Plodding along

It's been a funny start to the year for me punting wise; keeping my head above water but with just small bets. Take yesterday for example, the wife was out so it was in front of Racing UK & ATR for the afternoon with the laptop on and punting in most races, a couple of winners, a dozen or so losers and a bit down. So nothing to write home about; one good thing though was to discover Tanya's blog on the Racing UK website where she talked about her "better half" going off to Sandown where he particularly fancied one (it was a loser.)

I can imagine Miss Stevenson spending most of her afternoons glued in front of the racing but she is also mad keen on cricket and you certainly get a flavour of all this from her blog - plus she puts up pointers for the day with what I hope will be some good clues in the months ahead. It's well worth a look at www.racinguk.com/blogs/tanya-stevenson. Certainly far more informative that anything on this blog or many others!

Can't make Home Park today for Argyle V Colchester which is a great shame as the club is teetering on the edge of oblivion unless a buyer is found in the next couple of weeks. It is a tale of gross mismanagement and our future is now in the hands of Peter Ridsdale who is acting as an unpaid consultant to try to get new investors. Ridsdale has plenty of detractors from his time at Leeds & Cardiff but at the moment he seems our only hope and if he ends up taking over the club with some others then I don't think he can do worse than the current board who have led us to the precipice. In my absence from Home Park I've managed to persuade a mate of mine who hasn't been to a game all season to go along but am not giving him my season ticket to use; the club has cut prices for the game and they need every penny.

Back to the punting and I've had the chance of a good study this morning and have come up with Fistral Beach at Kempton in the RP Chase and the slogger Glies Cross for the Eider Chase at Newcastle. Tom Segal on the Morning Line said the going stick was off the radar at Newcastle where it was softer than the Atlantic and this will be a real test.

Cheltenham on the way so funds needed for the annual battle - can't wait!

New year new hope

Well, what a wretched punting period this has been for Westcoast. The enforced absence from betting through the snow did nothing to kill off the virus which has been afflicting my betting for ages and with the few measly bets I've had since it's all come back it's clear things are no better.

I must admit though that it's been difficult to get down to some proper study such has been my lack of confidence and lack of enthusiasm for continuing to see all my bookie accounts disappearing down the drain. It's not helped by being regaled regularly by my pal John about how superbly well his punting has been going and today he tried to help me out by emailing over his bet of the day which I didn't even see until after the damn thing had won at Wolverhampton at 5-2.

But are we about to turn a corner? Is the example of That Man Reid and Plymouth Argyle in mounting a superb backs-to-the-wall campaign in the face of a winding up order from the taxman and huge other debts going to inspire a sudden improvement?

At least I'm back studying and this evening have been like a whirling dervish of the form book as I got stuck into the Welsh National. And the excellent news is I have come up with a 20-1 stormer - just the horse to get me back in the game!

The beast in question is Ballyfoy, trained by Jamie Poulton. He has won twice over 3m on heavy and was staying on really well on both occasions but particularly the second time so this trip should be within his reach. His jumping let him down at Newbury on his last chase appearance in March but he was given a nice warm up over the hurdles at Ascot in November.

Yes, this could be the one to get the ball rolling (well, we can all dream...)

Can Denman do it?

A severe lack of punting at this end, bits and pieces but nothing of any consequence but I've got to back Denman today at 6-1. The weight, his age, the quality of the opposition all count against him ofcourse but the way he has won his other two Hennessys suggest to me that he will once again go out and run the rest into submission.

I've also had a bit on Madison du Berlais each way at 16-1 which seems a cracking bet for a horse that won this race two years ago so let's hope for a decent return - I certainly need it.

Life at the B&B is very quiet now so I just hope we'll have some racing to sit down in front of next week, particularly on Tuesday when a horse I have a share in is due to run at Hereford. All the forecasts would indicate it is a 33-1 shot the meeting being on but we live in hope.

Another little punt I'm having today is on Canalturn in the 1.30 at Newbury. This one is running for the first time in more than two years but Charles Egerton is a bit of a master at getting horses ready after a long lay off and I hope he works his wonders with this one.

Happy Punting!

