Stewart's Racing Diary

[stewartd14]

Evening all, I've been a very (embarassingly!) long time off this forum, so I'm very much trying to ease my way back into it. Having developed and fine tuned my speed rating's approach on the flat over the past 2 or 3 years, I am hopeful going into this flat season. As such, this thread will contain regular (weekly or bi-weekly) reviews of the week's racing with a view to identifying horses which I believe are worth backing next time out and potentially going forward as well based on the speed rating they have just run. I will attempt to highlight bets when the horses run, and keep a profit & loss. I will also keep a P & L based on a 1 pt level stake for every run, although I don't expect this to produce a profit. The current list of horses to follow will be updated in this post. The reasoning will be posted in a new post every time. Fingers crossed ! :ok Current List Great Minds Dark Ocean Form: 0 Elle West Form:00 Muwaary My Name is Rio Form:1 Maiden Approach Form: 0 Added 11/05/14 Flycatcher Neighbother Shyron Bretherton Beach Belle Primo Uomo Alertness Initial Alainn Master Planner

[stewartd14]

Re: Stewart's Racing Diary Weekly Review 17/04/14 As this review is the first of its kind, we have summarised performances to follow from the commencement of the Irish turf flat season. Great Minds - SR: 96 (+19) Rated only 77, ran an excellent race to take the prize on the opening day of the Irish flat season at the Curragh. Instinctively, I thought the winning speed rating of 96 might have been too big and inflated due to the soft ground. However, looking back in the field, only the first 2 ran above their rating, being the winner and Srucahan. The 2^nd went on to win off a rating of 87 recently, and the form certainly looks solid. Great Minds, despite being a 4 year old, is still unexposed with only 4 runs in his career, and I fully expect him to still be competitive off his revised mark of. Dark Ocean – SR: 79 (+13) On a day where there wasn’t much in terms of standout figures, Dark Ocean was the star of the show recording a speed rating of 79 in the opening handicap, a full 13 lbs better than his official rating on the day of 66. He has since been upped to a mark of 72, but I believe he can still be very competitive. It was Jedd O Keefe’s horse’s first run of the season, and he’s entitled to come on for the run. He travelled well throughout that day and looks good value to follow up that success. Bred by Dylan Thomas, I wouldn’t be too worried if he was stepped up in trip slightly either. Elle West – SR: 54 (+17) This isn’t my usual type of pick as a horse to back next time, but the lowly rated Elle West was thrown into an average claimer and ran a lot better than her official rating suggested she ought too. She had a lot against her that day, being a filly and a 3 year old against her elders in the early season. She has obliterated her handicap mark with that run and is now rated 60. However, given the disadvantages she had, and her relative inexperience, it may be interesting to follow which route they now decide to take with her. Muwaary – SR: 100 (+18) With a Speed Rating off 100, and winning a decent class 2 handicap, I can see Muwaary stepping up into pattern company as the season progresses. Currently, the handicapper has raised him 10 lbs, but I believe Muwaary can certainly go in again off a mark of 92. The horse was keen early that day, and I don’t believe the 100 speed figure he ran was any fluke. It is worth noting the form of the Gosden yard at present, and if he comes out again, he could certainly be worth following closely. My Name is Rio – SR: 74 (+7) Michael Dods My Name is Rio is the final addition to the list of horses to follow. He made his seasonal debt at Thirsk on Sunday and ran a solid rating of 74, a good 7 lbs above his mark. He has now been raised to a mark of 72, so there is still a strong argument for him being able to follow up given that was his first run of the season.. Being by Captain Rio, he’ll have appreciated the cut in the ground at Thirsk, and I would certainly be in the queue to back him again next time if the price is right on similar ground.