First selection since Thursday’s disappointing runner, Bravais, who showed nothing of the promise I was hoping for and on that evidence he is one to put a line through entirely.
That said, when I make that good a case for one and they show up like that, the run is often too bad to be true. On stable debut that is somewhat understandable, but can only be a watching brief at best next time.
Quiet few days for me on the betting front, as I’ve been doing a lot on the backend of the blog and the Profit & Loss spreadsheet, which was a highlight to previous readers and with the changes made to it, should be even more so going forward.
It’s really coming together and will prove an almighty useful tool in a few months time when it starts getting fully populated with a lengthy run of recent data.
That said, I’ve still been keeping tabs on results and giving an eye over the replays, and there were a few taken forward into the attheraces.com tracker.
Four put in the Tracker…
Realta Liath – 13:15 Cheltenham – 3rd of 15 (10/1), Party Vibes (btn ¾ length) – Big run 2TO over fences. Showed great attitude to rally for 3rd. Rallied and then rallied again – A great trait.
Sock It To Me – 14:50 Fairyhouse – 5th of 20 (25/1), Run For Cover (btn 21 lengths) – Solid Hcap debut. Race stolen from front but plugged on + only to make inroads from off the pace. Basement opening mark exploitable.
They Call Me Hugo – 15:00 Cheltenham – 2nd of 7 (6/1), Carlenrig (btn shd) – Looks classy. Motored through line having not had easiest run-in. Looked best horse in race by some margin.
Inappropriate – 15:05 Newcastle – 2nd of 12 (25/1), Without Compromise (btn 6 lengths) – Huge eyecatcher. Couldn’t get a run and only to make any ground from rear once did. Winner on Flat and over hurdles, three solid runs on AW.
14:00 Southwell
Rosie Baloo 9/1 – 1pt E/W (2pts)
Only the 2nd of the yards runners to win first time up in a Bumper since 2014, with the other being her half-sister Betty Baloo, who also won a Southwell Mares’ Bumper at 25/1 in April ’21. Rosie was no such price, sent off at 7/2, suggesting there was confidence about what they had.
She caught the eye again at the beginning of November, when running a huge race against the boys on her debut over hurdles, finishing 3rd of 11 behind the very useful Out Of The Woods.
She was in the process of showing a fantastic attitude in the run-in to the last, digging deep to try and keep upsides the winner, but she made a bad lunge at the last which cost her momentum and the runner-up spot.
Back against her own sex, she is a great price here against a field which looks devoid of depth. I rarely play prices near 10/1 Each-Way, but this looked too good not to hedge bets as, providing a safe round, I just can’t see three of these being better than her.
The odds-on jolly, Strong Run, is priced on account of the yard and their record in these, rather than any bombproof evidence. A decent yardstick but no odds-on shot for me.
Other Notes
I was very close to having a swing at Banjaxed (13:50 Navan, 18/1), as this looks a handicap seriously lacking in depth, but I had too many question marks in the end for the price to lure me in.
Splashing Out and Battle Of Ridgeway could be anything and the Willie Mullins representative, May Call You Back, who started running over fences from Closutton from a mark of just 77 (surely a record low for them), has won all three starts for the stable at distances of or around two miles.
All the best today.
