Eight today

An extremely busy day today, with eight selections

Bath 2.40 Regal Bullet 20/1 Bet365 1pt win

Cartmel 2.55 Murphys Beau 11/1 Will Hill 1pt win

Bath 4.25 Mr Money Maker 12/1 Coral 1pt win

Newcastle 4.35 Leitzu 9/2 Ladbrokes 2pt win

Bath 5.00 Aspirational 9/1 Paddy Power (10/1 Betfred) 8/1 generally 2pt win

Ripon 5.20 Dazakhee 5/1 Totesport Skybet (11/2 Sportingbet) 1pt win

Epsom 5.30 King Columbo 5/1 Bet365 Will Hill 2pt win

Newcastle 6.15 Mango Music 6/1 Bet365 1pt win

Well this is a day which could have been spectacularly good, even better than Saturday, but things just slipped away in the end. One 12/1 winner ensured a 3pt profit from the seven selections which ran, but a 25/1 (b.o.g) 2nd - beaten 3/4 length - two other seconds (7/1(b.o.g) and 5/1adv) and another two placed efforts in third. So from the 7 selections, 6 placed at an average price returned (either EP or with best odds guaranteed) of 10/1. So even though a profit's a profit, and the selections ran well, there's a sense of what may have been.

It all started with Regal Bullet, who was nicely backed this morning in the nursery at Bath, from 40s in places, and then ran a cracker, finishing a fast finishing second, winning his race in many ways, but beaten by Ruby Alexander who finished even faster on the rail. The layers got stuck in on betfair after about 11.30, pushing the selection out notably in price so he opened at 40s on track, probably because of the zero form he'd had shown previously. There were enough signs this morning that much better was expected though, and the exchange layers almost got their fingers badly burnt.

Murphys Beau didn't do a lot at Cartmel beaten a distance but plugged on into third. After being backed at 11/1 this morning, he went off a really well backed 7/2, so safe to say more was expected (after four PUs in a row). At least he picked up the place money for those backing each way.

Then came along Mr Money Maker, who broke smartly and was given a really positive ride, to win after leading virtually the whole way. A cracking 12/1 winner, which Coral settled at, despite a few non-runners. At that point the day was always going to be in profit and it was a case of settling down and hopefully seeing one or two more go in.

Leitzu was another to finish third, running a pretty decent race but a fair way behind the front two.

It was Aspirational up next at Bath. This was a funny one, because while he was extremely soundly beaten in the end, he actually was going pretty well a couple of furlongs from home with many looking flat to the boards. Sadly he then hit a wall and just dropped away.

Dazakhee was a non runner. Then came King Columbo at Epsom, another selection beaten less than a length. After being really well backed, he looked a very likely winner for Tom Queally, trading short in running entering the final furlong, but he was sadly reeled in by Mr Harmoosh in the last 100 yards or so. Fair play to the winner, he looked really well beaten a couple of furlongs out but he stayed on really well.

Mango Music was the final pick of the day, and the third second placed finish. He ran well enough, leading about a furlong from home, but he was readily picked off by the winner to go down just over a couple of lengths.

All in all a day of decent performances and a couple of frustrating results, but three point profit is good to keep things ticking over. It's the final day of August tomorrow, and so the final day of selections for a couple of months. Let's hope we can end with another winner or two.

Confirmation of results with sps:

Regal Bullet, 2nd/15, 25/1

Murphys Beau, 3rd/8, 7/2

Mr Money Maker, 1st/12, 8/1

Leitzu, 3rd/10, 5/1

Aspirational, 10th/12, 7/1

Dazakhee, NR

King Columbo, 2nd/7, 10/3

Mango Music, 2nd/13, 7/1

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