Before you read my article I’d like to state how much I appreciated a ‘letter of thanks’ from a readers who signed himself FINLAY!
I’m able to guarantee the last thing on my mind is retirement and these rambling missives will be submitted until I drop, hopefully a good few years hence.
Betting is a serious business, complacency is costly, the reasoon why I’m so serious!
Have a lovely ‘Flaming June’ day.
Deep Snow is a strong forecast for the Fillies’ Novice Stakes over ten furlongs of ‘good to firm’ Salisbury this afternoon when a seven-race programme offers little for serious punters with six handicaps representing a ‘no-go’ area for my modus operandi, which is all about sorting/analysing set-weight races.
Gone are the days when I’d comb all race-cards as an owner and advisor for recently-deceased Robert Armstrong and veteran Barry Hills, still sharp as ever at 84 and a big cog in son Charles’ Lambourn operation which threatens to be among the winners at Royal Ascot, starting Tuesday with, hopefully, a decent-sized crowd.
Unfortunately that could be limited as Covid-19 signals a revival of misfortune, especially for those who haven’t been vaccinated twice; apparently another lock-down isn’t out of the question and we’re all on ‘eggshells’ with every step we take into an uncertain future.
Let us pray for better times but I’m mindful my parents withstood nearly SIX years of the second World War and couldn’t believe this country would emerge victorious in May 1945; now they were dark days, with plenty of ‘Deep Snow!’
It’s 340 days since the Saeed bin Suroor-trained, Godolphin-owned Bated Breath filly won second time out over a mile of Ripon, staying on gamely to justify favouritism by a length from subsequent winner Golden Hind; the time-handicap mark was useful, definitely good enough for a follow-up.
Realistically this is a ‘penalty-kick’ for Oisin Murphy’s mount which has been absent due to wind surgery, almost a common surgical procedure nowadays but somewhat disconcerting to think so many will litter sales’ programmes in future.
Despite a notorious reputation my horses were bought out of sellers/claimers or by personal first-hand contact; the ‘shop window’ was racecourses and one fought shy of visiting sales for so many reasons.
My method was up front with a straightforward no-nonsense approach but successes brought jealousy and resentment; only last week we sent an e-mail asking if a particular vexing maiden filly could be purchased privately after yet another defeat. Typically there has been ‘no reply!’
Running in tandem with the Wiltshire card will be ‘good to firm’ Doncaster where £700000 Private Signal (Godolphin) is expected to beat another £80000 newcomer Oh Great (Qatar) in the 2-y-o Maiden Stakes over seven furlongs with prize-money to the winner £3132!
So you have now read about Deep Snow, as we approach my mid-summer birthday, and prize-money which will hardly cover ‘keep’ for a month; the ‘Sport Of Kings’ resembles an outdoor lunacy stage, and I’m on it!
Selections, Doncaster, 2.15 Private Signal; 4.45 Golden Bugle; Salisbury, 16.38 Deep Snow.
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