WARNING: don’t underestimate my continual reference to watering and it’s effect on turf surfacesl ‘Glorious Goodwood’ will not live up to its name today because nigh on FORTY-NINE ‘mils’ have more or less contributed to a desperate situation caused by poor husbandry and if you bet there you are guessing.Mine is to sort out opportunities but as far as betting at the Arundel course is concerned I’ll be keeping my powder dry.If the truth hurts there is a problem and I’ll never shy away from my responsibility, to readers/punters.Be patient. don’t waste your money, bookmakers are making fortunes out of your ‘recreaton money’ which amounts to billions worldwide.This ‘on-line’ column gives me a chance to keep bang up to date and help your cause. Even my article has to be viewed with cautiionWhy is there no all-weather racing today?
Scattering, eye-catching one and a quarter lengths third to our winning 9/1 nap, Catch Cunningham, over the minimum trip on Newcastle tapeta last month, has probably been targeted for the six furlongs Maiden Stakes at Glorious Goodwood and today is THE day!
Outstanding 60-year-old Skipton-born racehorse trainer William Haggas is able to visualise opportunities in his mind’s eye from considerable experience and having surrounded himself with the best possible staff this dedicated Yorkshireman is making a real fist of a wonderful career. He’s the son-in-law of Lester Piggott, having married Maureen back in 1989, and now employs championship-chasing Tom Marquand, described as ‘the best since Pat Eddery…’ four years ago in this column. None better!
In the distant past Sir Michael Stoute was my idea of the best of an impressive clutch of Newmarket-based license holders; he represented sheer class and professionalism, his fellow cricket-lover Haggas smacks of a similar standard and no praise can be higher, in my book.
Mohaafeth was a rare ‘failure’ at Haydock last weekend but if they had gone much slower lunch and tea could have been contemplated with the odds-on favourite ridden negatively in rear. No jockey is ever to blame unless I know otherwise, they have to obey instructions and this, seemingly, represented a classic example.
My serious-betting modus operandi is about ‘laying’ short-priced favourites and Mohaafeth was indeed a qualifier, for various reasons; on good Autumn ground I’m visualising the Champion Stakes over ten furlongs at HQ and I’ll bet Haggas has thought similarly.
Five days at the fabulous picturesque Arundel racetrack beckon and Scattering meets median criteria on my time-handicap which has been continually compromised this month by incessant watering at so many high-profile venues; as already mentionmed punters have no chance with such wanton interference and this is why leaning toward all-weather racing makes sense because guessing can never be an option. Gosforth Park is as good as it gets, a splendid venue to introduce juveniles
Scattering is by no means a ‘special’ on a now forecast ‘soft’ surface but this Showcasing colt needs only to make normal improvement from a ‘first day at school’ to be in firm contention; two-year-olds usually progress about 7lbs, given sufficient recovery time, ‘that’ll do!’
Rest of an eight-race card looks ‘too difficult’ but recent unchallenged Wolverhampton tapeta winner, Power Of Beauty, should supplement gains in an eleven-runner Novice Stakes over seven furlongs of ‘good to firm’ Yarmouth where six of seven races are handicaps. Good, solid bets are hard to find!
On a half-decent Beverley surface Ayling should make the frame, at good odds; incidentally it isn’t raining everywhere!
Selections, Yarmouth, 1.40 Power Of Beauty (nap); Beverley, 2.05 Ayling (e.w); Goodwood, 4.45 Scattering.
Jeffrey Ross, horse-racing correspondent for WMN since 1983 when winning the most prestigious racing journalist award, Sporting Life Naps Table, before winning it a record number of six times collectively in the Racing Post, the current ‘trade’ paper, including 2019