Win sir?

Monday nights at Windsor used to be a favourite of mine when I lived near Newbury but now down in Cornwall watching it on ATR is the closest I get but that has its compensations, particularly when the lovely Alex Quinn is reporting from the track as she often is.

Unfortunately we have Robert Cooper tonight but he's not such a bad old boy so I'm sure it will be an enjoyable evening and it will be all the better if Caledonia Princess wins the 6F handicap at 6.40. This one is on a hat trick on wins at the track and the way she won the previous two is good enough evidence for me that she can go in again and I can't believe she's now 11-2 due to a sustained punt on Ralph Beckett's Olynard, who won this race a year ago.

My other fancy of the day is Wulfrida in the 4.00 at Southwell. This one is shorter than I usually back at but to me is head and shoulders above the rest, including Cecil's Dolphina, so I've had a bit on at 15-8.

It's another grey and drizzly day here in Cornwall but it's due to brighten up by midweek, just in time for my two hour Fly fishing lesson booked in at the local reservoir. I just hope that is more successful than the punting has been on late!

What a win!

Can't back a winner on the horses for love nor money but what a victory for Plymouth Argyle yesterday over League One favourites Southampton. For the first time in years the team showed real guts and determination and even some flashes of skill. Let's hope it continues!

Far better than my miserable Championship bet of Bristol City, inspired by the Racing Post's preview and the succession of tipsters going for them. They were hammered 3-0 at home by Millwall so a less than auspicious start - if I hadn't backed them I'd be delighted at the result.

No racing for me today as was too busy at the B&B to get anything sorted and then been out this afternoon but hopefully back onto it tomorrow!

Kick off time

The world's eyes will be on St Mary's stadium as Plymouth Argyle open their League One season with a trip to league favourites Southampton and that undoubtedly is the sporting highlight of the weekend.

Last season was miserable for Plymouth and I can't think of a year when there was so much poor football played at Home Park. But there's a new manager in That Man Reid, a newly laid pitch to replace last season's bog and an air of optimism about the place (as there is every year before the season actually starts....) That Man has stated that nothing less than promotion will do and in these halcyon final hours of pre-season we can all concur and look forward to unremitting success.

The big match will be long over by the time my two horses run today, the first of them in the 17 runner heritage handicap at Haydock at 3.25. Tony Martin has stuck one in here which will either be punted off the boards and win or be ignored and lose but even with his menacing presence lurking in the background I am going for Sirvino at 9-1. He was a massive improver last season, shooting up the handicap with five wins before finishing well back in the Cambridgeshire. His comeback run in a listed race should have put him right to get back into winning ways today over his ideal distance.

At Ascot I am going for Strategic Mount in the 4.30 Shergar Cup Challenge at 7-1. He won this race in 07 and 08 but didn't run in it last year and goes into today's race in good form. Those two wins were his only victories in the past three years so I'm banking on him getting the hat-trick. Yesterday's betting was abysmal and we need a winner to get back on track so there us a lot riding on these two!

Happy Punting one and all!

Way up north

It's a miserable day here in Cornwall, thick cloud and constant drizzle and it seems that for the third summer in a row July and August have been great let downs. We can only hope for an improvement during the second two-thirds of the month.

In an attempt to cheer things up I've headed way up north in search of a winner, looking to the opener at Musselburgh where I hope Stonehaugh can beat the short priced favourite, Beckermet. I reckon it's between these two and a lot will depend on whether Tom Eaves can get Stonehaugh to the front as he needs to go from there to win and it is Beckermet who could challenge for the lead.

But although that one is the quality horse in the field he is very much out of form and the fact that he is dropped to a seller in an attempt to get a win shows how disappointing he has become. You are banking on him showing a willingness to win which has been lacking since moving to his present trainer and I think he represents very poor value at around 6-4 compared to 6-1 Stonehaugh.

I am also having a highly speculative punt on Team Allstar in the 4.50 at Worcester at 25-1. This is J P McManus's second string and hasn't run for nearly two years but he has twice won after lay offs - admittedly nothing like this - when trained in Ireland and I just wonder why JP has kept him in training unless he still has a shout at winning something like this. I've taken an early price and there's been no movement since then but perhaps the money will come for him in the last five minutes!

