Newbury Winter Festival - Day Three

A less fortunate day than Thursday with both Ballywatt and Ballybough Pat finishing 2^nd. Stake was returned for Ballywatt as on e/w at 6/1 but annoying to lose on Pat as he ran a nice race, beaten by a somewhat rejuvenated Fair Along. The rest of the day wasn’t much brighter as Bold Cuffs pulled hard for the first circuit and jumped poorly to be tailed off, and Prince of Pirates again flopped to finish 3^rd. Hopefully tomorrow is more fruitful and returns a winner or 2! After seeing the monster of a horse Diggers Mate in the bumper yesterday the 2 beasts in the picture below made him look small! I don’t imagine they’ll be popping many hurdles or fences though!

 

Saturday sees a more appealing card for me in terms of fancying a few, though not in the first race at 12.15pm which I am leaving out completely! The 12.50pm only has 6 runners but could still be competitive and the Anthony Honeyball trained Eleven Fifty Nine is consistent and very able, but I feel Call Me A Star is the one to be on. At the stable tour yesterday it seemed connections were very bullish about this mare and she could be one of the best her trainer has handled. She can be keen but is expected to give a very good account of herself which is reflected by the skinny 7/4 I’ve been forced to take!

From one strong fancy to another as Rolling Aces is a horse I’ve been waiting for and he goes in the 1.25pm Handicap Chase. Having not done much over hurdles (always going to be a chaser), this fella will be expected to improve for fences (he won a Point in Ireland) and ran well on debut over the bigger obstacles when seemingly outpaced in the 19f contest on good to soft, before staying on like a train at the finish! The step up to 22f should bring about improvement and I’d say there’s a fair amount more to come over fences now he goes handicapping. I have Godsmejudge and Merry King down as others that are potentially on the up, and Barry Geraghty’s mount Seven Woods could well have more to come, but I’d hope Rolling Aces is good enough to see them off and have gone each way at 6/1.

Death, taxes and Big Bucks! 3 things guaranteed in life! Big Bucks is Big Bucks, so the 2pm is not worth discussing.

The 2.35pm is interesting and I feel it could be a good day for the Ditcheat camp as Salubrious could take the beating in this (potentially notching up a treble for Paul Nicholls if Rolling Aces and Big Bucks oblige!). Salubrious is held in high regard by his connections but wasn’t right last season (had a cracked tooth I believe). He ran fairly well on reappearance in the Silver Trophy at Chepstow but his trainer has stated he will improve a lot for it. I’m certain there is more to come and can see him taking this race which has been on the agenda a while so he’s sure to be primed for it so I have backed at 3/1.

The Hennessy Gold Cup isn’t one of my favourite races of the season and this year is no different. Bobs Worth will need to be very good to defy his mark – but he could well be! If he wins this you’d have to fancy him to be a serious Gold Cup contender come March. However, at 4/1 I won’t be siding with the Seven Barrows inmate and will instead be taking 8/1 e/w about Hold On Julio in the 3.10pm contest. This horse was talked up a fair bit before Cheltenham in March but failed to deliver, but on Thursday morning’s stable tour it sounded like he is expected to run a huge race tomorrow. He will be fine on the ground and had a nice reappearance run when 3^rd at Cheltenham recently (he was 10kg heavier than his winning weight last season) so is on course for this race. He has a lovely racing weight of 10st 8lb which is positive for his chances and he could be very well handicapped so a big run is expected! Frisco Depot is the other interesting horse and may be worth a small e/w saver.

 

 

Ulck Du Lin catches the eye (Nicholls yet again!) in the closing 3.40pm affair as he ran a bit free and probably needed the run when tiring over 2m6f at Stratford last time. The drop in trip should tomorrow and at 5/1 is worth following, though Michael Flips (7/1) is another I like as he has some smart looking form behind the likes of Cue Card and For Non Stop.

Newbury aside, I’m looking forward to seeing Mount Benbulben run in the 1.55pm at Fairyhouse as I see him as a horse with bundles of potential for chasing and he’s the apple of his County Meath based handler’s eye! As exciting is the Fairyhouse card for Sunday which hosts a number of Gr1 races and will no doubt be extremely useful in providing clues for the rest of the season.