Paddy Power picks

The punting has been lack lustre to say the least for the past couple of weeks; I've watched a fair bit of racing on ATR & RUK but been hardly betting which is a most unusual state of affairs brought about by continued frustrations each time I've dipped my toe back into the water.

It's one of those runs where nothing goes right but the spirit is slowly returning and a superb weekend ahead will fire the enthusiasm. I'm off to see my son, daughter in law and lovely grand daughter today and then tomorrow we're going to Cheltenham for the Sunday of the Paddy Power meeting. What a superb way to spend a weekend, with the big fight to look forward to tonight as well. I once interviewed Audley Harrison when I was a hack so I would love to see him put his past as a big fearful lump behind him and win the title.

Few people give him a chance and realistically he really is up against it but I wish him the best. At the very least I hope he puts up a good performance so he can at least retire with pride but he has looked a far better proposition in the last year or so so I reckon he just might do it.

If only Plymouth Argyle could show some consistency then all would indeed be rosy but they play one great game and then two abysmal games, including being beaten by Exeter on Tuesday night in the Johnson Paint Trophy quarter final. A dire state of affairs.

Anyway on with the punting and the Paddy Power Gold Cup today seems to be all over bar the shouting if Long Run runs to form. But it is on days like this that brave men need to look beyond the obvious that is staring them right in the face and I am backing The Sawyer each way at 28-1. I wouldn't be surprised to see him go off at longer odds so the best odds guarantee could come into play here and I was amazed to see that even Ladbrokes are going 5 places each way along with some of the smaller bookies so well done to them.

I'm also going to have a bit on Mad Max at 9-1 to win. He has won first time out for the last three years and Barry Geraghty says he is flying at home. Common sense would be to have at least a saver on Long Run but damn it, I say. I will not be lily livered about it!

Happy punting one and all.

My punting needs some Brechin spirit..

Back in the punting game and struggling to get a grip of things, unlike my Scottish team, Brechin City, who are flying in Div II. I've been a Brechin fan since the age of eight when as a group of lads in a small village near Plymouth we decided it was time for us to choose our Scottish teams and I settled on the mighty City.

Forty-five years later I finally got to the hallowed Glebe Park during our Scottish trip. I had just wanted to get a picture of myself at the gates but a splendid chap, Alan, who was locking up said he'd show me round and to my delight I was inside, touring the pitch and into the players' lounge where among the mementos was a Plymouth Argyle pennant from a pre-season tour a few years ago! Things got even better when I discovered that the next day City were playing Rangers in a testimonial for Charlie King so the next night I was back and saw a game for the first time ever - what a thrill!

Back to earth now, with guests at the B&B and no winners but hoping to turn the corner today with that old warhorse Mister McGoldrick in the 3.20 at Wetherby. He's won thisrace the two times he's run in it and is at his lowest rating for three years so I'm taking a chance on him at 7-1 even though he hasn't won for two years.

Happy punting!

Return to the fray

Back from a fabulous trip to Scotland which exceeded all our expectations. Stayed in a little town called Dunkeld for six nights, then three nights at the New Lanark Mill Hotel and had a great time throughout.

We drove from Cornwall to Scotland in a day on the way up but took our time on the return, having a couple of nights in Lancaster then a night in Ludlow and then Chepstow where we were entertained by our lovely 16-month-old grand daughter. Had a good day at the races at Ludlow backing a couple of winners to secure a profit and then back home on Saturday in time to see Argyle beat Huddersfield 2-1 to round off a great two weeks.

In the mood to get punting again now and kicking off at Musselburgh with 4-1 shot Graceful Descent in the two mile race at 3.50. This is a very competitive handicap but the way this horse won over 1m5f at Ayr suggests this trip will be right up his street. Also Franny Norton has ridden him twice and won on both occasions so Ladbrokes' 4-1 looks good enough for me.

Here's to a successful autumn's punting for all of us!

Next stop Scotland!

Our very busy season at the B&B is drawing to a close and we are off tomorrow to Scotland for a couple of weeks, with stop offs at Lancaster, Ludlow and Chepstow on the return leg.

