Monte's Specialisation - Manity Saintained (+335pts)

[Monterosso]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Maintaining Sanity (+230pts) 3:45 Doncaster - Mac's Power - 3pts @ 9/1 (Bet365) Nothing has went right for Mac's Power this year but James Fanshawe's 5 year old sprinter remains a massively talented animal and if it all could come together today, he has a very live chance of winning this 22 runner, 6f sprint. For one reason or another, this progressive type is without a win in 6 attempts this season and hopefully it'll be a case of seventh time lucky for him. The return to Doncaster for the first time this season is bound to help, as he landed this race last year (albeit off a 10lb lower mark) and comes here with impressive course form reading; 2-1-7-1-4. Mac's Power lined up in the Ayr Gold Cup when last seen (a month ago) but you can completely write that run off as a number of things conspired against him. Firstly, the very soft ground that he ran on isn't what he's after at all. Then, despite having what would of been a nice draw in stall 8, he was switched the whole way across the track to race in the other group. In the end, he hadn't a hope of getting involved and ran accordingly to finish virtually pulled up. It's not fair to judge him on that effort and if he had of run respectably at all, I'd imagine he'd be the clear favourite for this less competitive race. All of the other seasonal performances from Mac's Power have been good (has excuses for a few, despite running well) and a return to the form that seen him come a 2¾ length 3rd behind Hoof It in the Stewards' Cup at Goodwood (don't think the track suits) would see him get involved here at the track where his only pair of turf wins have been achieved (also won over 7f here). His handicap mark of 100 is not insurmountable and connections now see fit to book Kieren Fallon for the first time in the horses 29-race career. Fallon has an exceptional record for the yard (7-26 this year) and he should prove to be an added bonus to an already talented animal. It won't be an easy race for Mac's Power to win but he has a lot more in his favour now compared to recent outings and the ground seems to have come right for him - despite the time of year. He's relatively fresh given that he hasn't had too many outings this season and he looks to be the class horse of the race. I'm sure connections have had aspirations of taking on Group races with him and maybe they will next season, as he's still lightly-raced as a sprinter on turf and we all know how quick these speedy animals can improve, despite age. If he puts it all in today, he should run a good race and 9/1 looks like a nice price to me. Medium win stakes and hopefully he'll go well at a track that suits him perfectly. Of the remainder, Cheveton, Marvellous Value & Parisian Pyramid all came into the equation but I'll just stick with James Fanshawe's charge despite liking a few others.

[BillyHills]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Maintaining Sanity (+230pts) Bad news mate, just jinxed Macs Power:$

[Monterosso]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Maintaining Sanity (+230pts) ...and I thought you were my friend. :cry

[Monterosso]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Maintaining Sanity (+230pts) No winners to report, unfortunately. Devdas ran a cracking race to return each-way money having finished in 3rd place. However, the way in which he travelled throughout the race suggested he was going to do even better than that and I thought he came with a winning run in the closing stages. It's just a pity that his previously impressive turn of foot seemed to desert him and although I thought the trip/track would suit, it's possible that he needs more of an emphasis put on stamina. There's more to come from him next year and he should get 1m 2f, assuming he'll settle (relaxed well yesterday). Into the tracker he goes. Mac's Power was the exceptionally unlucky horse of the day and he's one of the most unlucky horses of the whole season. Having travelled well throughout, he was stuck with nowhere to go for over a furlong in his race and that put paid to his chances of winning the race. In the end, he ran on nicely into 5th place but it was all in vain. I'm not sure whether he'd of troubled the winner or not but he would of been a lot closer for sure and would of been 3rd at the very worst. Frustrating but that's the joys of big-field sprint handicaps. -1.00pts on the day. Keeping it relatively brief with some of them today. 1:30 Doncaster - Hot Spice - 3pts @ 7/1 (Ladbrokes) I'm being a bit unoriginal here by backing the favourite in this 18 runner contest but Hot Spice looks overpriced at 7/1 and John Dunlop's 3 year old should be a lot shorter in the betting. In 2011, this talented gelding has won a couple of handicaps off marks of 64 & 67, the latter in very impressive fashion when running out a 2 length winner over this 1m 4f trip at Leicester. That was a much weaker contest than what he faces today but the way in which he travelled suggested he was a horse capable of finding even more improvement. The ground was also relatively fast that day and he does have quite a high knee action, so today's easier conditions will suit. Since that victory on his penultimate outing, Hot Spice ran another excellent race at Leicester when going down narrowly off a 9lb higher mark in a 4-runner affair. The winner of that race, Luca Cumani's Franciscan, is a similarly progressive type and the pair pulled well clear of the others (who weren't that good mind). It's not a race to get carried away with by any means but given that it wasn't satisfactory for Dunlop's charge, the raw performance deserves upgrading. The ground was also fast on that occasion and he didn't look overly happy on it, but kept on all the way to the line. There's a fair chance that he'll get a bit further than this trip but for now, he remains unexposed in the main and especially over this trip. Hot Spice went up a further 4lbs since his last run, leaving him nearly a stone higher than his last victory. However, I don't expect that he's in the grips of the handicapper just yet and could improve for the return to a less speed demanding surface (any unlikely rain would be very welcomed). The flatter track that he faces today will not inconvenience and not many of the opposition are open to as much improvement as he is. The big field will be right up his street and he's bound to get a solid pace to run after, which is something that's needed. It's just a case of whether the splits will come at the right time, but he'll have plenty of opportunity if he's good enough. Hot Spice will also have the chance to get plenty of cover (can race keenly, so that should help) and Ted Durcan is back on board having ridden him for the first time in a handicap last time out. John Dunlop's yard are in expcetional form of late - with 4 winners and 4 seconds from his last 20 runners, so there's no better time to catch his runners. Overall, 7/1 is a cracking price (5's would be fair, maybe even shorter) and I'll play medium win stakes. Plenty of the rest are interesting but Hot Spice has the ability to improve well past this mark and hopefully he'll show that here.