Newbury has been great so far with decent racing (particularly the Novice Chases both days, Dynaste [pictured above being readied before his race] looking ultra impressive in the competitive affair today), dry weather and a fair crowd (though I’m sure tomorrow will be crazily busy!!). One more day to go and then back home so will be writing some new posts including a review of the Hennessy meeting and horses to take from it, my stable tour at Barbury Castle, and maybe a few early thoughts on potential festival candidates. But until then I shall be making the most of Newbury (even bumped into a few reindeer on the way back to base this evening!) so enjoy the racing over the weekend and be lucky!

 

 

 

In summary, tomorrow's fancied horses are:

NEWBURY

12.50pm - Call Me A Star

1.25pm - Rolling Aces

2.35pm - Salubrious

3.10pm - Hold On Julio

3.40pm - Ulck Du Lin

FAIRYHOUSE

1.55pm - Mount Benbulben

Newbury Winter Festival - Day Two

Yesterday being the first time I’d put anything up on the new blog (for today at Newbury), there felt a need to have a winner or 2, and thankfully we did!! Meganisi opened the day winning the first race, Parsnip Pete wasn’t put up as a bet selection and I didn’t back him, but suggested the soft ground had been the key and there may be more to come and there was. After Otto The Great pulled up in the next I was hoping it hadn’t been a flash in the pan, but Harry Topper got up in a cracking finish to the competitive novice chase and made the day!! He is certainly a horse to be on the right side of for the future. The opening price of 7/1 last night was much appreciated as he went off 3/1 so hopefully you got on early! Cedre Bleu was a bitter disappointment and maybe didn’t stay, but Lyvius (again not tipped as a bet but favourably mentioned) did the business in the Gerry Fielden to secure a few more pennies, before the also mentioned Alan King bumper horse ran a cracker for 2^nd in a race where I feel the first 2 will go on to better things.

 

 

On to tomorrow and the market for the opening juvenile hurdle at 12.30pm is likely to be dominated by the Nicholls runner with Ruby Walsh aboard, but if I have a bet in this (I’ll assess the market first) I may take a chance on the Colin Tizzard trained Bold Cuffs. Obviously not knowing how a race littered with unraced sorts will pan out, Tizzard recently said in his stable tour that they wanted something to get on with and bought this one off the flat from Sir Mark Prescott, who reckoned he could end up a Champion Chase horse. Now whether that’s the case I don’t know, but he must be fairly smart to even warrant such a comment so if an each way price he may be worth a nibble.

 

The 1pm Mares Hurdle may only have 6 runners but it is by no means uncompetitive and for that reason I will more than likely not punt. Glorious Twelfth will have obvious supporters given connections, and Dancingtilmidnight (I won’t be tonight!) looks progressive for today’s bumper winning training Harry Fry, whilst Carole’s Destiny is well bred and has looked okay so far so could have more to come.

 

 

My first bet of the day will probably come in the 2m2f Handicap Chase at 1.30pm on the Kim Bailey trained Ballywatt. Handled by a trainer I like a lot, this horse has some very smart looking Point form behind Simonsig and Yes Way Hosay, and although unlikely to ever scale the heights I’m sure those 2 will, I’d like to think he should be up to defying a chase mark of 110. I backed him last time out which was his first chase start (and a handicap as it was before the new Novice Chase rules came in) and he ran a nice race, slightly unlucky to finish 3^rd beaten less than a length having looked the winner. He goes off the same mark tomorrow, should be fine on the ground so I’d hope he’d be competitive.

 

As if we didn’t enjoy a competitive enough Novice Chase today, tomorrow’s 2.05pm is arguably as good if not more so! Theatre Guide was super impressive in his victory a few weeks ago, and Court In Motion has the potential to make up into a smart novice chaser having returned from a long injury layoff last time (should improve a fair bit for the run).Ruby’s mount There’s No Panic will have the usual Nicholls/Walsh support and Dynaste looked extremely impressive in beating Fingal Bay at Cheltenham. Certainly a race to be watched, some serious pointers are likely to be seen with regards to the rest of the season.

 

 

My main fancy of the day comes in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle at 2.40pm in the shape of Ballybough Pat. He will make a cracking 3m chaser next season, and in my opinion should definitely be up to defying his mark of 132 over hurdles. The trip is likely to bring about more improvement and he is proven on both good ground and heavy ground so is versatile in that regard. He has opened 7/2 with Bet365 and I’ve just invested a few quid and will be disappointed not to collect. Destroyer Deployed and Curtain Razer are both very interesting and should both stake their claims, but I’d fancy Ballybough Pat to see to them and am looking forward to the race. The only time today’s winner African Gold has lost was when beaten easily by this horse, and the only time Ballybough Pat has lost was to Wonderful Charm in the Persian War at Chepstow. That rival is being touted as a serious tool by Mr Nicholls and I think over the next few months/years that form will be franked on a serious level!

