A few races down already today.  Tough as ever finding a winner.  At Newmarket the ground looks decent, so no real excuses there. The best race as I see it is the 3.00, I like three horses in it, so finding the one to be with is almost impossible ! Siskin is probably the best value each way, he is around 9/2, so as he is a previous group 1 winner, a little scrap of value.  Big gamble on Lord North in the 3:40, backed from 10/1-11/2 this morning.  He has 34 rivals, so it is a cavalry charge.  I think the unique trip of 9f, makes it a real test, as they run in a straight line over the Rowley mile track at Newmarket.  Le Don De Vie has form over a bit further, he has each way claims, but it is interest betting only.  So a typical cautious day on a Saturday, it’s not a strong day for me, always too many in each race with a chance !

A late post tonight.  I was looking at backing one at Haydock today in a late race, with the rain most of the day, the meeting was called off.  I am assuming the officials are trying to save the track for tomorrow’s scheduled meeting.  I would have doubts about it going ahead.

Of the remaining races tonight, Moment Of Silence 8.00 Newcastle is well regarded, supported all day in the betting market, she is expected to win. Numerian at 9/4 without the favourite,  is very tempting in the 7.15 Dundalk.   I will try and find something for my followers to have a bet on tomorrow.  The Newmarket card will be very hard to solve!

Good winner yesterday for my subscribers.  Faylaq was advised at 6/4 yesterday morning before he won well at Kempton 7.30.  He looks a really decent horse, connections have not ran him on fast ground, as he needs good ground to be seen at his best.

Looking at the remaining races this evening, Knockacullion 7.15 Southwell tries the Fibresand for the first time, dirt bred, I think he should be fine on the surface.  He could well have too much experience for his rivals, and should win.

More later.

Some decent racing today.  Fair amount of rain around, so cautious betting on the turf.  Good wood has some strong fields, ground that will be riding soft, so proven soft ground performers are worth a look.  At 4.10 Monica Sheriff has proven soft ground from, solid chance here,  she will possibly have most to fear from Nette Rousse who is another with a liking for the ground conditions.  Litigious has looked tame in a finish of late, so I would be not totally convinced about her.  At Kempton 5.00, Desert Safari won well on debut, he should defy his penalty.  At Newcastle tonight Poetic Legacy looked well ahead of her mark when winning at Chelmsford, she has a 6lb penalty, although I don’t think that will be enough to stop her winning again here.

A fair few races gone.  Gowran Park has been abandoned due to lightning.  Really races left at most of the tracks.   At Chelmsford, a small field for the 4.00, Furious has course form, and likes to win.  Backing the winner of the 3.50 at Ayr looks very difficult.  Buffer Zone comes over from Ireland, he is well fancied.  I will have a small interest each way on Laugh A Minute.  I hope Orlaith can win at 3.15, her trainer Iain Jardine has been doing well of late.  Good fields at Newmarket, very tough card to back winners at, the Rowley mile track is a really tough track, no hiding place.  Stagehand will be the getting out Stakes bet at 5.00, especially if the day has not gone too well !

Good punting !

Friday cards are from Ayr, Newbury, Newcastle and at Newton Abbot in the UK, Ballinrobe and Dundalk also race from Ireland.  At the Scottish western meeting of Ayr, some very competitive racing.  El Naseri 1.40 has a good chance of going one better than his recent second at Thirsk.  The 3.45 is the bronze William Hill Handicap, it’s a tough one to solve.  At Newbury 2.20 Shailene has eased in price, but has a good chance of giving Oisin Murphy another winner, he looks home and hosed in his bid to become champion jockey this season.  He has been riding better than ever of late, a really good effort from him.

The racing tomorrow looks very tough.  Finding the winner of the big sprint handicap at Ayr looks as difficult as ever. The ground is unusually dry this year, so draw bias will not be quite like it is when the track is riding on the soft side.

Hopefully I can find something worth an interest bet in the race.