[Monterosso]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Maintaining Sanity (+230pts) 2:00 Doncaster - Swilly Ferry - 1pt e/w @ 25/1 (Bet365, 5 places) Taking a wild punt here in this 22-runner, 5f sprint handicap. Swilly Ferry is an exceptionally well-handicapped horse on some of his form last year and although he only has a few half-decent runs to his name this season, he's capable of getting involved at a fancy price here. Charles Hills' 4 year old colt hasn't set the world alight since scoring off a 7lb higher mark (96) over 6f at Newmarket last May but he's now dropped back to 5f for the first time since his opening couple of runs as a juvenile and that's taken to suit. Swilly Ferry isn't lacking for speed at all and if first-time cheekpieces work the oracle, a return to form off a very nice rating wouldn't surprise me at all. He ran his best race of the year when 3rd over 6f at Goodwood in first-time blinkers a couple of starts ago and although it wasn't a fantastic run by any means (he had plenty to suit), it proved that he still retained a fair amount of his old ability. Hills' charge performed abysmally when last seen at the beginning of September, as he was tailed off in a similar contest to this. I can't spot any obvious reasons as to why he ran so poorly but he did the exact same thing on his previous 5 visits to York, so maybe he just doesn't like the place (despite having run well there at 2). Swilly Ferry has no such bad form around this course, as he landed a very valuable sales race over 7f here during his juvenile campaign. He also ran excellent races on his only other pair of outings at this track (including on debut over this 5f trip) and the return to Doncaster could help spark a revival for a horse with undoubted talent. He's also likely to be freshened up significantly by a recent 48 day lay-off and can go well fresh, so hopefully that'll help him too. He's drawn in stall 22 of 22 and that's perfect, as high draws usually dominate the sprint races at this track. The Charles Hills yard are in decent form of late (had a 33/1 winner here yesterday) and Robert Winston is on board this fellow for the first time, which is a definite step up on Michael Hills. Swilly Ferry is hardly a winner-in-waiting or anything but he's 25/1 here with 5 places being paid (28/1 with 4 places) and looks worthy of small stakes each-way support. If he can give his best, he could run a big race with plenty being in his favour. Stuart Williams' vastly improved 4 year old filly, Dreamacha (14/1), is the next-best bet and may be worthy of a few quid too. Tough race to get right but that pair look to be the value calls to me.

[Monterosso]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Maintaining Sanity (+230pts) 2:30 Doncaster - Accession - 3pts @ 6/1 (Bet365) I'm going to side with a Cive Cox runner yet again here by backing Accession in this 6f juvenile Listed race. This speedily bred colt ran a cracker on debut (September 2nd) when just touched off by a well thought of Ed McMahon trained filly (bare form strong) and he duly stepped up on that performance when scooting away in a decent Newbury maiden a couple of weeks later. The way in which he travelled throughout before running on strongly to the line was in the style of a potentially very useful animal and this step up to Listed level shouldn't be a worry if all is well. Accession was quite green on debut (according to Cox) but did look like the winner having quickened up nicely before getting swamped in the closing stages (got tired having run down a solid pace). Cox said after his next outing that if he had of went one better on debut that he'd of taken up his engagement in the Mill Reef and it's clear that this fellow is well thought of at home. It wasn't until the final furlong of the Newbury run that he got on top of a useful type but he was exceptionally strong at the finish when hitting top gear and should come on a fair amount for the experience, which will hopefully lead to him responding to pressure a bit quicker here - as he will have to. Today's conditions should be perfect and the Doncaster track is ideal, so there's no worries there. Accession, despite being bred for sprint distances, could well get further in time (based on how strong he was at the finish last time out) but this test should be right up his street for the moment. A good gallop to run at is likely and with Clive Cox's animals being in such good form of late, there should be no excuses for him. I'm quite sure that he'll be more than good enough to hold his own at this level and Richard Hannon's impressive debut winning filly (flopped since; had excuses), Dreamwriter (6/1), is the only one I'm very worried by. I'm going to play medium win stakes on Cox's charge, as I feel he's quite a bit overpriced at 6/1 and should run a big race - hopefully one that ends in victory.