 

Prince of Pirates is not a horse I would lump on but I do feel he is well handicapped and due a win so will probably have a small interest at 5/1 but the 3.15pm is another race I wouldn’t go mad in. The 3.45pm is a slightly annoying race as it contains a couple I’ve been waiting for. Kaki De La Pree has reportedly schooled well, King Spirit looked decent when winning, Sound Investment I fancied would win next time out, and Puffin Billy looks a serious horse. For this reason I will again be taking a watching brief, but can see it turning out to be a strong Maiden Hurdle in time.

 

 

This morning’s stable tour at Alan King’s was a great experience and very enlightening. I backed his bumper horse as a result of it and although beaten he will go on to be a very nice horse in time. I will be including a couple of his horses in tomorrow’s article for Saturday’s racing and will be putting a piece together (sometime next week I’d imagine) on the morning, but for now, I’m off out for a drink in Newbury!

 

Happy Days!

Could Notus be ante post value in December Gold Cup?

Now the jumps season is up and going we have top class racing on every weekend! This weekend’s Hennessy meeting at Newbury (and the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle) is followed by the Tingle Creek meeting at Sandown and Becher Chase Day at Aintree, and those 2 are followed by Cheltenham’s International meeting which stars the International Hurdle (also known as The Bula) and the December Gold Cup. Though the December Gold Cup is still a few weeks away, a few firms have introduced their markets and I quite fancy the David Pipe trained Notus De La Tour who is a best priced 10/1 (Bet Victor).

 

 

To me he looks he could still be well handicapped off a mark of 144, having shown good form over fences to date. A useful hurdler (he was 2^nd behind Sanctuaire in the Fred Winter at Cheltenham before a less than 2 length 3^rd in the prestigious Totesport Hurdle at Newbury) he has shown at least level ability over the bigger obstacles, winning his first 2 novice chases easily over 2m4f. He then gave 8lb to both the winner (Walkon) and runner up (Zaynar) in a decent event at Exeter, with Zaynar hosing up in a Gr2 next time out and Walkon consistently running well (he finished 2^nd to Al Ferof in Cheltenham’s PaddyPower Gold Cup recently) and attaining a chase mark of 148. Notus De La Tour was then beaten less than 3 lengths in a Gr1 in Ireland before finishing 3^rd behind the ultra-impressive Flemenstar when having no chance with the winner but staying on well over the bare 2m. He is only a 6yo, and given the improvement we’ve seen recently with Sanctuaire, it wouldn’t be too shocking to see this one improve a few lbs. His 2^nd in Ireland was on soft ground, and he’s gone okay on soft/heavy before so is unlikely to be put out by any type of going. He is almost certain to be allocated a nice racing weight and I can’t see him being 12/1 on the day so it may be worth a small each way bet at this stage.

Newbury Winter Festival - Day One

The 24hr declarations are now out for Newbury tomorrow which makes it that bit more exciting, knowing who will be running and beginning to analyse the races and try to pick a few winners. I visited Newbury on this Thursday last season and it is always a decent card, with Grand Crus winning here last term before going on to hose up in the Feltham at Kempton Park on Boxing Day. Many pointers for the rest of the season can be deduced from this 3 day Winter Festival and the action starts from the first race with a couple of interesting sorts in the 2m novice hurdle at 12.25pm.

 

Aaim To Prosper was a high class flat horses who makes the transition to NH racing tomorrow. Rated 112 on the flat he beat last season’s Triumph Hurdle winner Countrywide Flame in a Newmarket handicap on his final start of his flat campaign in October. Soon to turn 9yo he makes his entrance to the jumps game later in life than is usually expected of a flat horse, but in the hands of Ditcheat maestro Paul Nicholls he will surely be capable of competing at a high level. Whilst this smart ex-flat horse will no doubt play a part in this contest I am always slightly apprehensive in backing them until I’ve seen they operate efficiently over hurdles, so would rather side with a tried and tested sort such as Meganisi. Having taken time to acclimatise after coming over from Italy he hosed up in his 2^nd British start, beating tomorrow’s rival King’s Lad easily by 11 lengths. King’s Lad fell next time before surprising many in beating the highly promising JP McManus-owned Mr Mole but has to concede 3lb to Meganisi tomorrow. The Rebecca Curtis inmate followed up his win with 2 flat races, followed by 2 defeats over an extended 2m4f (the first time leading a few out before stamina seemed to be a problem). He drops back to the minimum trip tomorrow and conditions mirror those of the day he beat King’s Lad so I feel he may be able to confirm that form, particularly with the weight he receives, and could have a big chance of troubling the likely Paul Nicholls favourite.