Looking forward to it very much but its going to mean an enforced break from punting which is no bad thing as I can't back a winner for love nor money while staying at home. At least I had a good day at Exeter on Thursday with two decent winners to ensure a healthy profit - next racing for me is likely to be Ludlow unless by some miracle I manage to wangle a day at Kelso which is looking highly unlikely.

Been to Argyle today to see them draw 2-2 with Charlton which I suppose was a fair result and a vast improvement on the last two home games. Didn't have a proper bet today, just a small patent on Hugh Taylor's 3 losers and a losing Trixie on three Twiston-Davies horses at Bangor so looking forward to getting back into the fray in two weeks time!

Till then, happy punting!

Off to Exeter

Bright and breezy in the westcountry today and conditions are just right for a damn good day's punting at Exeter races.

My chum John the newsagent will be here soon for the 60 mile trip along the A38 to get to the races, stopping on the way to pick up another punter pal, Mitchell, who is still sitting on a massive profit having won over £18 grand recently.

No such success from myself with very limited punting going on due to being so busy at the B&B and generally out of form but in the mood for a good day out. On other racing fronts my plans for Kelso while we're in Scotland now look hopeless but I've managed to secure a trip to Ludlow on the way home with a stopover in that lovely Shropshire town.

Annoyingly a horse I have a share in may run at Worcester the before then but we'll be too far north to get there. Still, a lovely NH season ahead and hopefully plenty more opportunities to see the horse run.

I've had the chance for a quick look at the Exeter card and have backed one with Stan James at 11-1, which I think is a cracking price. It's Swiss Art in the 4.45, trained by the lovely Alison Thorpe and ridden by Ollie Dayman, the 7lb claimer who has a great record for her and I'm pleased to see he's now 9s with Stan James - obviously word has got out that westcoastpunter has put down the readies!

Another big handicap

It's big handicap time again and I've gone for two in the Cambridgeshire. Now that Nationalism has drifted slightly I think he's good value at 13-2 and at a bigger price I'm with Proponent, ridden by Ryan Moore.

This one is pretty consistent and won over 1m at this meeting last year and has also won at Newmarket over 9F. He has winning form on good to soft and from a favourable draw he looks worth an each way go at 25-1.

Nationalism is in blinding form and is being knocked because of his low draw but I hope that will not prevent a decent run. This 1m1f trip is ideal as is the ground and I can see him running really well. My only other bet today is Sahpresa in the Sun Chariot at 4-1, hoping she can win the race for the second year in succession.

I won't see either race as I'm off to watch Argyle-Hartlepool but am already in a grumpy mood as one of our guests at the B&B is a QPR fan who was raving about Jamie Mackie who we sold to QPR for the paltry sum of £500,000. He's now been picked to play for Scotland and West Ham are reported to have offered £6M for him after seeing him score eight times already this season.

How we ever let him go for that I'll never know, particularly considering the rubbish we've bought for the same amount - it's a complete shambles. Our guest, Ken, and his wife Mo are coming back next year - "the only consolation is we don't have any more decent players for QPR to pinch before then," I told him.

What a coincidence!

Having gone on yesterday about trusting in coincidence in backing last year's winner Advanced to go in again in the Totesport Challenge Cup the only coincidence was that I didn't back the winner last year and didn't back the winner this year. So it goes....

On to today and Kingsgate Native is bet of the day. The drop in class could be just what he needs and it is interesting to me that he has been kept on the go into September this year for the first time since his 2yo days when he ran at Longchamp in the Arc meeting. He finished second that day on soft ground and today is the first time since he has raced on softer than good so I hope he handles it as well as he did three years ago.

Happy punting!

Trust in coincidence

I'm putting my faith in coincidence today as I tackle the big handicap at Ascot at 3.40 and hoping that Advanced can win the race for the second year in succession.

His preparation has been the same as last year except that 12 months ago he finished 8th in the Ayr Gold Cup and this year he was 4th in the Ayr Silver Cup but the real beauty lies in the other factors: he carries exactly the same weight (9.3) off exactly the same rating (99), is the same price as last year (33-1) and most tantalising of all, he is drawn in exactly the same stall (20). Having toiled away to work out the race I threw everything else out of the window and decided to leave it to fate that he will finish in the same position (1st). The only trouble is, the once difference this year is that I have backed Advanced this year and didn't last year - damn, I hadn't thought of that before having my punt....