[Monterosso]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Maintaining Sanity (+230pts) 4:10 Doncaster - Stagecoach Danman - 1pt e/w @ 16/1 (Ladbrokes, 4 places) Things haven't went too well for Stagecoach Danman since he was an impressive, eased-down, 6-length maiden winner at Pontefract in June. However, I feel he's capable of laughing at his handicap rating of 80 if on song and given that he's a Mark Johnston trained animal, a return to form could occur at any time (although it's not something to bank on!). Despite 17 runners being set to go to post for this 1m 4f contest, Johnston's charge could well get an uncontested lead and if he does, he will prove to be very tough to peg back (although he doesn't need to lead). Stagecoach Danman is still a very lightly-raced 3 year old having only lined up on 9 occasions (7 on turf) and there's bound to be a lot more to come once he returns to producing his best. When winning that maiden race over this trip at Pontefract, on his fifth career outing, Johnston's nicely bred gelding looked to be one to follow for handicaps but alas, his form went downhill somewhat. The assessor put him up 6lb (to 84) for that easy win and he was sent off as a 4/5 favourite over today's C&D when lining up next time out. Stagecoach Danman was beaten by just over 3 lengths in the end but he got squeezed out when staying on late in the day and that ruined his chances, as he could well of won the race if he didn't suffer any interference. He has run poorly on 3 occasions since but has excuses for 2 of them (soft ground, trip and level of opposition made things very tough) and as a result he's dropped back to a mark of 80, which is very attractive if he's in the same vein of form as when scooting away at Pontefract in June. He's also droppped back to Class 4 level for the first time since his solid C&D run and that's bound to suit, as he was just flying too high (given the conditions) on his last few outings. The favourite for today's race, Tartan Gunna, seems to be the first choice Johnston trained horse (SDS on board) but he's not reliable at all and looks much too short in the market at 6/1 (plus it's his first run at this trip). Jimmy Fortune takes the reins for a rare ride for the Johnston yard and he's 3 from 17 when riding for them. Fortune is an exceptional jockey in my opinion and he should be more than capable of coaxing the talented Stagecoach Danman into giving his best. The track, trip and ground are all ideal for this relentless galloping horse and overall, he looks quite overpriced at 16/1 with 4 places being paid. Small each-way stakes again as it's a very risky bet but if he is back to form, I fully expect a massive run from him. Hopefully he is.

