Donny good show

Bit of a sickener yesterday to see Handsome Jack go clear of the field apart from the damn Indigo Bay who kept on to win by a neck. He was backed into 7-2 favourite, probably because he was later a Hugh Taylor pick, and I really thought we had a winner but so it goes.

In fact I had a poor afternoon's punting apart from an even money favourite and I then lost those winnings on a 6-4 shot in a nursery ridden by Richard Hills which should and could have won but was given an extremely tender ride. Obviously these young horses don't want to be given too hard a race but it is galling when you back one and it is treated more as a training exercise than an attempt to win a race.

Onwards and upwards today with the start of the St Leger meeting and I am looking forward to the race with all the ex jockeys. I think I'll probably back Pat Eddery's mount, Master of Dance, but only to have an interest in what should be a fun contest with the likes of Francome and Smith-Eccles getting the silks on.

My main bet of the day will be Captain Dunne in the Scarborough Stakes at 3.10. This race is often won by a horse ridden prominently and this one will not mind the ground so he looks worth a try at 8-1.