May 2010 Summary

Action got under way with a day to forget at Kempton Park on the 3rd where not one top rated horse found the frame.

A complete contrast on the 5th at Southwell with Special Quality 6-1, Trans Sonic 10-1, La Capriosa 11-4 and Sir Pitt 10-3 giving us 4 winners. And all our top rated horses made the frame.
The 7th was the first of several Lingfield Park mixed Turf and AW cards for May which produced only the one winner with Night Lily scoring at 9-4.
The 10th at Wolverhampton saw us repeatedly hitting the post with 3 seconds and 2 thirds to go with our sole winner Babycakes at a very skinny 10-11.
Hopes of the same good fortune we enjoyed at our last trip to Southwell on the 11th did not materialise. We recorded only a couple of seconds and it was not until the last races that we finally posted a winner when Scruffy Skip obliged at 7-2.
A break is always welcome when things are not going well but I was modestly pleased with May to date so waiting 6 days for the next action at Wolverhampton on the 17th seemed a long wait. When the 17th came 6 days seemed to short, what a miserable afternoon. All but in the first race our top rated were competitive but we only posted the one winner with Jigajig 11-8 winning in the middle of the card.
The 19th gave us 3 opportunities on another split Turf and AW card at Lingfield Park and we took advantage twice with Samarinda 11-4 and Mishrif 7-4.
Southwell on the 20th started well with 2 from the first 3 winners. Scruffy Skip 5-2 and Speed Dating 10-11, not particularly exciting price wise but that was as good as it got for the day.
The 22nd gave us another split card at Lingfield Park with 4 races to get our teeth in to. This was reduced to 3 from a betting perspective as in the 7:30 my top rated was the only rated with a figure that suggested it might still be running during the 8:00. Lauberhorn 8-1 and D’Urberville 13-2 both winning made for a profitable evening.

Although I do not share the view of many that the quality of AW meetings is modest at best. I would have difficulty persuading anyone that it was on a parallel to Turf looking at the card on the 25th at Lingfield Park. I was tempted to give it a wide birth but relented at the last minute. It started pretty much as I had anticipated with 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, a non-runner in the 4th race left Tewin Wood 11-1 and Young Dottie level top rated. Tewin Wood obliged with Young Dottie coming 3rd 2 lengths away. Then it was as you were with 5th, 4th, 3rd.

The final meeting for May on the 27th at Wolverhampton was a little icing on the cake with All The Nines 20-1 @ SP (I took 33-1 Victor Chandler) and Calahonda 15-2 joint top rated with Flowing Cape, winning to top off a quiet but successful May.

At SP we have shown a profit of 37.03 points on all top rated and 16.12 points at SP in Only Handicaps. The strike rate of 26% is not particularly inspiring but given the time of the season and the profit made I think excusable.

I hope I can look forward to your company on the 2nd June 2010 for the Kempton meeting.