I’ll be stearing clear of the 12.55pm as nothing sticks for me, though it could be that soft ground is the key to Parsnip Pete and could see him pick up another race or 2. An affinity to soft ground seems the opposite for Celtus as his trainer reported they would look for better ground for his next race (likely he runs here as he simply needs a run), but as said I won’t be having anything in this 6 runner affair.

The 1.30pm will probably be another no bet race as I don’t like playing in handicaps where I am not waiting for or following any of the runners. However, I do think there is more to come from Otto The Great who has reportedly schooled extremely well over fences but his trainer feels he should be able to win a race over hurdles before switching to a chase campaign, so depending on his price I may have a small interest as I think he’ll improve for his 2^nd last time out.
 

 

The 2.05pm sees a small but select field compete for the 3m novice chase and it could be a nice one. Benefficient travels over from Ireland for Tony Martin with AP taking the ride on this son of Beneficial who was touched off on chase debut before winning cosily on his 2^nd attempt over the bigger obstacles. The entended 3m and very soft ground is likely to suit and there should be more to come, but there will certainly need to be as this is no easy assignment. The Venetia Williams yard are firing better than they usually do at this time of year and with the way Houblon Des Obeaux won his chase debut it would be fair to assume he will progress throughout the season. He gave 4lb and a fairly easy beating to Paul Nicholls’ once 155 rated hurdler Poungach (who franked the form next time) in a fairly competitive Rising Stars Novice Chase at Wincanton. Houblon has won over a range of trips and has also won a 2m hurdle in heavy ground so looks like coping fine, but again will need to continue his improvement.

There are 2 horses I’m sweet on in this contest and one is the Emma Lavelle trained Highland Lodge who comes here on the back of an easy chasing debut success. Having won a Point, this son of leading sire Flemensfirth effortlessly won 2 hurdles before being pitched into a Gr2 and the mere fact he was sent off favourite suggests the high regard in which his connections hold him. Though beaten a fair way, the front 2 in that race looks extremely exciting and it may be that the good to soft ground was maybe a little quick over 21f and 3m on soft ground is likely to suit as Highland Lodge won over 25f on chase debut and has previously won in heavy ground over 20f. A lovely looking horse, I can see this one taking high rank in staying novice chases given the right conditions this winter and he appears to have them at Newbury tomorrow so could run a massive race. It is also reassuring that the yard is now firing after beginning the season rather slowly and hopefully this 6yo will continue the trend and collect this illustrious Gr2 event. However, the horse I think I will be backing tomorrow is Kim Bailey’s hugely promising Harry Topper. A smart hurdles campaign (the highlight being a 2^nd behind the late Albert Bartlett winner Brindisi Breeze) earned this promising young horse a hurdles rating of 135, but over fences I’m certain he has the potential to make up into a 150+ rated chaser. He opened his chasing account with a very smart win against Rocky Creek, a highly regarded Ditcheat inmate who is expected to go to the top of these larger obstacles. The race was an extremely competitive one for this time of year, but tomorrow’s contest looks almost as strong. The ground conditions should suit Harry Topper perfectly and I very much hope he does the business and racks up another victory for his experienced handler.

Cedre Bleu is a horse I have followed since he hacked up on his British debut at this course in a 2m hurdle. He signed off a light campaign with a distant 2^nd behind Spirit Son (no disgrace in that!) before returning in a chase a year later at this course, beating subsequent Grand Annual Chase winner Bellvano. Though only running twice since, only one was over fences and that was in the Gr1 Scilly Isles Chase (again at Newbury) and though beaten comfortably, the horses that beat him are a serious bunch. For Non Stop won the race and has since run well at the Cheltenham Festival before returning with an impressive win in the Old Roan at Aintree this season. The 2^nd was the 143 rated Michael Flips, 3^rd was 145 rated Our Mick, and 4^th was Walkon who finished a 3 length 2^nd in last week’s prestigious PaddyPower Gold Cup at Cheltenham. This bodes well for Cedre Bleu, who also goes well fresh (won twice after a break) and could be seriously underestimated by the handicapper off his mark of 135. His only other run last season was over hurdles but his trainer reports he coughed so a line can be put through that run, he has strengthened up nicely and has been crying out for 3m so this 2m6f in likely soft/heavy ground could be ideal. I think he is well worth being on in the 2.40pm tomorrow (preferably each way if the price allows) and it could be worth taking a price as soon as the market opens with Best Odds Guaranteed as I can see the money coming for him.

