Looking at Ripon card today.  The big handicap at 3:15 has 20 runners.  My each way bet at 16/1 is Gunmetal, the race is wide open so a large slice of luck is needed.  But Gunmetal has a decent draw, good jockey on top and his shrewd trainer will have the horse in good shape , he ran ok last time in the Stewards Cup at Goodwood.  The big race at Newbury today is the Group 2 Ladysford Stud Hungerford Stakes.  Any rain will help Breton Rock, it is a competitive race, Sir Dancealot has a penalty for a recent success, he likes to come late and likes passing horses, he is ridden by vastly experienced French jockey Gerald Mosse, if I was having a bet in the race it would be him.

Just been reading an article by Tom Kerr in Friday’s racing post.  He thinks the British Horseracing Authority were lenient on Rebecca Bastamin, basically he thinks a £5000 fine was not enough, ok her father gave one of her winners a Haemo 15 injection( on race day), I commented on it yesterday on my blog.

Judging by what Rebecca told the BHA, at the inquiry, she has very little money, so a fine of £5000 is very steep.  A number of years ago Rebecca spent the winter in Dubai working for Godolphin for about 5-6 months, she was at our Al Quoz stables.  What I can remember of her, was a very hard working girl, who was keen on learning the way everything worked in Dubai, which is very similar to USA.  The horses train every day on the track, as is the norm in America.   She seemed a nice quiet girl, who wanted to learn as much as she could about all aspects of the job.

I don’t know Tom Kerr and I don’t think he knows Rebecca very well.  I hope she can put things behind her, and move forward.  Hopefully she can keep training winners. Training is pretty tough, you need decent horses, and staff to be successful. Getting paid your training fees every month,  is the biggest issue the majority of trainers have, the BHA need to do something to help with that problem.  No doubt Rebecca will miss her father being around the yard, I am sure he has been a huge help to her since handing over the license, granted he made a mistake giving the horse an injection on race day, but this man has been a grafter all his life, who obviously loves the racing game, to ban him for 3 years is very harsh, as I see it.

Plenty of racing today.  I will try and put a free each way tip on later, with a bit of luck I can find something that will be in the mix at good odds.

On Tuesday former trainer Robin Bastamin received a ban of 3 years from the racing authorities the BHA.  He had apparently given one of his daughters horses a Haemo 15 injection on race day, the horse went and won, but later failed the dope test, The reason was of the high level of cobalt in his system.  Giving horses a Haemo 15 injection is pretty normal in the horse racing industry, it basically is a multi vitamin injection, that boosts horses red cell’s, it gives them a boost.  Some trainers believe it can help some horses who are not great eaters, as was what Bastamin gave as his reason for administering the injection.  His daughter who trains the horse, said she did not have any knowledge of her father giving the horse the injection.  I think the Bastamin’s have been unlucky, as giving the drug is not banned, it was the amount of cobalt in the horses post race test, which was the problem.  There is no real evidence that a Haemo 15 injection falls into the ‘performing enhancing’ bracket, as quoted by qualified vet and trainer Mark Johnston in yesterday’s Racing Post.

Will look at today’s cards and try and find a winner. Did not have a bet yesterday.

More  later.

I saw a bit of the evening meeting at Kempton last night.  A few of the races had some unlucky losers.  Goodwood Showman in the 8:00 was second, to my eyes he was given a very average ride by Andrea Atzeni, who gave the horse an impossible task.  Listening to the RUK racing pundits assessment of the ride was comical, ex jockey George Baker said the horse was given a ride that will give him ” confidence” well I think George needs to forget he was a jockey, he should forget that he knows a lot of the riders, and make a better assessment.

A good few meetings on today, just looking at some of the races at Chepstow.  Five of the races have 8 or less runners in them.  Far too much racing. Yarmouth is another track that has 5 races with 9 or less in them. Hopefully I can find a winner or two !

Looking at the Newton Abbot card today.  It is interesting to see Beat That running in the 3:20.  He was pitched in at the deep end over fences last season.  He was a dual grade 1 winner over hurdles, but after a promising debut second over fences, he fell twice, and was not the most fluent of jumpers after those falls.  His race today is pretty weak, if he gets his act together today, he should have little trouble in getting off the mark. Not sure how many dual grade 1 winners have tried to win a race at Newton Abbot !

