Horses for courses

[robertob]

Since I don't have enough time to watch all the racing as I should in order to make my eye-catchers profitable, I give a new and rather simple thing a chance: Horses for courses - and course and distance winners in particular. I will concentrate only on proven CD winners in any given field. I want to try and find CD winners that have everything going for them in terms of race conditions, on tracks where I feel course form is rather vital. Many of UK and Irish tracks are pretty unique and suit a certain type of horse and I hope to take advantage of that. Let's see where it goes... 14.40 Carlisle: Gold Beau @ 14/1 Bet365 - 1pt win Gold Beau is one from one over course and distance and finished second on his sole other start at Carlisle. He is better over 6f therefore the drop down to this trip will suit. He travelled well for a long time at Kempton last time out over 7f but faded eventually. He was disappointing at Redcar (over 7f) when from the beginning he never looked happy. He presented himself in better nick on two starts at Kempton before, when he was runners-up in one of those races and that form looks very decent on paper. The fact that he is back at Carlisle, over 6f with quick ground very much to suit, should give him a good chance to involved of a mark of 73. He is also drawn in five, so rather close to the rail, which is an advantage here. 15.20: Leicester: Zafranagar @ 4/1 Bet365 - 3pts win Zafranagar was unlucky when his saddle slipped lto here at Leicester, however his performance at Doncaster before, when he finished 2nd, must be rated highly since the winner won another two races afterwards and the whole form as such looks extremely strongly. Through the apprentice claim of regular rider George Downing, Zafranagar is even one pound better in the weights tomorrow. After all he is a course and distance winner at Leicester and has ground conditions in favour, he also won off his current mark in the past. He is bound for a strong performance. 16.20 Carlisle: Alluring Star @ 7/2 Bet365 - 2pts win Alluring Star was in fantastic form in recent weeks, when she won three on the bounce. Her winning run came to an end at Hamilton but even there she travelled strongly for a very long time. She is up three points but returns to Carlisle where she is 2 from 4 over course and distance. She has form on fast ground as well. A career best is required to overcome the current mark, but I suspect she has every chance in this field in the form she has at the moment, which conditions very much to suit. Two other CD winners in this field too, but one is the favourite and too short, while Baltic Prince might not quite have conditions in his favour. 16.40 Windsor: Couloir Extreme - 1pt win @ 12/1 Paddy Power - 1pt win Couloir Extreme's course form is too strong to ignore on his seasonal reappearance. He won twice here last year and one of those successes came over course and distance, when he demolished the field by eight lengths. Don't expect similar tomorrow, but he did well fresh last season. and looked really progressive the first half of the year, even though he couldn't quite continue that way for the rest of the year. Back after a break now at Windsor, only 3lb above his last winning mark, he's an interesting contender. 16.50 Carlisle: Choc'a'moca @ 20/1 Paddy Power - 1pt e/w Choc'a'moca dropped to a very handy mark and back at a venue of past success he might be able to find back to the winning ways. He was disappointing in his first two starts this season, but ground and fitness might be an excuse. He won last year of a four pound higher mark at Beverly and he has won off higher at Carlisle in the past two. In fact he is 2/2 here, and 1/1 over CD. He is fine on fast ground and I feel he can feature when it matters of his light weight here.

[robertob]

Re: Horses for courses That was a rather horrible start last month, none of those selections above came even close... let's hope to bring some success to it now... 20.20 Thirsk: Snow Bay @ 8/1 Boylesports - 2pts win Eye-catching jockey booking with Graham Lee having a near 26% strike rate for this yard this season. That is particularly interesting as Snow Bay slipped down to a very handy mark and I suspect his recent runs were not run to true merit but rather to bring down the mark and to wait for a suitable race to win. Which is happening here. He is now 11lb below his last winning mark and will find conditions right to suit tomorrow at Thirsk, a track he is two from four over course and distance. So 7f will surly suit, so should the fast ground. This is very much a winnable race with not too many obvious candidates, and most with question marks about past form and/or conditions like track, trip and ground to answer.