BBOTD - Thu 8th March 2012

[Edberg]

2.50 Southwell Horse Racing Free Bets With FreeBetting.co.uk Handicap 6f (Class 6) (4yo+ 0-52) Winner £1,704 GRACIE'S GIFT @ 8/1 bog (Bet365) Gracie's Gift is a 10yo trained by Richard Guest and is the oldest of the bunch in this race. It's a true specialist of the Fibresand having won 5 times in his career here at Southwell and 4 over today's C&D. Last win came in 2010 and was off a mark of 62 while today Gracie's Gift is gonna race off 52 and with the booking of the 5lb claimer Charles Eddery is actually racing off 47. The horse was racing off marks in the middle of 60s in 2010 and pretty well as usual (5 wins 5 seconds and 8 thirds in 42 starts on AW) after that good period had to spend a long spell on the sidelines and came back just in the summer of the 2011 struggling a bit before finding again a good form that enabled him to collect two decent 4th places at Ayr at the end of the turf season. Back to the sand the horse kept on racing well bar one poor effort at Kempton and his form at Southwell during this winter reads 434232 all over today's trip of 6f always running off marks between 51 and 54. Last two efforts have been unexpectedly very poor but I want to give him a chance as all his previous efforts were pretty solid and were all in slightly better company (never raced in a 0-52, mainly in 0-60). Moreover the booking of a good and experienced 5lb claimer such as Charles Eddery gives me more hope to think that the horse's last two efforts have some excuses and the old battler can still snatch a win at this level. Richard Guest is a master of this kind of races and his yard is in super form: he saddled 4 winners with his last 8 runners (2 out of only 3 runners he had today). The main danger looks Bonnie Prince Blue who suddenly perfomed again on a decent level last time out when a close second on Tuesday over 7f here at Southwell. He was a good specialist of this C&D handicaps years ago (able to win more than one off marks around the 70s) and today's mark of 50 that is actually 47 as lto thanks to the booking of Dale Swift is indeed a good one but his style of racing and his recent form seems to show a horse that is better over 7f nowadays (usually starts slowly, stays always close to the rail and plugs it on in the final straight) so I'm happy to oppose him at this short price (4/1 atm). Of course he is not the only danger as there are 12 runners and you could make a case for all of them in this low class but for different reasons I don't see any eyecatching value in any of the other runners and I'm happy to give it a try with the Richard Guest-trained old boy.

[Aidymac]

Re: BBOTD - Thu 8th March 2012 *Special Robon - Wincanton 3:00* Can be forgiven its poor run last time out as it was its first run for Venetia Williams and may have needed the outing. It previously to that had won 2 of its 3 starts in France and has to be capable of much more. Venetia does well with her recruits from France, the horse has already won over this trip and the horse is French bred so should like tacky going. It has been dropped 3 pounds in the handicap, should come on for the run and Venetia is in form with 2 of her last 4 runners winning. *1 Point WIN @ 11/1 VC BOG*