Some really good racing today.  Lots of nice young horses running today at Sandown.  The 2.20 is a Novice Stakes race for two year olds over 1 mile.  Heaven Forfend has the best form on those who have been to the races.  He was a good second on debut, and then ran behind the best two year old in Europe at Ascot, running respectively that day, finishing 6th was no disgrace.  With Byzantine Empire also in the line up, and Never Alone another promising type, it will be a good race.  The 2.55 is a penalty kick for Palace Pier, he looked very useful when winning on his debut, jockey Frankie Dettori and trainer John Gosden could well win the 3.25 as well with Turgenev.  At Yarmouth Majaalis 4.50 has some headgear on today, in a race that looks winnable, he would be my choice.

At Worcester on Monday there was an incident in the final race, jockey Tom Bellamy received a suspension for deliberately pushing the horse Leighton Aspell was riding against the rail after jumping the third last hurdle.  The unwritten rule between jockeys is you don’t try and sneak through on the inside, if you do try and get through, you need to do it quickly and have a horse that is weakening immediately in front of you, a shout to the jockey, and they no they are going backwards, so will normally let you through.  I have looked at the footage, and think Bellamy was leaving a gap which was too inviting for Aspell, who had been on the inside for all of the race, Bellamy did not adopt the inside route up to the point where he decided to make his manoeuvre that caused Aspell to snatch his horse up. He had been about two horses off the rail, for lots of the race.  I think Bellamy deserved to get a ban, I’m sure the boys had a few words inside the weighing room after the race.

Still plenty of races left at Galway and Newcastle.  Simply Beautiful 6.15 just about to race at Galway. I thought she would be tough to beat, despite the drift to 3/1.

More later.

A late post today.  With only two races down at Kempton so far.  A few of interest in a couple of the later races.  The 7.00 is a really interesting race. With a couple of proven front runners in the race.  Hermosura won well last time, although it was possibly a weak race, the second got well beat today, but that was on turf.  Alma Linda  was the one I thought that had a strong chance, it really depends on how the race is run, she likes to bowl along, so I will probably have a bet “in play” if she does not get taken on too much.  Robert Lechelle is a bit of an unexposed type in it.  He looked good on the all weather, earlier in the year, and ran ok on his recent run, so may progress.  He is not over raced, so is one to watch.  In the final race, Brigand is coming off a break, and a win. He is still well handicapped on his older form, and could be one to side with in the 8.30.

More tomorrow.

Hopefully followers took my advise and backed Logician yesterday in the William Hill St Leger.  He was an impressive winner, breaking the course record in the process! He could well be as effective over 12f next year, I am not sure if he will run again in 2019.  Possible excursion to America for one of the Breeders Cup races may be an option. Reflecting on the last weeks racing, some really nice prospects for next year.  Stradivarius was once again a clear winner, he is apparently staying in training, and will try and win another Ascot Gold Cup next season.  Molatham was a good winner, from highly promising Wichita on Friday, both horses are potentially Group race future winners, I would not write off Visinari yet, he was fourth in the same race.  A big weak colt, hopefully he will not run again this year.  I saw this horse when he won at Newmarket back in June, I just hope he has no lasting effects from a lot of racing for a very immature horse, who clearly needs to fill his frame !

Todays card’s at the Curragh see’s 4 Group 1 races.  Pinatubo 3.35 hopes to keep up his unbeaten record.  He has done everything right so far, in his likely hardest test, Armory could well give him something to think about.  He has improved with racing, and will not go down without a battle.  The 4.50 is a race for retired jockeys, all riding to raise money for Pat Smullen, who is raising money for a great cause.  Pat had to retire from riding this year, due to cancer, sadly he is not quite well enough to ride in this race, some fantastic riders from both codes line up, hopefully it will be a good race and all of the riders enjoy getting back on the racecourse.  At Longchamp it is Arc trials weekend, with only three weeks left until the big race.  Waldgeist is very short odds to win at 1.35, he is still a live each way price for the big race, at around 16/1, I have already backed him each way for the race.