[Monterosso]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Maintaining Sanity (+230pts) Saturday was full of fail. Not much else to say. -10.00pts on the day. 1:30 Leicester - Daneside - 3pts @ 16/1 (PaddyPower) With doubts being fairly easy to have over the market leaders in this C4 mile contest, siding with a bigger priced runner mightn't be a bad idea at all. The one that catches the eye is the Gary Harrison owned & trained Daneside - a progressive and lightly-raced 4 year old gelding. Whether or not the handicapper has caught up with him is debatable but off a mark of 72, with the capable Matthew Lawson taking off a further 5lbs, he may have one more win in him when things work out favourably. Daneside comes here on the back of a couple of bad efforts, hence why he's available at such a large price. However, one of those runs came at Kempton on polytrack and he just didn't seem to be able to give his running on that surface. The other, last time out, was on very heavy ground at Haydock and that could possibly explain why he couldn't make up any ground from the rear of the field. It's fairly easy to overlook those efforts and if he was coming here without having lined up in those races, he most certainly wouldn't be a 16/1 shot. If I just concentrate on Daneside's other 7 outings this season, his form reads an impressive 2-3-2-1-2-4-1. Since making his seasonal reappearance in June, he has progressed a total of 21lbs up the ratings and it's quite possible that there may be a little bit more to come. The main run I'm interested in came right before his pair of recent disappointments, as Harrison's charge ran out a most convincing winner over the stiff mile at Sandown. He travelled wide throughout - as he so often does - before taking up the running a couple of furlongs from home. It took him a little while to shake off his rivals but he was galloping away from them all the way to the line and eventually scored by 2¼ lengths off a mark of 66. That was a similar contest to this and although Daneside had plenty in his favour on that occasion, it was a run that confirmed he wasn't caught in the grips of the handicapper. He's 6lbs higher here but this stiff track should help being out the best in him and the fast ground shouldn't pose any problems, so at least he has conditions that suit this time. His trainer had 50 runners between February of 2007 and July of this year without gaining a single success but since August, his animals have lined up on 31 occasions and won 4 times (including this fellow twice). The owner-turned-trainer's yard are obviously going a lot better compared to their usual results and hopefully he can add another winner here. Today's jockey, Matthew Lawson, has 2 wins from 4 rides on Daneside and he's an exceptional 5lb claimer, so there's no better man to have on board. When I was looking at the race before any prices were available, I thought this fellow would be around the 6-8/1 mark, so to see him at 16's is a pleasant surprise. Yojimbo is currently rated as the best-priced 4/1 favourite and I'd imagine that's mainly down to the booking of Ryan Moore, as I'd question whether this animal is up to winning over a fast-ground stiff mile off a mark of 79. He could well be, but the price isn't exactly attractive and he's one to avoid here. Jordaura is an even more under-priced at 5/1, as he seems to be a softer ground horse and just mightn't appreciate this test. He's also up 5lbs in the weights for winning over 2f further at Bath (good-to-soft) and this is a completely proposition, even though he looks nicely handicapped on early 2010 efforts for John Holt. West End Lad has won his last two starts over this C&D but it'll take a career-best effort to win this and 8/1 looks skinny given that he's an 8 year old that the handicapper knows all about. Uppercut is an interesting contender here and a consistent 3 year old but he just mightn't be up to winning this. I suspect he'd be at his best when getting a strong gallop over 7f, so whether he'll have things to suit here is debatable. 12/1 is a nice price about him, so a small saver bet wouldn't do any harm. My Kingdom would be a gigantic price at 33/1 if he had more in his favour but again, I don't think he's after a stiff mile at all and he looked very poor on his last 3 runs for this yard. His debut for this yard, which was the race before disappointing last thrice, came over 7f at Newbury and he was a running-on 2nd of 15 in a much tougher contest. He's 4lbs lower here and down in grade but doubts over trip, ground and track would be enough for me to avoid getting tempted by such a big price. If he's around next year and available at that sort of price when things are more suitable, I'll definitely be on board. The others in the race don't interest me at all, even though I could be wrong to dismiss a couple of them so lightly. Regardless, Daneside looks massively overpriced at 16/1 and I'll have a medium stakes win bet on him. I would play smallish each-way stakes usually but I'm feeling greedy and it's worth chancing everything on the win bet as it's only 1/5 of the price for a place. Harrison's charge should run a big race if he's on song and hopefully he will be. Equally, he could run a shocker given his last couple of unimpressive outings but I'm sure they weren't his true running's and this is a much more suitable race for him to run in. The yard are also making a 300 mile round trip to visit Leicester for the first time and let's hope this fellow lands the £4k prize to pay for the petrol home!

[Monterosso]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Maintaining Sanity (+230pts) Daneside was strong in the market yesterday, eventually going off at 7/1. Unfortunately that's all he was strong in as all he could muster was 7th place. It seemed impossible to have any chance of coming from off the pace at Leicester and my selection was held up towards the rear, which neither suits him over this trip nor did it suit in general given how the track was riding. I said Uppercut was worthy of a "small saver bet" when he was 12/1 and he eventually won the race having been well backed into 5/1. I didn't actually place that saver bet in the end, so it's typical that he'd go on to win! I'm still quite sure that he'll be better when getting a solid gallop to run at over a furlong shorter and he's one to keep an eye on in 2012, as there's bound to be more to come. -3.00pts on the day. Short write-ups today, as I'm actually awake at a normal time for once and hopefully won't miss any prices mid-writing! 2:50 Catterick - Clockmaker - 2pts @ 14/1 (Betfred, VC) Clockmaker looks to be the most interesting runner in this 15 strong field and he's also the most overpriced animal at current odds of 14/1. Tim Easterby's yard can't buy a winner at the moment (0-43 last fortnight) but they've had more than enough run well to suggest that it's not a massive problem and I'm hopeful that their luck will change here. This former John Gosden trained animal (changed hands for 23k last October) takes a drop back to Class 4 company for the first time since winning an all-weather contest off a 4lb lower mark over a mile at Kempton, achieved last June. Clockmaker hammered in that day in the style of an exceptionally talented horse and although he has been a bit disappointing since, including for current connections, I feel he's got enough in his locker to go very well here. Conditions shouldn't be a problem, the tight track will suit if he can make the best of a good draw and he'll get a race run to suit. Clockmaker's recent trio of efforts have been atrocious on the face of it but he's had excuses and a return to the form that led to a half-length 2nd of 13 over this trip at Newcastle (on second outing for this yard) would see him go close off a 2lb lower mark in a weaker contest. He's still unexposed being a 5 year old that only raced once before a fairly hectic 4 year old campaign and I think he's got the potential to improve a lot more on a softer surface. Graham Gibbons being on board is another plus, as he's one of my favourite jockeys and if this animal puts his best foot forward, he can get involved in the closing stages at least. Small/medium win stakes for me and hopefully he'll go well.

