The Blog’s exclusive racing correspondent has sent this dispatch for the encouragement of the dwindling band of punters who see profit in horse racing.
Unseasonal weather, heavy going and uncertain form lines all make for hazardous punting unless perhaps one follows my colleague Swinley Bottom’s taste for afternoon and early evening diversions on the all weather tracks at such unlikely places as Chelmsford, Lingfield , Southwell and Wolverhampton.
The absence of reliable information from the Harry Fry yard has meant that our previous money making trainer cannot be profitably followed this season. Although this stables strike rate is almost a very commendable 25% with 24 winners coming from 107 runners since the beginning of September this months impressive 8 winners from 22 runners has only rewarded Fry’s starting price supporters with a 2.25% profit after 22 bets. As a friend of mine once so succintly pit it, Blow that for a Game of Soldiers !
Small solace too for the followers of Kim Baileys excellent and consistently award winning Blog that so regularly provides its readers with good information, updated photographs and a good joke to start the day. So what to do ?
-Difficult I know but supporting local trainers might be the answer. Fry has only one possible runner at Wincanton. SIR IVAN, who tailed off at Newbury last time out while four other possibles with much better form are at present entered at Kempton . My own inclinatioin is to look long and hard at anything trained by CUE CARD’s South Somerset handlers, the father and son Tizzard team ,and also at anything coming from Frys near neighbour Anthony Honeyball of Potwell Farm, – nice name !- near Beaminister.
As for my own principal bets this Christmas, I am nominating CUE CARD on the King George at Kempton ,and AL FEROF, surely outstanding value at 18/1, SIZING GOLD and HEATHFIELD in the Paddy Power Chase and finally DON POLI for the Lexus chase at Leopardstown.
On New Years Day I am advised by my social secretary, not Mrs Badger incidentally, that I am invited to lunch with Willie Mullins sister on board the narrow boat Ariadne. Lets hope something comes of this. Apologies for the late appearance of this bulletin but our editor has been incommunicado for some now, probably recovering from his overindulgence in Lidl;s 2014 Chianti, a real snip at £7.49p a bottle and a strong recommendation which he so so selfishly witheld from my readers in my last racing newsletter.
We find Lidl’s £4.50 Chianti, now no longer available sadly, to be so good, that we need not look further afield. Their Barolo at a tenner a bottle also looks like an excellent buy. -Ed.