Torquator Tasso, an 80/1 winner of the Arc de Triomphe, Sunday, was no surprise whatsoever; on desperate ground anything can happen and the reason why my column attempted to dissuade readers from losing their ‘ard earned money in a guessing game. Trying to back winners in such circumstances is ludicrous and my ultimate purpose is to advise and guide.
On so many occasions I’ve pinpointed the folly of attempting to climb mountains when there are six magnificent all-weather venues in the United Kingdom which enable us all to operate on a level playing field and profit, every month.
No other racing writer feels similarly, they are more interested in trotting out words and getting inflated wages but do any treat horse-racing so seriously as yours truly who came into the ‘Sport Of Kings’ decades ago and was determined to ‘champion’ the cause of fellow punters.
When hitting the roads, on an almost daily basis, to racetracks one learned the rudiments, took plenty of knocks but was always conscious the pitfalls far outweighed the pleasures for the vast majority. That’s not right, never has been and to my dying day I’ll submit advice which should benefit you financially.
You should be able to pick up this paper and sally forth against the bookmaking profession which, unfortunately, has got the game completely stitched up with more than 75% of all race-meetings handicaps; they, of course, involve guessing, and losing.
Unless you know something no one else knows, as was the case when I owned horses and advised two of the best trainers in this country for nigh on thirty years, you have no chance. Why bother?
Because you enjoy horse-racing and the character it portrays through so many channels; please understand this is not preaching, just relating experience in what is an extremely tough profession which could/would tame lions!
Today there are four fixtures, two on soft ground surfaces at Leicester and Brighton, a jumping card around Huntingdon and all-weather action on Kempton polytrack where in the fourteen-runner Maiden Stakes over seven furlongs I’ll hopefully find my thrill with Blueberry Hill!
John and Thady Gosden train this once-raced Showcasing colt, second (of 13!) to heavily-backed favourite Noisy Night over course and distance eight weeks ago since when Blueberry Hill has been given ample ‘recovery time’ in readiness for success in Autumn.
Blueberry Hill achieved a time-handicap mark which wins this-type race nine times out of ten and so if odds of 2/1 or better are available, get on!
Two hours later progressive Knight Rider is on a retrieving mission in a thirteen-runner Nursery Handicap over a mile, William Buick has been booked!
Brighton has passed an inspectrion but ground is ‘heavy’ and I’ll be loathe to get seriously involved; AWR is always better!
Selections, Brighton, 3.15 Whitefeathersfall; Kempton, 5.30 Blueberry Hill; 7.30 Knight Rider (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