Review of the day

For the second time in 3 days, we were saved by a speculative punt on an outsider…

I’m sure there are a few of you cursing the fact that I only had 0.25pts on Timesishard – but in all honesty, he was more likely to not be a tip than he was to be staked any higher…

I guess that is the game I play – but I do feel we’ve been saved by a bit of ‘luck’ over the past week…

Broadly, I’m trying to split the tips into ‘certainties’, ‘standard tips’ and ‘speculative’ ones…

It’s the first 2 categories that I would expect to keep us afloat – with the speculative ones just providing the icing on the cake.

It worries me a little that it’s not quite going like that at the moment…

That said, we should maybe have been on a certainty in Warden Hill this afternoon – but the market wouldn’t allow it.

I might have felt differently if he had come off second best in his battle to the line – although I would still have known that he was a good bet…

Anyway, returning to the actual tips…

Timesishard won quite comfortably really. He led for the length of the Doncaster straight - and whilst he was under pressure the whole way, he always looked to be doing enough to hold on.

Next to run was Mentalist…

I just think we got on him a run too soon. Next time out, in a bog at Chepstow, he will be unbeatable (but hopefully not unbackable !).

Parsnip Pete ran a hell of a race at Cheltenham, considering he really clouted 2 or 3 of the fences…

In the circumstances he was maybe a little unlucky not to collect (and certainly unlucky not to finish in the 3).

Johns Spirit ran well enough in the big race of the day – but it just looked like the handicapper had got to him…

I actually found it quite a frustrating race, as I was surely tempted by Double Ross.

I thought he was the best handicapped horse in the race – I just felt he need softer ground…

In truth, I don’t think the ground was riding too fast – either way, he acted just fine on it…

Silver Roque never featured and just looked a bit out of his depth.

I think he will need to drop back down the handicap if he is to be successful again this term…

The final tip of the day to run, was Harry the Viking.

As I said this morning, he was a bit speculative – but I felt he was worth the risk..
Well, I clearly wasn’t alone in that view, as he was backed into 7/2 favouritism.

However, he started struggling a long way from home and ultimately finished a tired last.

It is back to the drawing board with him…

Of the mentions, then obviously, Warden Hill got the job done.
He was backed into 13/8 favouritism at the off – which seemed a very short price.

It still seemed quite short jumping the last, but he battled on well to win.

A similar fate befell the 2 mentions from Lingfield: Smart Money and Ultragold…

Both tanked through their respective races like they were by far the best horse.
But in the heavy Lingfield ground, neither managed to quite get home…

I would have felt a little aggrieved if they had been tips.

Finally, the French Champion hurdle winner, Gemix, performed very poorly in the last at Cheltenham.

He didn’t settle and didn’t jump and as a consequence, was beaten long way from home…

On to tomorrow then.

A significant day in the life this particular tipster – let’s hope I can mark it with a winner, or two…!!

TVB.