Elsewhere I've had a bit on Santera in the 1.45 at Market Rasen. I used to have a share in this horse until she was claimed after winning a race last year and after another couple of moves she's now with the best trainer in her career - John Flint - and I think she will go on to good things. She won for me last week at 7-1 on her first ride for Flint and his son Rhys and I think she'll go in again today, although only at 7-4.

Away from the horses Plymouth need a win at Rochdale after Tuesday night's caving in at home to Brighton which came just three days after the best game in years when we beat Wednesday 3-2.

Also I'm still working on getting to Kelso during our trip to Scotland but Plan C - suggesting I buy the missus an afternoon in the pampering salon at the hotel while I disappear - has failed after she said she just needed her nails being done which will take an hour. "You can have a coffee and read the paper while you wait for me," she said. This is proving very tricky but I've not given up hope yet...

Happy punting!

Golden Day ahead

A lovely morning here in Cornwall and just about to go and cook breakfast for our guests so took some time last night trying to work out the Ayr Gold Cup and have decided to back two, but neither is drawn high which on the evidence of the Bronze Cup looks the place to be.

However, the draw at Ayr is all over the place each year and if a low or middle drawn horse wins the Silver Cup then everyone will be raving about that being the place to be. In the end I prefer to pick my horses on merit rather than place too much emphasis on the draw in this race as it varies from year to year.

My main fancy is Hawkeythenoo who has a middle draw in 16 and always pulls out all the stops on big days like this. At 9-1 he is good value I reckon. The other is an old rogue, Kaldoun Kingdom, who I backed in the Stewards Cup at Goodwood where he ran a stinker but he won the Silver Cup last year and with a useful 5lb claimber on board I reckon he's worth another go at 40-1 from a low draw.

Still working on getting to Kelso during our trip to Scotland next month but have been foiled in Plan B. This involved playing the guilt card when my wife said she and her daughter, Antonia, were going on a shopping trip next week.

"Oh, great. What time are we setting off," I asked.

"You don't want to come shopping with us," she replied and then I hit her with the guilt tactic.

"Why not. I haven't had a day out with Antonia for years. I don't want to just stay here on my own." (I didn't add, "watching ATR and R UK...")

She then called my bluff replying, "well if you want to come you'll have to let us have as much time in the shops as we want."

This called for the big move. "Well, I tell you what. You can have a day's shopping and I'll just stay here but then we'll make up for it with me having a day at the races in Scotland."

Sadly she was two steps ahead, predictably. "I knew that was coming. You went off to Newton Abbot last week without even telling me...etc etc" and it turned into a moan so a complete backfire unfortunately.

Plan C is now being devised, which involves bribery but success is by no means guaranteed and I can see a step up in cunning is called for, particularly now that I've had to twice expose my hand and been hopelessly out manoeuvred.

Back to today and off to Plymouth Argyle this afternoon against Sheffield Wednesday. Absolutely desperate for a result before we start to sink without a trace but still confident that That Man Reid can get us winning.

Hard work all round

Grim times on the punting front and can't do a thing right, missing winners I should have backed and backing losers I should have left alone.

How I could do with a day like my pal Mitchell. He came over on Tuesday night for the quiz and as we sat in his car to set off to the pub he groped around in the dark before telling me he had something to show me. "I had a good day on Sunday," he confided. "Here's my latest William Hill statement."

With that he passed over a much handled piece of paper which indeed did come from Messrs W Hill and showed his latest bet, a 10p EW Heinz costing £11.40 and which paid just over £18,000! For the first time I was literally speechless as I gazed at the total, which came courtesy of five out of six winners including one which had drifted from 5-1 to 16-1 on the day and was a massive beneficiary of Best Odds Guaranteed. They all came within an hour or so of each other on Sunday afternoon, he said. "I couldn't believe as they went in one after the other."

He was bloody useless in the quiz but to his credit the good old boy stood me a steak and chips out of his winnings and I was chuffed for him.