[Monterosso]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Maintaining Sanity (+230pts) 3:50 Catterick - Klynch - 2pts @ 25/1 (StanJames) Taking another second string on my side here and this time it's Ruth Carr's Klynch - a talented 5 year old who thrived this season when winning 4 times between May and June. Overall, he improved from a rating of 57 to achieve his last race victory by 4½ lengths off a mark of 76 (soft ground, 6f at Ayr). He's obviously found things a lot tougher since being hit hard by the handicapper but in his 8 races since, he has run 3 exceptional races of a mark of 85 - thus showing that today's rating of 84 isn't insurmountable at all. Ruth Carr isn't exactly banging the winners in over the past few months (only 5 since August) but plenty are still running well (a lot better than the stable were going this time last year) and hopefully the useful Klynch could manage another victory here. This fellow actually hasn't won in 5 tries beyond 6f but today's soft ground over 7f at a very sharp could bring out the best in him and staying the trip isn't an issue. Klynch is a real soft ground animal (despite having won on quicker) and today's conditions are spot on. He's also taking a drop back in grade and given how well he ran in tougher contests off a similar mark in the past few months, I can't understand the extremely large price. There seems to be a lot of pace on here, which should suit James Sullivan's charge if he's patient on him and hopefully the pair will still have some sort of chance if it collapses. 25/1 is just too big and I'll have another small/medium win bet on a horse who is well-positioned in stall 4.

[Aidymac]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Maintaining Sanity (+230pts) Aboy James!! :clap

[Monterosso]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Maintaining Sanity (+230pts) GET IN! Love Gibbons more than life!

[Bathtime For Rupert]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Maintaining Sanity (+230pts) I give up. I'm just gonna buy a 10% stake in you.

[Monterosso]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Maintaining Sanity (+230pts) :lol 10% of nothing is nothing. Make the cheque payable to Ian.

[Bathtime For Rupert]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Sanity Maintained (+238pts) I will be making no cheques to Ian. For no money or anything.

[Mr.Wilson]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Sanity Maintained (+238pts) Monterosso you're something else, I've seen some proclaimed good tipsters in my life (Spook, TAPK, Hugh Taylor etc) but I've yet to see someone like you on a regular basis. What makes you different from the rest is that your so humble for someone so young! Keep up the fantastic work man.

[BillyHills]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Sanity Maintained (+238pts) About time;) :clap

[Monterosso]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Sanity Maintained (+238pts)

Monterosso you're something else, I've seen some proclaimed good tipsters in my life (Spook, TAPK, Hugh Taylor etc) but I've yet to see someone like you on a regular basis. What makes you different from the rest is that your so humble for someone so young! Keep up the fantastic work man.

Wow, thanks a million for the kind words. Really appreciate it.

About time;) :clap

Damn right and cheers mate. :) On a side note; I actually feel I'm dealing with the losing streaks a hell of a lot better now and just remembering that I'm playing the long-term, value-punting game (which mathematically says I'll have plenty of losing streaks at the prices I play) is making it so much easier to ignore. Previously, it started to affect my selections (staking too possibly; especially last seasons NH attempt) somewhat but I've got it completely out of my head, even though some of the write-ups from the previous days runners come across as me being down about picking losers! I do quite like to make excuses for why horses lost though (this is the ultimate key to doing well), as I can go back to them over the course of the season and see why I thought the races went wrong for them. It has come in handy on plenty of occasions. Plus I'm always learning and being able to look at what I thought at the time is mightily interesting - even though its get less and less correct as I pick up new things. :lol I actually look back on posts from last year and think "what in God's name was I thinking". I'll probably do the same in another year. This game is just one gigantic mindfúck though - so overcoming the emotional attachment to losing a few bills is the first step to doing reasonably well I feel. Now I just need to follow it on to the the National Hunt, as I failed horribly with the mental test last year and thus my punting suffered horrifically (overconfidence may have played a part at stages too - mainly because my 2010 flat betting went a bit too well). What has this to do with anything? Nothing. :lol I'm bored and just began typing for no particular reason! Usually helps me to keep focused by posting things, oddly enough. ----------------- Going to sleep early again, so I'll have selections up in the morning if there's going to be any. :)

[TheBoyRooney]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Sanity Maintained (+238pts) i think the way to cope better with losing streaks you got to have more of them.:lol. well done monte :cow

[Monterosso]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Sanity Maintained (+238pts) That's true but I don't want any more. I've got plenty, including one that lasted 49 runners between May and June. :loon Brown Panther ended it all. :) Cheers mate.

