A step backwards

Running Total Since January 1st 2010: +278.07pts

It's been quite a slow few days since our last update, three picks on Friday, none on Saturday, and one each on Sunday and Monday.

Let's start on Friday where we had:

TIME COURSE SELECTION 1pt/2pt win Bookmaker(s) / Price(s)

1.35 Doncaster Blake Dean 1pt 5/1+ generally inc. 11/2 VC/Hills/PP 6/1 Bet365/Coral
1.45 Cheltenham Mostly Bob 1pt 5/1+ generally inc. 11/2 Lads&others 6/1 Hills/Bet365
2.45 Doncaster Royal Kicks 1pt 9/2+ generally inc. 5/1 Hills/Lads/SkyBet/Boyle/SportingBet/StanJames

Blake Dean went off at 9/2 and was given a patient ride from the back for much of the contest, his handicap debut. While he stayed on nicely towards the end he was never going to get too near the principles, finishing sixth, around nine lengths behind the winner (a recent selection of ours, Arrow Barrow).

Then came Mostly Bob at Cheltenham, who made far too many errors to stay competitive in a quality handicap like the one he was racing in, finishing 5th after going off 9/2.

Royal Kicks (6/1sp) may have got us a return, but we'll never know, falling at the ninth fence.

We had no selections on Saturday, and on Sunday just the one:

TIME COURSE SELECTION 1pt/2pt win Bookmaker(s) / Price(s)

3.45 Hereford Border Lad 1pt 6/1+ generally inc. 13/2 Hills/Stan James/SkyBet 7/1 Totesport/Boylesports/Betfred

The conditions at Hereford were really testing by the time we got to the last race and while Border Lad travelled sweetly enough early on, he gradually began to struggle and finished well tailed off, after starting at 13/2.

And then today (Monday) we had:

TIME COURSE SELECTION 1pt/2pt win Bookmaker(s) / Price(s)

2.30 Fakenham Monroe Park 1pt 10/1+generally inc. 11/1 VC&others 12/1 Coral/Totesport/Betfred

Monroe Park went off a nicely supported 7/1 and was moving quite promisingly for a while, before not being able to quicken when asked to, and he ended up pulling up, a frustrating effort.

Summary of results with prices (advised --- SP):

Friday 9th December 2011:

Blake Dean, 6th/12, 6/1 --- 9/2

Mostly Bob, 5th/6, 11/2 --- 9/2

Royal Kicks, F/8, 5/1 --- 6/1

Saturday 10th December 2011:

No selections

Sunday 11th December 2011:

Border Lad, 12th/16, 7/1 --- 13/2

Monday 12th December 2011:

Monroe Park, PU/11, 10/1 --- 7/1

So while we may have beaten SP in four of these last five selections, we'll certainly look for better results tomorrow.

By the way, can we wish very happy retirements to Denman and The Tatling, racing will miss them both, and how great it was to see The Tatling win today in his last race at the age of 14.