Two 125/1 winners on Friday 13th and one of them, newcomer Maybe Even Never, just happened to beat our 9/1 nap Raydoun; a vexing end to a ubiquitous week when all two-year-old ‘star’ selections made the frame at inflated odds.
I know my policy of plumping for big ‘uns’ is more exciting, both for myself and readers, and it’s my intention to scrutinise juveniles races right to the enth degree for such ‘beauts’ but, to be perfectly frank, and honest, these unexpected results do come to try the most hardened professionals.
‘Seconditis’ used to be a destroyer but I’m able to adopt a phlegmatic attitude nowadays in the knowledge my time-handicap and computation, which involves working out race-times, will always pay off, ultimately; ‘all in good time’ is my motto and this afternoon at Southwell I’m hoping George Boughey-trained Mystic Wells and Ben Curtis will build on a promising Newmarket debut in the Fillies’ Novice Stakes over seven furlongs, on what will will undoubtedly be an extremely sad day.
It’s THIRTY-TWO years since the unique fibresand all-weather track opened its doors to flat-racing and I remember walking (and measuring!) every yard of the ‘new’ racecourse set in the heart of Nottinghamshire and finding out the mile distance was shorter!
Such a revelation and the ‘deep stuff’ seemed superb, given I’d walked ‘dirt’ in the USA, and this novelty proved to be life-changing through the years; Elton Ledger was bought out of a seller there, by myself, and went on to record SIXTEEN victories during an astonishing period in the ‘mid-nineties’ when trained by the late, great Norma Macauley, bless her sacred memory!
There are so many memories at my so-called ‘second home’ but immediately after this fixture a magnificent Tapeta surface will be laid, paving the way for ‘Internationalism’ on a lovely galloping circuit, for future generations; hopefully I’ll be there at a glorious opening in November.
Mystic Wells, recently an ‘eleventh hour’ withdrawal from another winning opportunity, finished a creditable close-up seventh at HQ last month, coming from last (of 11!) to achieve a half-decent TH mark, which should be good enough to justify my nap!
Today I’ll toast Southwell, my good friend Graham Goode, who ‘called’ Elton Ledger and so many other winners during an illustrious career, and indeed remember so much of a glorious past at this unique, intimate venue; I’ll be ‘cut up’ on a tearful day, a ‘Mystic’ occasion?
In the meantime don’t forget to oppose ALL odds-on favourites in the Premier/Championship English football leagues, throughout the season; best system I’ve ever known laying them on Betfair betting exchange.
Selections, Southwell, 1.35 Elzaal (e.w); 2.10 Mystic Wells (nap-e.w); 4.55 Alpha Cru.
remember this last snippet yesterday?…For what it’s worth Eileendover is in tremendous form and strongly-fancied for the 2.00 Newmarket handicap; we’re going in…!
hope you took advantage of the easy 4/1 winner!
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