I just saw a good ride by Tom Scudamore 1:50 Newton Abbot, he rode a very patient race on Delirant, who had a hood on for the first time, it is not an easy track to ride a waiting race at, especially with 16 runners.  I like a couple at Salisbury today, problem is they are in the same race ! I have backed them both, so will see what happens.

Looking at today’s cards, pretty small fields at Chelmsford and Thirsk, the biggest field at Chelmsford has only 10 in it.  I have not seen one that ‘Jumps’ off the page at me yet, so it could well be a day of watching them run.  Ryan Moore has got some good rides at Chelmsford, he could well have a few winners. Cowboy Soldier, Seductive, Ummainar and Alexanderthegreat could all win, although they are all pretty skinny in price, maybe a small accumulator.

A few horses entered later this week of interest, depends on what the weather does !

Delighted to see Alpha Centauri win well yesterday at Deauville.  If the ground had of been a bit quicker, I would of backed her.  She really did not have any issue with the soft underfoot conditions, she really did put in a great performance.  Taking on colts on ground which is not ideal, and winning as she did, proves she is the best miler around.

It was also nice to see British Group 1 winners in Germany and Ireland.  Best Solution won in Germany for my old boss Saeed Bin Suroor.  Saeed had a Group 1 winner last month in Germany with Benbatl, a good bit of placing by connections.  Advertise, who was ridden by Frankie Dettori won the Keenland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh.  Trained by Martyn Meade, who was having his first Group 1 winner since moving to Manton.  He responded well to Frankie’s every call, to win by half a length.

Today has 5 meetings including Ballinrobe in Ireland.  I do like a couple entered at tonight’s evening fixtures, hopefully any rain stays away.

Really pleased to give another WINNER yesterday for my subscribers, Loxley was a good winner at Deauville 3:20.  He returned at 9/5, and was an easy winner.  This horse is very useful, he did not mind the drop back to 10f.

Also pleased to give followers a good WINNER yesterday at Ascot.  Berkshire Blue advised at 12/1 each way, and ridden by the ‘Magic Man’  J  Moreira was a nice winner in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Classic Handicap 3:25.

Today at Deauville 3:20, Alpha Centauri takes on the colts over 1 mile.  She has not really got the ground which is ideal, so it will be a top performance if she can win again.  Hopefully she can handle the underfoot conditions, and this brilliant filly can win again.

Rain is around today, so caution on having a bet !

Looking at the big handicap races at Ascot.

Two each way horses today for followers:

Medahim 2:50 9/1

Berkshire Blue 3:25. 12/1

Bit of fun bets, wide open races.

Looking at today’s Shergar Cup meeting at Ascot , lots of really good jockeys riding from all over the world.  Joao Moreira who is from Brazil and now based in Japan, he has some good rides, this guy is known as the ‘Magic Man’, having been Champion Jockey in Hong Kong and Singapore, some people say he is up there with the best in the world, I agree with them.  Just watching him interviewed on the ITV Opening Show this morning, it was really interesting to hear his comments about his thoughts on the horse being 95% of winning a race, the other 5% he believes is  from the jockey.   I have to agree with most of that, not sure on the percentage split !

UK based riders with experience of riding at Ascot, probably have a slight advantage today.  Ascot is a stiff track, a lot of races can be won and lost by a rider who ‘kicks’ for home too soon.  So walking the track is very important, even if you have ridden at Ascot or not- you should always ‘walk’ the course, the norm for any jockey when he arrives at the racecourse.   It is really important to see the how the ground may ride, and look at the contours of the track.

I think today’s racing is a good spectacle, but regards having a bet, fun only !

A fair amount of rain has fallen at Newmarket. Gerald Mosse (who won the 6:25) was interviewed last night at the track, he described the ground as ‘soft’, but knowing if it has been dry overnight, and dry up to race time, Newmarket is chalk based and drys very well- so I will see what the weather does over the next few hours.   I do like a few at the track today, it’s just a case of waiting to see if it stays dry over the next few hours.

I will try and put an each way bet on later, hopefully at a decent price !