[Monterosso]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Sanity Maintained (+238pts) Graham Gibbons provided me with a lovely winner when guiding Clockmaker to victory at Catterick yesterday. The pair had plenty to suit with the ground softening throughout the morning and eventually went on to score a shade comfortably in the end. Given that the horse goes on the all-weather and hasn't had a tough season at all, he may be of interest again over the winter when getting conditions to suit on polytrack. He's still potentially well-treated off the rise in the weights that he will face and in hindsight, I wish I had a bit more on him as the 14/1 price-tag that was proved to be massive. The other selection, Klynch, showed plenty of pace for 5f but it was a pity that the race had another couple of furlongs to go when he began to fade away! A long season probably took its toll on Ruth Carr's progressive sprinter and he'll get a deserved break now. +26.00pts on a brilliant and very welcome day. Badly needed that for a well-timed confidence boost. 1:30 Nottingham - Ridley Didley - 1pt @ 20/1 (Bet365) It's very tough to be confident about anything in this 17-runner 5-furlong sprint and plenty come into it with a chance of going well. Given how it's beneficial to have a high draw over this trip at Nottingham, Ridley Didley looks to be the one to side with from the highest stall in 17. Noel Wilson's speedy 6 year old will have to overcome a mark of 66 and win in a C5 contest for the first time if he's to return the money here but he's just the type to be massively favoured in these conditions and looks worthy of small stakes support. Riddley Didley hasn't run up to his best on his recent 4 outings but I'm finding it quite easy to find excuses as to why that was the case and if he can come here in the same vein as his last win, he's not without a chance at all. That victory was achieved 5 starts ago at Musselburgh over this flying 5 furlongs, a race in which Noel Wilson's charge won by nearly 2 lengths with relative ease. He's only 2lb higher in the ratings now and although plenty suited him on that occasion, a similar run may just suffice here for a horse who has much more speed than one would expect from a seemingly exposed sprinter. The problem is that he usually can't sustain his effort but he'll have the favoured rail to help here. On that occasion, Adrian Nicholls partnered Ridley Didley and he does so again for the first time since. I wouldn't exactly be the biggest fan of him but some horses go for certain jockeys and having him hop back on board may just be a bigger positive than it looks. He's also riding well of late and doesn't venture down to Nottingham too often, so hopefully he's heading down with the intention of grabbing a nice-priced winner with what looks to be his best of two rides (the other is in a seller for Dandy). The horse also does exceptionally well at the track having won off 60 and finished 2nd off this mark of 66 in just two runs here. He does face an uphill task against some useful types but he's talented on his day and having a very small win bet at a fancy price-tag of 20/1 will do no harm.