 

Hopefully weighed down by bags of cash after the previous few races (I wish!), the 3.15pm is another race that could end up being no more than a watching brief. Nicky Henderson has been firing on all cylinders (as he always seems to) recently and reports that Lyvius has matured considerably over the summer so he is likely to play a big part given the weight he receives from most of his rivals. Edgardo Sol was one of the most progressive horses in training last season and switches well between hurdling and chasing so couldn’t be written off with the promising Harry Derham taking off a useful 7lb. The other 4 also have potential to stake their claims and could all potentially be well handicapped; particularly Vendor who was one of the most talked up horses prior to the Cheltenham Festival in March. For these reasons I will enjoy this race without any financial interest but it is sure to be a cracker.

I tend not to get involved in NH Flat races (bumpers) as it is hard to analyse a race when you have no real idea what most of the horses are capable of as they haven’t run. I’m surprised Nicky Henderson doesn’t have a runner in the 3.45pm as he often takes this race (including with Oscar Whisky, and Barenger 12 months ago) but am interested in AP's ride Gone Too Far who is trained by Alan King . Hopefully tomorrow morning’s stable tour will shed more light on his chances but I’ll probably have a small interest anyway.

In summary, I will more than likely be backing (preferably each way if the price allows):

12.25pm - Meganisi
2.05pm - Harry Topper
2.40pm - Cedre Bleu
 

I may have small change on the others such as Lyvius and Otto The Great for an added interest in their races, but as with any major meeting tomorrow is likely to be fiercely competitive. The bonus of this is that although it can hard to pick winners, any you do pick should at least be respectable prices. I look forward to the day as win or lose the quality of racing should be of a high standard and give indications of how the rest of the season could shape up. Good luck! The stable tour at Alan King’s in the morning will no doubt be fascinating and hopefully enlightening for both this meeting and the rest of the season!

Happy days!

 

RUK Club Day at Ludlow Racecourse!

Ludlow racecourse may not host festival racing and may not draw crowds of 20,000+ on a regular basis, but to assume that it does not possess great character of its own nature would be a horrible misjudgement. Being fairly local, I have been fortunate enough to visit this quaint little course on a number of occasions and have yet to return home without thoroughly enjoying myself. This sharp, right handed course is somewhat intriguing on arrival (there is a golf course in the middle of the racecourse) but most importantly it seems to drain well, as on my most recent visit just 2 days ago (with nearly every jump racing meeting abandoned through waterlogging!), even the disgusting English weather could not put a dampener (metaphorically at least) on the day and racing went ahead as hoped! As a guest of a friend who has Racing UK, an excellent racing-dedicated satellite television channel, we were fortunate enough to enter on Monday free of charge on one of the RUK Club Days that the channel offer to their subscribers. This super initiative not only benefits racing-obsessed individuals such as myself, but is also a great way to introduce new race goers to courses across the country. The idea is that RUK negotiate certain race days at certain courses and subscribers can apply for a free ticket for both them and a guest to attend on that particular meeting. The concept benefits all as the customer receives a free day out and is able to enjoy racing at new venues; RUK add another string to their marketing bow as it is a brilliant incentive to become a subscriber of the channel; and although the customers are entering the racecourse for free, they will no doubt spend a fair amount whilst there, and on the assumption that they enjoy the day, they are more likely to return to the course again in the future.
 

Once inside the course, we were also guests in the RUK marquee for the day and able to take advantage of free tea/coffee (much needed in Monday’s arctic conditions!) and the vast knowledge of Andy Richmond, an RUK pundit who gave a brief run through of the day’s card before hanging around all day to talk racing (and other sports) with anyone who wished. Having not met Andy before, and with him being relatively new to the channel, I was unaware of the depth of his knowledge regarding not only racing, but almost every sport. A true gent, he was more than happy to talk to us about racing, NFL (his website www.nflinsight.com is impressive) and football throughout the afternoon and even tipped up a 3/1 winner at Ludlow in his pre-racing discussion! For any racing enthusiasts amongst you that don’t already subscribe to RUK, I seriously recommend you consider doing so as the presenters and pundits, such as Andy, are second to none with their analysis and interpretation of racing and can be invaluable when attempting to dissect a card, whether that is a Gr1 littered Saturday card at Newbury or a low class midweek card at a smaller track. I look forward to the next RUK Club Day (which happens to be the first day of the Hennessy meeting at Newbury this coming Thursday) and hope we have as enjoyable a time as we did on Monday.

