising debut for this stable having came over from france. She was very slowly away and made up a lot of ground to chase home the impressive Piano who has been holding her own in Listed company recently and although rised 2lb for that effort could easily be a handicap blot if breaking on terms and ability to handle surface not questioned having won on AW at Deauville earlier in the year. Trainer and jockey both firing in the winners and will appreciate a truly run race. Another that will also appreciate the strong pace could be Striding Edge who keeps promising to return to form, has plenty of form on the AW and showed real signs of promise last time out at Kempton when staying on too late in a race which wasnt really run to suit as horses up with the pace did best, dropped another 3lb and now 12lb below last winning mark, yard finally had a winner and just maybe yard is coming back into form after a very quiet time of things. 2pt win Satwa Pearl 10/3 pp 1pt win Striding Edge 10/1 pp

[Bathtime For Rupert]

Re: Flat Racing 30th Aug 4.30 Goodwood - 2pts e/w Perfect Pastime @ 13/2 (Boyles) I posted this a while ago about this horse when he was about to make his first appearance of the season:

3.20 Nottingham - 2pt win Perfect Pastime @ SP Tricky little handicap but the one that interests me is the Walter Swinburn trained Perfect Pastime. Whilst not an out-and-out sprinter on pedigree, this gelding by Pastoral Pursuits showed form in every start at 2 without managing to get his head in front. Started his career as a 16/1 shot in a 6f maiden at Windsor back in June, where he only found one too good in the shape of Major Dude of Richard Hannon. That horse flopped in a useful conditions race at Newmarket but was clearly a fancied horse as he went off 8/11 in the Windsor maiden, and 7/2 at Newmarket. Perfect Pastime ran a creditable race on his 2nd start when 5th of 14 at Salisbury, though was 7l behind the first 3, who drew clear. Again, the winner was an 8/11 shot trained by Richard Hannon. However, this horse did go on to better things. Royal Exchange was that horse, who since won a listed race, and was a close 3rd in a Group 2 won by Rerouted. The horse in 2nd at Salisbury, Midnight Feast, was beaten in a Lingfield maiden, but was perhaps not suited by the track, and in the end it proved to be no disgrace. The winner of that race was Cochabamba, who Midnight Feast gave 5lbs that day. The Roger Teal trained Cochabamba proved a revelation as she went on to run 2nd in Listed, Group 3, and Group 2 company - behind Lily Again, Theyskens' Theory, and Cape Dollar respectively. The other horse part of the first 3 at Salisbury was Fight The Chance of Mick Channon's. On that horse's final start of the season at Chester, it beat Little Lion Man in a class 2 conditions race. So the Salisbury form is pretty strong. The respective ORs of the first 3 are now 103, 84 and 91. Perfect Pastime returned to Windsor over 5f next time out, and was just unable to challenge when finishing 4th, beaten 1l. Showed a few signs of inexperience but finished well. That would, however, suggest that 5f may just be too sharp. On its first run in a handicap, things appeared to drop right, but he hung right and was headed close home by Loki's Revenge. Would have won had he kept straight. Again the form looks solid, as that horse is now rated 88 and won two all-weather races at the end of 2010. Ran another excellent race when 3rd at Sandown in a September Nursery, but in the end Jack Smudge and Pick A Little wore him down, relegating him to 3rd. Jack Smudge is another horse who went on to record 2 further successes, and is also rated 88 now. Perfect Pastime's latest run can be ignored. In a 5f race at Newbury, he raced alone just off the stands side rail before joining the main bunch at half way. Did well to stay on to be beaten 5l in 8th under the circumstances. Was drawn 14 and those drawn 11, 12 and 13 finished in the final 3 positions. Nothing wrong with the horse's attitude (though does hang right a bit). Been unlucky meeting progressive horses and one day he'll win a handicap. I think that day will be today. Off a mark of 73 which looks ready to be taken advantage of. Went well on debut which gives hope for his seasonal return, and Walter Swinburn's last four runners have been placed.

He's been frustrating to follow this season other than his neck victory at Goodwood on his 2nd effort of the season. He's been placed on three other occasions, and I think he's got a good chance to get his 2nd win on the board today despite this looking like a tricky handicap to call. He has had excuses a few times, though, including two runs on the all-weather, which have been slightly below-par. He seems better on the turf, and on unconventional tracks Epsom and Goodwood. He's 1-1 at the Sussex track which bodes well for his effort today. He was behind on his third start of the season at Windsor, but when he finally started to fly home, he had nowhere to go and was beaten only 2 lengths. At Kempton he was detached at the rear after hanging and being a bit outpaced before keeping on. He then went to Epsom for two runs - both of which ending in a 1/2l defeat in second place. He's been closing both times and was 2l clear of today's rival Aye Aye Digby on the first of those occasions when Baldemar won. Roodee Queen beat Perfect Pastime the 2nd time, and that horse was in superb form, notching up the 5 timer, and the first 3 were well clear. Last time out conditions were not in his favour as he went up to 7f for the first time at Kempton. He travelled quite well and wasn't far away with a furlong and a half to race, but faded, as he evidently didn't get the trip. It wasn't as bad as it looks and now with conditions to suit, can bounce back to form today. 6f is his ideal trip and his form at Goodwood reads 1-1 and he's had two close seconds from two runs at Epsom - a course which form often is synchronised with Goodwood. Ground holds no fears for this one as he goes fine with a bit of cut and on a quick surface, and he looks sure to run a good race. He's got plenty of time up the straight to pick up and looks a good e/w bet to me so long as the 8 runners stand their ground. Walter Swinburn's last few runners don't really inspire much, but it's a small sample size and he has had some go well in the last fortnight. I'm not too concerned as regards to that.