Sunday 31st July
One advised bet for Sunday with Rogue Spirit at Chester (3rd 13/8 adv 5/2) and I still can’t believe he didn’t win. He survived slipping on a plastic bag and getting carried right by the winner to hit the front in the straight only to get run out of it in the last 50yds.
Which means we ended the month on a sorry position of -15 points for the month, I never recovered from a run of fifteen losing bets mid-month. I’m confident that we can put the two summer months behind us and return to winning ways for the second-half of the year.
Monday 1st August
The Naas card has an end-of-season juvenile feel to it, highlighted by the Ballyhane Stakes, a valuable auction race (3:40). Apricot Twist was impressive winning over CD on debut and can strike again for last year’s winning connections. Only the unpredictability surrounding the going and hence draw/track bias puts me off a bet.
Earlier on the card I do like the prospects of Nation's Call for Dermot Weld (2:40) stepping up to a mile after a promising debut over seven furlongs. The Frankel colt was 5¾ lengths sixth to an odds-on O’Brien winner at the Curragh in July, he has a middle-distance pedigree and should go well here:
Naas 2:40 – NATION’S CALL – 1 point win @ 15/2 (generally)
I think my best chance of a winner at Ripon is Aleezdancer in the feature (3:25). The gelding is dropping back to six furlongs for the first time since beating Lethal Levi in a Pontefract nursery last October. He hasn’t been disgraced at seven furlongs plus, but it looks worth a go dropping back to six, and any further rain would be a bonus:
Ripon 3:25 – ALEEZDANCER – 1 point win @ 4/1 (Bet365; 7/2 generally)
Carlisle hosts an all-female riders’ card, mixed with amateurs and experienced professionals. Willing To Please (5:30) looks to be returning to form and may benefit from having the experienced Nicola Currie in the saddle. The mare has slipped to a mark 2lbs lower than when winning over CD last September, she found one too good when beaten 1¼ lengths at Hamilton last time out and
should be competitive here, the only issue is that he needs quick ground and rain is forecast. One to keep onside if the going is no slower than good.
Currie also has an interesting ride in the next with top-weight Innse Gall (6:05) who is of interest dropping into this grade since winning at Ayr a year ago. The gelding is only 1lb higher than when third in the Cumberland Plate in June, neaten ¾ length and a repeat of that effort against this opposition should see him in the winners’ enclosure again despite the poor form of Iain
Jardine:
Carlisle 6:05 – INNSE GALL – 1 point win @ 11/4 (Bet365; 9/4 generally)