[Monterosso]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Sanity Maintained (+238pts) 3:40 Nottingham - Desert Romance - 2pts @ 14/1 (Bet365) Another very tough contest to solve with 15 runners set to go to post to contest this extended 1-mile C4 Handicap. The one of most interest at the prices is the David O'Meara trained 5 year old, Desert Romance. This exceptionally game front-runner hasn't been at his best of late but a return to form could be on the cards now that he's returned to fast ground and dropping in grade to contest a race at Class 4 level having been outclassed in the main all season - despite running well more often than not. Desert Romance hasn't actually run in this grade since making his debut for David O'Meara over 1m 2f at the stiff Newcastle track. On that occasion, he set out to make all of the running and wasn't for stopping as he went on to score by 1¾ lengths - beating a comfortable next-time-out winner in the process. Now that was only 6-runner race in which he had plenty to suit but it proved how useful he can be on a going day and a similar effort now back in trip (which should suit) would see him run a big race here off the same handicap mark of 84 (has since placed at C2 level off 89, just a length behind winner Nanton). It's also interesting that O'Meara sees fit to book useful 5lb claimer Ashley Morgan and if they're sending this fellow out with the intentions of running his race, he should do well. Morgan has ridden on 11 occasions for the stable and barely any of them have run well (although all were double-figure prices and seemingly unfancied), so fingers crossed that Desert Romance doesn't follow that trend. Getting 5lbs off his back is no bad thing though and overall, he has plenty to suit with ground, track and potentially the trip all being in his favour. Chapter And Verse would be my second choice at the prices, as he's got plenty in his favour here and could potentially win quite easily if he was on a going day. It's just a pity that he finds those days hard to come by and may have to settle for a minor role yet again. 8/1 is a decent price about him though and a small saver bet wouldn't do any harm. Nelson's Bounty is another interesting one at 14/1 but he's very frustrating and being from Paul D'Arcy's stable, how he'll run is anyone's guess. He's potentially well-treated though and not one to dismiss too lightly - especially if there's money around for him. Overall, Desert Romance is the one I'll stick with and his price is just too big (8's would be fair I'd say). He's fairly well exposed but he's talented on his day, suited by these conditions (which he hasn't got often this year), well-handicapped and if he's lining out to give his best, he'll make a bold bid. Small/medium win stakes for me again and hopefully there's some support for him in the market, as that's a solid sign with this yard. I'll also be interested to see how my selection from the other day gets on, as Daneside lines out again and has plenty to suit. He couldn't land a blow at Leicester when the track was favouring those on the pace and if he's a bit more fortunate here, he could make the frame at 25/1. I just hate backing horses turning out again so quick and although it has suited him before, this is a tough race for him. Actually now that I've mentioned him I think I'll have to play another very small saver, as they often win when I don't follow up next time out!

[Monterosso]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Sanity Maintained (+238pts) Final one. 4:55 Musselburgh - Rothesay Chancer - 3pts @ 7/2 (Bet365) Backing favourites is something I'm not overly keen to do but Rothesay Chancer was a horse I said I'd keep in mind after seeing him a few times this season and he's worthy of taking a chance on here at a track where he goes exceptionally well. Since becoming a very progressive sprinting 3 year old this year, Jim Goldie's charge has C&D form reading 2-1-1-2-3. The wins were achieved off marks of 59 & 65 when notching up successive wins between May and June. Today, Rothesay Chancer is rated 10lbs higher than the last of those wins but he has since won off 70 at Newcastle (good-to-soft) and finished 2nd and 3rd off 76 & 77 respectively - the latter coming over C&D in a much more competitive contest. On that occasion he got too far back for his own good and was the only one to make any sort of inroads into the pace, as the race favoured those racing handy (5 of first 6 raced prominently). That efforts can be upgraded somewhat and a slightly better performance would suffice here I'd imagine. That was on his penultimate start and I backed Rothesay Chancer last time out when he ran at the Ayr festival nearly 6 weeks ago. He tackled a 22-runner race and as was the case with his previous outing, it favoured those on the pace. He finished 3rd of 10 in his group and again was the only one to make up any ground from the rear. The general consensus is that he needs to be stepped back up to 6f but I don't think that's the case and he just needs a fair chance of getting involved when waiting tactics are used. Jim Goldie now sees fit to drop Rothesay Chancer back in grade after the handicapper dropped him a pound since his last run and I think he's more than up to landing the spoils today. Ground conditions are spot on for him and he should get a very solid gallop to run at - which is needed for him over this trip. I don't think there's anything as good as him lining up here and if he's on a going day and gets the breaks mid-race, he's bound to have some sort of say in the finish under his regular pilot - 3lbs claimer Gary Bartley. Jim Goldie seems to have his yard in good knick of late and although Rothesay Chancer has had a long season for a young sprinter, he's held his form well and should be freshened up sufficiently on the back of a 40 day lay-off. 7/2 (missed 4's with the BOG firms whilst writing - annoying!) is a very good price about him if he's as useful as I think he could be and I'll play medium stakes in the hope that he can run another big race. Of the rest, Tongalooma would be the biggest danger as the betting suggests but she may just not appreciate this test and looks a bit high in the handicap now that she's 10lbs higher than her last (easy) win. Some of the others are interesting if showing more than they have of late but Jim Goldie's charge can run a big race here and looks the one to beat with plenty being in his favour. Hopefully he'll go well.