Up at Haydock

A nice 4-1 winner for me yesterday and I stay in that sort of price range for my bet of the day today, backing King Zeal at 9-2 in the last at Haydock. I have had a good look at this race and I'm hoping that the good to soft ground, with even some heavy patches reported in the longer races, will find out most of these.

King Zeal won't be troubled by it and is in a rich vein of form since pairing up with the 7lb claimer who is on board again today. His trainer is also in good form on the flat and over the jumps and I think the way King Zeal made all at Nottingham to win by a comfortable 5L in good to soft ground in June gives him a great chance today.

It's also football betting time. I've already had a speculative tenner at 18-1 on Liverpool to win the Premier League and after reading the Racing Post guide to the new season in yesterday's paper I am forcing myself to back Bristol City for the Championship at 20-1. Being a Plymouth fan I hate the idea of backing City but a bet's a bet and I'd hate it more to see them win the division without following the several tips in the RP to back them under Steve Coppell and with David James now in goal.

And on the subject of football, Plymouth are on the telly on Saturday for the opening match of the season at Southampton. Can't wait - Peter Reid is now manager and this will be one hell of a first test for the man known by me and my son simply as "That Man Reid" as that is how commentators kept referring to him in his playing days as he kept getting involved in the play. Come on That Man!

Back in business

Sorry to anyone who has taken the trouble to read the blog about nothing appearing yesterday; events overtook me and made it impossible to give even a quick update on the big Newton Abbot bet.

That one, Mark Aurele, unfortunately went down the pan but I had a reasonable day at Newton nonetheless, finishing slightly up thanks to Rock Me at 4-1. I should have had an excellent day but talked myself out of two winners, Indiana Gold at 5-1 and Nothing is Forever at 4s. I was determined to back both but then decided to delve just a bit deeper and changed my mind twice; what a damn idiot.

Still, a small profit on the day so just a bout satisfied. One thing I'm not satisfied about at Newton Abbot is the each way terms offered by some of the bookies. Since the rules changed to allow on course bookies to put up whatever place terms they choose some have set out to rip off unwary punters.

You see this particularly at courses like Newton, which is close to Torbay and attracts a lot of holidaymaker once-a-year racegoers. A lot of these don't have a clue about place terms so were quite happily backing with bookies who were going one sixth the odds in a handicap. What takes the biscuit though is the bookie at a recent Newton Abbot meeting who went ONE TWELFTH the odds! I told him I thought he was an absolute disgrace and he hit back at me saying "you obviously don't know anything about margins and how difficult it is to make an each way book." To that I replied that he should in that case go win only rather than ripping off punters who don't have the sense or the knowledge to check his terms.

Back to today's racing now and after having no bets yesterday I'm finding it hard to get enthused today. I am though having a bit on Midwestern in the 3.10 at Pontefract. He ran a decent race over 7F last time, staying on to finish 5th of 13 at Carlisle, and this extra furlong will do him the world of good. Also Richard Mullen has a decent strike rate for Brian Smart though he will do for me today at 4-1.

Happy punting!

Off to the races

A losing day for me yesterday with just one bet, on Becqu Adoree at 11-1. She had every chance despite taking a slight knock but didn't maintain her run and weakened in the final furlong. This is the fourth chance she's had since arriving from France and I reckon she's just like the stroppy French wife of a former colleague of mine who spent all her time berating everything about England and longing to return to Paris. She never settled into life here and perhaps this filly is also making a protest every time she runs.

I'm off to the races today at Newton Abbot, the closest track to us down here in Cornwall, and will hopefully have a successful day. The first job is to flog a spare ticket which was bought under Newton's 2-for-1 Mondays deal and as there are three of us we have one left over which we can let go at half price.

Half the blokes in my local town seem to be going to Newton today but they've all got their tickets already so will have to stand outside until it goes as the Cheltenham touts will not be about to buy it!

The proceeds can then go on my fancy in the 3.30, Marc Aurele, which I've already backed at 11-2 with best odds guaranteed. This is a tough race with half a dozen genuine contenders but I've got it down to M A and Rio Gael, trained by Peter Bowen. I just hope I've picked the right one.

Marc Aurele, trained by Paul Nicholls, is a front runner and Newton really suits those types and the very decent amateur R Mahon is on board so I think at the price he is good value.

Thankfully it is a quiet morning at the B&B so no pressure from Mrs Westcoast at the moment to get away from my studies but I'm sure that will come before long so I'd better get back to that before my time runs out.

Happy Punting!