Newmarket 2:05

One time AOB talking horse Apache looks the most interesting contender in this race. On the few times he has run on good ground or better his record is very decent. His last run before leaving Aidan O’Briens yard when 3^rd in the Melrose Handicap at York of a 5lbs higher mark proves he is well capable of getting involved here if he can re-capture that form. He had a 2 year layoff before running an ok race at Lingfield when travelling as well as anything but running out of steam. Hopefully the new trainer is taking a leave out of AOB’s book and the horse will have improved considerably for that run. Joseph is in the saddle today and the 16/1 price today looks value for what is still a relatively unexposed horse.

1 Point win 16/1 Stan James

Newmarket 3:10

I’m going to go with Pearl Ice in this competitive handicap. He was a horse that was looked like he was about to climb the ranks after a few impressive runs last year particularly an easy win Ripon. He did disappoint after than a few times, but that can be the way sprints go and I wouldn’t be surprised with another year on board if he can do what it looked like he might last year after that run. It sort of looks like he has been chosen ahead of Hitchens, by Gibbons ,who is in great form judging my his last run, although it’s hard to be sure about that. The 16/1 generally available looks a bit of value for hopefully a sprinter that might fulfil some untapped potential this year.

1 Point win 16/1 Generally

I’m also going to have a small bet on the outsider of the field in Johannes, simply because he isn’t a 40/1 shot to get back to some form here. He had a great season last year and didn’t really get involved in the race at all in his season re-appearance, which can happen in these races. 40/1 looks an overreaction to that run.

½ Point EW 40/1 Generally

3:50 Newmarket

I’m going to go with Dermot Welds Rasmeyaa in this. She won one of the years better maidens last year with loads in hand in front of a bucket load of future winners, and the trainer will not normally send one here unless he feels she is going to be competitive.  This race has the look of being a bit substandard, although in fairness it’s hard to tell yet. I just liked the look of that run and in my view it was probably about as impressive as anything else in this field. The 14 on Betfair looks a bit of value.

1 Point win 14.0 Betfair

Hamilton 4:00

It could well be last chance saloon for Hillview Boy for me here, as I’ve selected him a few times in the past and although I’ve got a place or 2 out of him he has generally been disappointing. He ran a great first race this season at Doncaster but was very disappointing next time out.  The step up in trip here will certainly suit as will the lower handicap mark. He also has decent form before on soft ground. 16/1 looks decent value and if he can get back to the form of his first run this year he stands a great chance here.

1 Point EW 16/1 Paddy Power & Others

A decent day, if all on 1 race where we had the 1st and 2nd in the Big Sprint. Sole Power winning and Kingsgate Native finishing 2nd. With the Rule 4 for that race we end up 6.6 points for the day. Nothing else really performed.

2:35 Newmarket

The conditions couldn’t suit Sole Power any better here. He is the only Group 1 level performer in the field and drawn in the middle I’m having a bit of difficulty picking out something to beat him here. This race lacks any of the real top level proven performers and those are the only ones in general that have been beating the selection over the last year or so. 9/2 looks a small bit of value in this race given that most of the field really shouldn’t be quick enough.

2 Points win 9/2 365/betfred/Betfair

I’m also going with Kingsgate Native at a huge looking 33/1 EW. He is obviously well capable of taking a hand here and did show a few signs last year that he may be able to recover some of his old form. I’d be gutted if he came back to form here at all and I wasn’t on as I’ve selected him quite a few times in the past.

½ Point EW 33/1 Stan James 3 Places ¼ Odds

2:05 Newmarket

Memory Cloth is one that is have followed a few times lately and he seemed to improve considerably last time out when a good 7^th in the Spring Cup. He is down an pound or two here and although the ground conditions might not be ideal for him he is worth  small bet at 20/1 Generally. He is 4lbs lower than his last win and looks certain to be winning soon.