Looping back to Ludlow as a racecourse, it can often be assumed that with smaller, lesser known tracks, there is a void of quality racehorses and that to see any of the elite racing stars one must shell out big money to visit the likes of Cheltenham and Ascot. Alas, this is not the case! Back at Ludlow in March I witnessed what I believe could turn out to be one of the most competitive NH Flat races of last season in which the Nicky Henderson trained Tistory narrowly beat Evan Williams’ previous course winner Court Minstrel. To highlight the quality of these 2 horses, who ran on a fairly moderate card compared to the bigger courses, the 2^nd went on to win easily again next time out back at Ludlow before closing his season with a more than respectable 4^th in a hot race at Aintree. Court Minstrel has reappeared this season with an impressive win on his first hurdling start in a decent little race at Cheltenham, before running extremely well a very competitive race back there a few weeks later when just making a mistake turning for home. Tistory has not yet reappeared this season, but I would seriously advise keeping on the right side of this one when he does make his hurdling bow as the form already looks smart and he is reportedly held in the highest regard by a trainer who certainly knows what he’s doing! This shows that although not necessarily regarded as one of the elite racecourses in the country, Ludlow is by all means worth visiting and their relatively decent prize money (compared with certain similar sized courses) helps ensure that the course puts on a lovely day out for all who visit. If you’ve never been before, try and make it to Ludlow sometime as I’m sure you’ll have a great time at a course where everything is very accessible.  The weighing room, parade ring, bookmakers and catering outlets are all located in the same area and are just a walk across the home straight from the main grandstand, meaning you won’t miss out on anything during your visit.

Hopefully you’ve found this article interesting or helpful and will continue to follow the blog as I will be regularly posting from now on. I’m off to Alan King’s yard for a stable tour on Thursday morning and then spending 3 days in Newbury for the Winter Festival meeting (starring the Hennessy Gold Cup on Saturday!) this weekend so will look forward to both and update you when I’m back. Before that I’ll be putting up my views on the races for those 3 days and hopefully pick out the odd winner or 2 to pay for my trip!

Happy Days!

Welcome to Kingofthejumps!

As some of you may have guessed, this blog will have a strong focus on jump racing, more accurately known as National Hunt racing. Whether spending a wet, windy, November afternoon at Ludlow (like yesterday!); a hot, sunny, July evening at Worcester (if we're lucky!); or an afternoon enjoying top class racing at one of the country's powerhouse courses such as Cheltenham, Ascot, Newbury or Sandown - I enjoy nothing more than a day at the races! The aim of this blog will be to discuss a variety of topics, including current issues involving the world of jump racing, my visits to courses and (it goes without saying!) previews and reviews of races and meetings across the country.

3 years ago I knew nothing about horse racing (some may argue that is still the case!), but have since caught the racing "bug" and now can't get enough of it! This has resulted in attending meetings as often as time/money allows, obsessively reading racing material and form, joining a Racing Club to gain an affordable racehorse ownership experience, and commenting in numerous social media forums on the sport. As with any racing fan we all love to win a few quid, but for me the greater satisfaction is gained in correctly judging how a race will pan out or by identifying a horse to follow and later seeing it flourish, and if a few quid comes my way at the finish that's a bonus! Very often I'll spend a long time analysing the form and decide not to punt, and have found that deciding between when to have a bet and when not to have a bet is often the hardest decision of all.

My blog articles will vary in topic, but will have a tendency to be weighing up races and highlighting horses I feel are worth following whether that be in a race they are soon to contest, or simply in the future when they are faced with their ideal racing conditions (often relating to the race distance, state of the ground, type of course they seem to go best around etc).

As with most sports, horse racing is a game of opinions. Therefore I don't expect people to agree with all I say, in fact I often prefer when they don't as the ensuing debate is what I feel makes the sport as interesting and enjoyable as it is! So feel free to get in touch at kingofthejumps@gmail.com and follow/tweet me @kingofthejumps if ever you have an opinion or question regarding anything I post, or indeed anything remotely racing-related. Most importantly, I hope you enjoy reading as much as I'm sure I'll enjoy writing!

Happy days!!