Another week has flown by already on BETDAQ but what did we learn and what can we use that for to help us make some profitable bets in the near future?
Goodwood Saturday proved to be very profitable and I can only hope you followed my suggestions, though how Kanaf failed to place in the Stewards Cup makes me scratch my head so much I still cheer him on in the replay! I managed to snaffle a little at 42.0 to win and 8.1 to place on BETDAQ and thought I was sitting pretty as I was convinced he was overpriced though luckily common sense stopped me from going in again (phew) as he turned out to be just about the unluckiest loser of the entire meeting.
Richard Hills ended up on board after Dafeef was pulled out but I cannot blame him for the luck as he was baulked at the furlong pole when starting his run and then full of running behind the front four with nowhere to go in the last 100 yards or so. I do not believe for a moment that he would have got near to impressive winner Hoof It who is now being sent for the group One Nunthorpe Stakes, but he would have placed for certain and landed all our BETDAQ bets for the week (non runner excluded).
As a life long fan of John Dunlop (surely the next to be knighted) it has been sad over recent years to watch the stable’s demise as the better horses seem to be sent to other trainers leaving the Arundel yard to make the most of what’s left. Memories of Shadayid, Salsabil, Erhaab and the like are getting more hazy year after year but the buzz on track suggested they had a smart one at home in the shape of Nawwaar. A once raced son of Distorted Humor, he was all the rage in the market and being a Saturday, I had the time to keep an eye out for market movers and he was top of the list. I would love to tell you how I lumped on at fancy prices, but I missed him early doors before having a bet at 5.3 and sitting back and waiting. Being a devout coward I admit I laid the money back off at shorter prices for a smaller profit, but money is money and we can all be wiser after the event.
After Goodwood we do drop back to lesser racing for a week or so (and nothing wrong with that), but thank heavens for technology so I can still place my bets from work (shhhh) – and watch the races when I get home in the evening. BETDAQ mobile is just the perfect companion when you are away from base.
One horse caught my eye for future reference when the horribly named Bogey Hole (probably a golf reference but you never know) ran a green as grass fourth at Southwell. A grey filly (so easy to spot on the TV), she is bred to be better over a bit further than this five furlongs and on a faster surface than the equitrack, so did well to get as close as she did after swerving at the start and looking around for most of the race. Closest at the finish, she is sure to improve for the experience and is one to look for when next seeing the track (no entries at present).
Looking forward instead of backward we have the Shergar Cup this weekend which is entertainment at its best, draws in massive crowds, and is followed by an eighties concert, yet still fails to get my pulse racing. It is fun, and with six handicaps in a row the prices are invariably half decent (no odds on shots hopefully), but as most of the jockeys have never sat on their mounts before the day I am wary as a punter.
One bet I will be having is on the Rest Of The World to win the team competition as I was reading elsewhere that they are really fired up for it and come here with a wealth of experience. Hugh Bowman has been riding for Mick Channon of late so knows the track, Yutaka Take has ridden over 3400 winners in Japan and is a national hero in his homeland, and Doug Whyte is looking to be Champion jockey in Hong Kong for the 12th time in a row next season, so ignore them at your peril.
Looking for a few horses to back (no need to go berserk though), and my first one runs at Newmarket tonight in the 8.00. Roger Charlton is an excellent trainer and he is responsible for Al Kazeem who I hope to see beat the dropped in class Moriarty. I am worried by the amount of rain around at present and will draw in my bets accordingly but this colt has won on good to soft so should handle it if we don’t have a monsoon. This is his first time away from Newbury after four races which is unusual, but he won cleverly last time out under a masterful front running ride from Steve Drowne and as long as Halfsin lets him get away at the start, he could be the good thing of the week?
Saturday looks interesting if difficult and I refuse to get involved at Ascot on a horse-by-horse basis with so many jockey unknowns though I may back and lay on the day depending on how the markets move. One really interesting horse on show at Newmarket is the Mike De Kock trained Reem who has her first run in this Country in the seven furlong handicap at 2.40. She has top weight of nine stone ten to hump round which won’t be easy but is better than your average handicapper having won a Listed race at Meydan in March after finishing runner up in a Group Two behind her stable mate the race before. Her fitness has to be taken on trust but this is an unusual chance to compare Dubai form with British form (and it ought to stand up), and at a price she is worth a point each way.
One other horse stands out to me on the card and a risky one at that, but the form of Discourse makes her worth a small bet in the Sweet Solera Stakes at 3.15. This is a leap of faith for the once raced filly but her debut saw her shock stable companion Gamilati when beating the 2/5 favourite at odds of 16/1. With the runner up landing the Group Two Cherry Hinton Stakes next time out, the form looks way above average, and with her price that day suggesting she would improve a ton for the run, she could be the value call to see off likely favourite Kinetica here.
Summary of my bets this week:
1pt Win Rest Of The World (Shergar Cup Saturday)
1pt Win Doug Whyte to be top jockey (Shergar Cup Saturday)
2pts Win Al Kazeem 8.00 Newmarket Friday
1pt each way Reem 2.40 Newmarket Saturday
2pts Win Discourse 3.15 Newmarket Saturday