For me the attention is on Ayr today where I've backed Daring Dream at 7-1 in the 5.20 and he's since drifted to 8s with Hills so I hope the SP ends up better than I've taken. I've actually just booked a few days away in Scotland in October for me and the missus and my main work now is seeing that I can sneak off to Kelso on the Saturday. Unfortunately she's on the alert and as soon as I suggested she had one of the afternoons up there on a shopping trip she replied "I suppose that means there's racing on. Well, I'm going shopping next week so won't need to and we can spend the time together."

Why is it that women always want to spend time together when a chap is very happy to go off on his own, whether it's to the races or the football or just to the pub? Mind you, having said that a bloke I know in our local town whose wife has a horse moans about the amount of time she spends at the stables - what a wuss! A perfect chance to get the feet up, put on ATR and enjoy the peace and quiet I'd have thought.

Still a few weeks to work on my wife about the Kelso excursion but I can see I'll have to think up some other tactics now that Plan A has been blown out of the water so quickly.

Away from the racing the biggest thrill of the week was seeing my little grand-daughter Florence running around the sitting room at my son's house 250 miles away by the wonders of the interweb and Skype. She started walking a week or so ago and they can't keep her still now - what a star!

Casting about

Desperate times up at Donny on the punting front and very busy at the B&B so not much time for studying; just enough in fact to come up with Electric Waves as the bet of the day at 8-1. The price seems very generous to me as he's won his last three races with great authority and is clearly an improving two-year-old.

But then again, the form I'm in at the moment everything is far from certain!

Donny day two

Not much to write home about on the punting front yesterday but victory in the pub quiz for our team on the tie breaker after a hard fought draw in the main quiz. The tie-breaker was "How heavy was the biggest shark ever caught?" and there were varying suggestions until one of our number threw in that great white sharks can grow to over 2 tons!

Led by him we put down 3,000lb as the answer, to which there were titters around the pub and plenty of comments like "give over" and "you've got to be kidding." The other side guessed 160lb which again met with "that's more like it" and such like. Well, he who laughs last laughs longest and when the answer came out at 2,300lb we were able to bask is smugness! I would never have believed it I must admit but Big Paul was convinced and that was good enough for us!

Back to the punting however and things are not going well but I am brimming with confidence today over Meeznah in the Park Hill Stakes. She was runner-up in the Oaks, will almost certainly stay this distance and her trainer David Lanigan, in only his third year, is in superb form. She's not raced on ground like this so that's obviously a concern but she is my bet of the week, for what it's worth!

Happy punting!

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.

Getting wet

Had a good day at Newton Abbot yesterday; if anyone was watching ATR they will have seen how wet it was but that didn't dampen spirits and there was a big crowd for the last meeting of the year (most people taking advantage of NA's two-for-one ticket offer on a Monday...)

One person who wasn't happy was Tony McCoy. He got off In The Zone, trained by Jonjo and owned by JP McManus, to ride the favourite, January, in the penultimate race with Jonjo's decent apprentice Richie McLernon taking over in the green and gold. AP was at the front at the last but the young lad swept past on the run-in to win by just over a length.

I'd backed In the Zone at 4-1 and then again on the Tote, returning at 7.3, so was chuffed to bits but AP's face as he stalked past McLernon and Jonjo celebrating in the winner's enclosure showed what he thought of things. His hatred of losing is what makes him so brilliant and this really was a choker for him - if there's any justice he will win BBC Sports Personality of the Year at last this year but the British public being what it is, there is no guarantee of that.

My pal John the newsagent had backed January and it was not a good day for him - he picked out Chestnut Ben in the paddock but wouldn't back him at 50-1 because he was two stone out of the handicap. The horse was then backed into 20s and romped home in the second race.

We then met up with a lad called Tim who I had met at Ffos Las last year and who has turned his back on gainful employment to become a professional punter and he said he'd backed Chestnut Ben at 33s having seen him steadily get fitter through the year. He then tipped us Cashel Blue EW in the next, which John had again picked out in the paddock but by then we were both very keen on the favourite, Caheerloch, and stuck with him. Needless to say in which order they finished first and second.

Thankfully I came away even thanks to In The Zone and despite getting soaked it was a good day and even John the newsagent enjoyed it despite only getting back a bit of his losses on the odds-on winner of the last.

