NEVER forget this is a column devoted to exploiting betting (invetsment!) opportunities and yesterday my policy of laying odds-on favourites (on Betfair!) in the English Premier League paid off with Liverpool and Manchester Untted both failing to win; also, if you recall, Anthony Joshua was mentioned as a ludicrous odds-on chance to win the boxing match; there are many ways to skin a cat, as they say. Wonder what price Joe Biden is to be ousted within the next six months!
Anyway onto the racing today!
Mr McCann has a gilt-edged opportunity of adding to his career total of two wins (from six starts!) in a fascinating five-runner Conditions Stakes over an extended mile of ‘good’ ground Epsom this afternoon; hopefully forecast double-digit odds will be available Tom Dascombe’s charge, mount of Richard Kingscote, who seems to have returned to his Cheshire boss after dallying with other high-profile trainers.
This 99-rated Kodiac colt was ridden by champion all-weather jockey ‘Kingy’ first-up at Leicester back in June when Mr McCann was beaten only three -quarters of a length and posted a half-decent time-handicap mark over the minimum trip; next time, as a consequence of the aforementioned riding plans, Jane Elliott was aboard over a furlong further on Lingfield polytrack and landed the spoils comfortably; they followed up a fortnight later over seven at Haydock, easily, by three lengths.
Tom, obviously aware of the improvement, raced Mr McCann in the group two Superlative Stakes at Newmarket, eliciting another ‘career-best’ effort under Jane who was nonplussed a week or so later when her ‘favourite’ bombed out ignominiously at Ascot, posting a sub-standard time-figure.
Fortunately it was just a ‘one-off’ because Mr McCann, partnered by talented 5lbs apprentice, Pierre-Louis Jamin, in a fiercely-competitive York nursery, ‘found’ even more time under top-weight and finished only five lengths or so behind extremely useful Harrow at a difference of 17lbs; incredible improvement.
Once-raced first-up winners Berkshire Rebel, Goldspur and Merlin’s Lady are bound to collar bulk of support today, along with 104-rated Mark Johnston-trained Austrian Theory but, I’m banking on my latest time-computation of Mr McCann being right on the ball, ready for conversion.
To think my old warrior Cragside was rated 109 and cost me millions when unluckily beaten at Ascot in the ‘Cornwallis’ a head by Doulab!
I’ve never recovered, honestly, but have soldiered on and enjoyed this labour of love with juvenile racing, the ultimate fascination of the somewhat beleaguered English racing scene which is definitely crammed with too many non-descript, pointless programmes.
I’m not complaining, just pointing out the folly of channeling prize-money in the wrong direction, why?
Rest of a seven-race card looks too difficult but Land Of Eagles looks an each-way ‘special’ in the eleven-runner Maiden Stakes over seven furlongs of ‘good to firm’ Ffos Las, a wonderful galloping track in mid-Wales.
In the ‘lucky last’ once-raced Coast is massively-fancied.
Selections, Epsom, 2.20 Mr McCann (e.w); Ffos Las, 2.40 Land Of Eagles (e.w); 5.50 Coast (e.w).
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