1 Point win 20/1 Generally

4:35 Thirsk

Rodrigo De Torres looks a fair bit overpriced here given his last very good run in a conditions event here over 7 Furlongs. The bare facts of that race put him in with an excellent shout here even off his 4lbs higher mark, given that nearly everything in that race was nearly 10lbs rated higher than him and it was his first run back. He has decent course form and won a very decent 8 furlong conditions event last year beating a few decent performers in the process. 20/1 looks well overpriced and well worth a bet.

1 Point win 1 Point Place Betfair 28 win 5.8 Place

3:50 Newmarket 2000 Guineas

I’m going with a big priced one EW here as I really fancy Dawn Approach to win and he is too short for me to have a bet. Leitir Mor’s form is not that much behind a lot of the runners this field apart from the top 2 in the betting and given his very good tough looking run in the Dewhurst I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he could tough it out for a place here at a big looking 66/1. Hes worth a min bet ew.

½ Point EW 66/1 Various

2:55 Goodwood

I’m going to go with one of the younger generation here in Silverheels. He seems a decent price on some of his form last year, and looks to have been given a chance by the handicapper. He has a good record fresh and at 20/1 on Betfair should be worth a small bet.

1 Point win 21 Betfair

Australia Day is one of my favourite horses, and on his day in the right conditions, hopefully like today he can be uncatchable. Well probably know our fate early enough, but his mark of 140 is do-able and this fast 2 miles on a road should be ideal for him. 5/1 seems a bit of value in this field.

2 Points win 5/1 various

WINNER

Look at this jump at the 3rd Last the jockey is holding on for dear Life..

Huntington 5:05

After setting fire to a fair few points yesterday I may as well burn a few more today. Giorgio Quercus has been poor for the most part this year after looking a promising enough type in the past, but he was just getting involved in the Topham at Aintree last time out only to get brought down by another faller at the 4^th last, after jumping and travelling well for the race up to that point. He is of a mark he can work of here and if that last run is anything to go by he looks well overpriced here.

1 Point in 1 Point place Betfair 25/6.4 

Sandown 2:40

It’s not really my style to go for horses at the lower end of the market, but I’ve had a good luck at this race and I can’t see anything other than Sanctuaire and Finians Rainbow winning this race. They have far better form that anything else in this competitive race, and although neither have been world beaters this season, they both have significant advantage’s going here. Finians Has had a light season and looked to be getting back to near his best at Aintree, he looks huge value. Sanctuaire has been poor enough trying to take on Sprinter Sacre on a few occasions on heavy ground and this race will be far more suitable for last year’s winner. I think the odds of either winning this is odds on and the current best price of 4/1 and 5/1 represent huge value.

3 Point win 4/1 Sanctuaire Ladbrokes

3 Points win 5/1 Finians Rainbow William Hill

1:30 Sandown

McVicar looks the best treated of those who took part in the Ascot Race a couple of weeks ago. He finished that race really well having been left far too much to do, and has a nice turnaround in the weights with those ahead of him who are lower in price here like Calculated Risk. He has a decent bit of experience and looks to be on a decent mark with the stable in form. 10/1 looks a few points too big.

1 Point win 10/1 Ladbrokes Betfair Boyles

Sandown 3:50

This race has me totally perplexed, as I just can’t make a case for much of the field being any value for a number of reasons. I’ve settled on Duke Of Lucca looking the best value, as he has run well in similar big handicaps this season but has dropped 4lbs in the progress. I think he is value here because he wasn’t great last time at Aintree but that race was probably a bit pacy for him and this will be more in his line. Hi 3^rd in the Racing Post Chase of this mark and his 2^nd behind Roberto Goldback at the beginning of the season with 4lbs more look excellent as I’m not sure this race is a strong as those. He’s only had 4 races this season which should give him an advantage over much of the field and the 20/1 with bet365 for 5 places stands out considerably.

1 Point ew 20/1 5 Places Bet365

Punchestown 3:50

Cross Appeal ran well in the Irish National for a lot of the race, and this race should be far more suitable. He is still 5lbs higher than his big win last year in the paddy power but he did run a good race in the galway plate last year after pulling up in the national. It’s entirely possible that he will be aimed at the plate again but he looks great value at 33/1 here. He has plenty of good form on soft ground.