Today I have a strong fancy for Handsome Jack in the 3.10 at Goodwood. This is a very open looking nursery but he looks a real improver from his two runs on the all weather and at around 5-1 he'll do for me. Off to cook breakfast for our guests now and hopefully the wife will be out this afternoon so I can have a couple of hours in front of ATR and Racing UK!

Not a proper Saturday

Excellent to see England back in form last night but we all know it is likely to be another successful qualifying campaign followed by a dire Euro championship. Let's hope something is different in 2012 and that by then we have a team with more guts and determination than we saw in South Africa.

The problem ofcourse with these international matches is that Saturday loses its lustre and even Argyle are not playing due to some international call ups. Just as well mind, the way we've been playing, but it still leaves a massive hole. We however have a lunch invitation which normally I would be using every excuse in the book to get out of but am not having to bother, even though I've already been accused once of "just because you don't want to go" when quite properly suggesting I might need to stay behind for new guests who could arrive early...

So it looks like that is how Saturday is shaping up and once again little time for form study so keeping to just one bet today, Braveheart Move in the Old Borough Cup at Haydock. This one will love the ground and having been given a couple of runs over hurdles, Jonjo O'Neill is persisting with an autumn flat campaign and he looks set for a good run at 16-1.

Happy punting!

Transfer breadline

I suppose the way Plymouth Argyle are playing at the moment, it was too much to expect any excitement on transfer deadline day and indeed the only activity was full back Chris Barker going to Southend. So we now wait for the loan window to re-open but at least there's no game for us this Saturday after last week's lamentable 3-0 defeat home to Peterborough, who I can see winning League One.

The horses did little better for me on Saturday but yesterday I was at Newton Abbot and backed a couple of winners, at 7-2 and 8-1 so came home well in profit.

Today there is a horse at Lingfield that interests me at 9-2, Bombadero in the 2.50 maiden race. This one has had seven runs with a couple of seconds and has been a disappointing favourite more than once but John Dunlop may have found the race to get his head in front, dropping him to 11 furlongs. He has twice been ahead entering the last furlong over 12F only to be overhauled on the run to the line so this unusual distance of 1m 3f might do the trick and he is at a decent price.

Happy punting one and all!

Postscript: This damn horse should have run away with this race but having got blocked on the rail he then proceeded to throw his head about once in the clear. He then decided to run on before again messing about before finally getting going again and losing by half a length. Some horses just don't want to win and this is clearly one of them!

Sunny Saturday

It's going to be a nice Bank Holiday weekend here in Cornwall. The sun is shining and no proper rain expected so all we need now is a winner and for Plymouth Argyle to beat Peterborough at Home Park this afternoon.

Peterborough were the last match of the season last year and by then both teams were relegated. Argyle put in a pitiful display to lose 1-0 and today isn't going to be easy with the Posh one of the top scorers in Div 1 at this early stage. Hopefully That Man Reid will have instilled a bit of backbone since last week's pathetic second half display at Walsall so once again we go with hope in our hearts.

The punting on the horses is a disaster at the moment and I've virtually shut up shop till things turn round. In fact the only bet I've had since Wednesday was Rapid Vienna to beat Villa at 13-2, which I thought was a terrific price given the way Villa are so unpredictable and that the tie was at 1-1 from the game in Austria. I just wish I'd backed them again when Villa went one up but at that point it didn't look like they could get their act together so in the end I was pleased to back a winner, with apologies to any Villa fans for taking pleasure at their European demise.

I'm off to have my first proper go at fly fishing tomorrow at a reservoir near Camelford and going with a chum of mine, Fatty Gyles, whose father was a keen fly fisherman and he's bringing some of his old kit. This fish kettle is ready for poaching a couple of trout so just like at Argyle we are filled with hope but prepared for disappointment...

I am having just one punt today, on Dafeef in the 3.20 at Newmarket. Bated Breath is widely expected to turn the tables with a 3lb pull after being "unlucky" when they met at Newmarket last time. Roger Charlton has warned that B.B. may not run if Richard Hughes isn't happy with him at the start and as soft ground will again be the conditions I much prefer Bafeef at 7-2, twice the odds of Bated Breath. I will also have a little bit each way on Caledonia Princess at 50-1.