[Monterosso]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Sanity Maintained (+238pts) No luck on Wednesday with all 3 of the selections failing to run up to their best. Doubt any of them will be lining out again in the closing stages of the season so there's no point recording why I thought they lost. Definitely going to keep an eye on Jim Goldie's horse next season though, as he's got a good bit more to give as a 4 year old sprinter. -6.00pts on the day. 3:00 Newmarket - Artistic Jewel - 2pts @ 11/2 (Ladbrokes) Hardly the most exciting Listed race we've ever seen and with doubts to be had over pretty much ever one of the runners, it's hard to be overly confident about anything. The one I fancy to run a big race is Ed McMahon's Artistic Jewel, as she's ultra-consistent, lightly-raced (like them all I suppose) and capable of improving significantly with much more being in her favour today compared to some of her career outings so far. Artistic Jewel was an impressive first-time-out winner (July 25th) when scoring by nearly 3 lengths in a modest Windsor maiden over the minimum trip. She was then sent off as the 3/1 favourite for a Listed contest over the same trip at Newbury when lining out a couple of weeks later. Things didn't go to plan as she received a bump just after the off and then couldn't quicken when brought into contention in the closing stages. She ended up getting beat by just over 3 lengths, finishing 5th of the 12 runners. She was also 2½ lengths behind today's 4/1 favourite - Bryan Smart's thrice Listed-placed Excelette. A step up in trip looked like a good move for Artistic Jewel when connections brought her to Doncaster for a 5-runner conditions race a few weeks later. However, the race turned out to be a sprint within a sprint and she had to settle for a half-length 3rd behind Richard Hannon's very useful colt Eureka - a horse who dictated a slow tempo early on and gradually wound it up a couple of furlongs from home. This didn't suit Ed McMahon's filly at all and she did very well to finish so close given how reliant on a strong gallop that I feel she is. She was also a bit unlucky mid-race and could of finished even closer if not for being on the receiving end of a few bumps when the race started to get interesting. All-in-all it was a good run and probably represented a step up on anything she had done before. Artistic Jewel got back to winning ways when scoring at Salisbury in another conditions race (4 runners) when last seen a month ago to the day. It was another unsatisfactory race for McMahon's filly, as she didn't look one bit happy on the soft ground but still managed to win a shade cosily in the end. It wasn't a great race by any means and one that she was entitled to win but she was never better than at the closing stages of the race and seemed to relish the stiff track. Today's track is quite testing too and Artistic Jewel has got plenty to suit, including much better ground to run on. There should be a solid end-to-end gallop and that's something she will also relish. The only worries I have here are how McMahon and Graham Gibbons get on at the track, as the trainer is 1 from 25 at Newmarket whilst Gibbons is 2 from 42. I know that statistics aren't the most important things in the world but I'd much prefer them to be more favourable than that. Regardless, the pair have a horse that is open to a lot more improvement, suited by conditions and nicely priced at 11/2. Small/medium win bet again, as it's very tough to be overly confident but this one should run a big race with plenty being in her favour. Previous selection Besito is worth having a little bit on too at a fancy price of 16/1.

[Monterosso]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Sanity Maintained (+238pts) First National Hunt bet (God help me). Not going to write much about them for a while. 3:20 Wetherby - Phidippides - 1pt @ 7/1 (Boyles) The 7-year-old Phidippides is very highly thought of at Evan Williams' yard and if he's readied first time out, he's potentially well-treated off a handicap mark of 136. He won his opening pair of hurdle contests (both 2m 5f) in 09/10 before failing to give his best in a G1 at Aintree (3m 1f) that same season (travelled very well but dropped out). Last year he ran well first time up (cause for optimism here) when finishing a length behind the talented Jonjo O'Neill trained Rock Noir on his chasing debut and duly went one better with a 12 length win when sent off as a 2/7 shot in a poor contest at Ludlow (2m 4f). Phidippides then disappointed on his other pair of starts that season, with ground being a valid excuse for the first occasion and poor jumping under pressure costing him a chance on the second. Williams has since reported that he has strengthened up well since taking a break and he's still hopeful that he can live up to the previous high expectations. If he can, a mark of 136 is very workable and I see no reason why he can't have a say in this contest with ground, trip and track all being to suit. It's all a case of whether he's forward enough to take this race but the yard are in good knick and 7/1 looks a price worth taking a small chance on.

[Aidymac]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Sanity Maintained (+238pts)

3:20 Wetherby - Phidippides - 1pt @ 7/1 (Boyles)

Good luck with Phidippides mate, im on aswell! Glad i got on early as its now strong in the market.. Fingers crossed for a good fun for our money Jamesie!! :hope

[Monterosso]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Sanity Maintained (+238pts) Didn't realize you were on too bud. Hope I haven't jinxed it for you. :hope

[Aidymac]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Sanity Maintained (+238pts)

Didn't realize you were on too bud. Hope I haven't jinxed it for you. :hope

Jinxed it? No chance! Gives me more hope! :rollin

[Aidymac]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Sanity Maintained (+238pts) Another winner Jamesie, excellent well done! Destroyed them. :clap

[Monterosso]

Re: Monte's Specialisation - Sanity Maintained (+238pts) Cheers bud. Get in! :clap