1 Point EW 33/1 Ladbrokes and others

Punchestown 5:35

Princeton Plains has been running well in better handicaps that this one a few times this year and last. He is on a mark he can work of and has proven form on soft ground. I’m surprised he available at the price he is at as he has been backed with confidence a few times this season. The 5places and 18/1 available with bet365 stands out as decent value as he is a fairly consistent horse and very likely to place here.

1 Point EW 18/1 5 Place Bet365

4:20 Punchestown

White Start Line looks a great price on Paddy Power at 11/1. He is of what looks a great mark of 130 considering he ran very well at the festival of a higher mark the last 2 years. He Didn’t seem to get the longer trip at the festival and the few furlongs shorter here will surly help. He is one of the most experienced novice’s in the field and I would have thought he would be favourite here. He travelled supremely well at Cheltenham and a repeat here would give him a great shout.

2 Points win 11/1 Paddy Power

Perth 4:35

Pettifour looks to be a decent price for this race tomorrow. He has run well this year of this mark, and I don’t think he will be inconvenienced by the decent ground. The price is probably an overreaction to his last poor run, but he had run possibly too many times in the space of a few weeks. He has had a decent 6 week break since his last run and isn’t a 14/1 shot here.

1 Point win 14/1 Ladbrokes

3:40 Punchestown

I’m going for 2 big outsiders here that appear to be of a good mark. I selected Total Excitement when he ran last time at Cheltenham and from being miles out of it he ran on really well in the finish. He looks to have been given a decent shot by the handicapper here and looks worth a small bet a huge Betfair odds. Similarly Elysian Rock hasn’t run over hurdles in a long time but is on a very favourable mark compared to his chase mark. It’s more of a gut feeling selection and worth a min bet for this formally decent handicap chaser.

½ Point win ½ Point place Betfair Total Excitement 60w/10pl

½ Point win Elysian Rock Betfair 60

6:05 Punchestown

With the favourite out this race looks to be a seriously open affair. I never mind discounting Cheltenham Form on other tracks as it’s a whole different ballgame, and with that in mind I’m going for Blackmail here. Before the festival he looked one of the top bumper performer’s, his 2^nd to Moyle Park looks very decent now given that horses win here yesterday. He looks a nice bit of value here at 8/1 and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he resumed his decent form before going to the festival.

1 Point win Bet Victor ,Coral, Will Hill, Betfair 8/1

6:40 Punchestown

Mr Cracker stands out here as having been given a great chance by the handicapper. He has started to come back to form judging by his last two runs, and had taken a bit of time to show anything after and 18 month break from his novice runs, which included some very decent runs in top class races. He has a very light weight to carry here in 9-12 and is probably still somewhat unexposed. 12/1 looks decent value

2 Points win 12/1 Various

I like the looks of both AOB horses here at big prices and both have run well lately with possible imporvement looking on the cards, they are a bit big on betfair for me not to have a small min bet on each.

Draco 1/2 Point win 19.5 Betfair

Angel Chorus 1/2 Point win 30 Betfair

6:40

I think Boston Bob should be a short priced favourite here, he was winning the RSA well until he fell at the last and that was a much better race than the 4miles race that Back in Focus won. Even though he would be better on better ground I fell he has too much speed for Back in Focus and although it seems that Ruby has chosen Back in Focus I wouldn’t be surprised if Paul kept the ride after Ruby deserted him in the RSA. I can’t see anything else in the race being good enough although Harry Topper is somewhat and unknown quantity. 7/2 looks great value. I’ll be increasing my stake if the odds go out any further

2 Points win 7/2 Ladbroke’s and a few others.

• Fell when getting back into the race, no chance of winning tough

4:55

Shamiran looks great value at 25/1 with Ladbrokes, he is a consistent front runner and will be very difficult to knock out of the places here. He won a race last year at this festival albeit over a longer trip but he has been kept for this time of the year with a couple of pipe openers lately that will have done him no harm at all. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ladbrokes have got this wrong and he won’t be as big elsewhere.

1 Point EW 25/1 Ladbrokes

• Backed into 8/1 and performed ok to finish 6th