As Ian Rush unwittingly inferred above, much of Europe has homogenised into the same set of global brands, overpriced Cappuccinos, unfriendly natives demanding their beaches back, and very ordinary hotels that have based their pricing on The Burj’s Presidential Suite. However, I have always loved Europe, most Southern Europeans, and a few Noggys. I sympathise…
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PGA Tour: The Houston Open
Sandy Lane previews this week’s PGA Tour event, The Texas Children’s Houston Open in Texas Please note that bets must be placed by 12.20 on Thursday. Speaking of children, I nearly choked on my Cheerios on Monday when I read what Cameron Young, one of our selections to win the Valspar Championship in Florida, had said…
The 2023 Crackers Report – and ITV Racing tips
If you can, spend a few moments on YouTube or Racing TV catching up on the two Irish Christmas racing festivals – especially Leopardstown. Jeepers, they have some excellent animals. Alternatively, look up the last races of these runners who make up my go-to list for winners next March. They all ran and won over…
There’s nothing like a £5 gift – and I mean nothing!
I thought it was just a bad dream – but then I realised it was probably more serious. Was it possible that I have a multiple personality disorder? Many of you had probably already considered it but, being kind souls, had shelved the idea. Yesterday, however, it came to light. I started growling at The Hon,…
ITV TIPS DIRECT FROM CYPRUS!
This may or may not work, but at least I’ve tried. My fourth Aperol Spritz before lunch doesn’t help!
Doncaster St Leger Meeting Day 2
The Dentist calls, and I must be away at O-Crack, so there is no time for chats. The day was a disappointment not because they were rubbish selections but because they were there or thereabouts. The first broke slowly and stayed slow; in the second, the selection was third, but I had mentioned the winner….
Doctors and Dogs all survive the Diary clash.
The online diary is awash with appointments, reminders, and “Possibles” and great care has to be taken in their acceptance and insertions, as The Hon’s ability to deliver me from A to B runs the risk of being severely impaired. That sounds grand and truly isn’t meant to; the reality is that I only have…
Aaah go on then… I was going to be watching anyway
Very brief – very quick – very late. Must hit the sack so that I’m ready for the Laydeez. I fear the worst if the Nigeria game was anything to go by – but the commentators seemed to imply it was some sort of divine right to go through. The same sort of nonsense appears…
The York Ebor Day 4
An agonisingly slow day in the office – but not at York where the ground simply got faster. No Stradivarius (not as predicted) and no Trueshan (exactly as predicted). I know my astonishing prescience of likely weather outcomes must have you reeling, but that was before we saw Quickthorn, which must surely have staggered us…
You thought I had forgotten?
Yeah, yeah – I know it’s The Dubai World Cup and that the shoulder races to the big one are all very high quality. Yes, I also know that they all carry enough prize money to pay for a 1″ advertising spot on the rear wing of a really ordinary F1 car, driven by a…
It’s been a strange week. I tried to get involved at Chester but several working challenges presented themselves, so I didn’t. Obs, I kept up with the trials, but I have struggled to get excited about what I have seen so far, in terms of Derby contenders and even my ante-post High Definition started to…
Daylesford Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle
18th Jan SKYACE (20/1) will head straight to the Festival. The ex-Mullins bumper cost just €600 at Tatts Ireland, having failed to win three bumpers for WM. She joined Shark Hanlon and has won four times including a G3 at Down Royal and a Listed race at Punchestown by 5l under a penalty. The G3…
Marsh Novices’ Chase
28th Jan 2021 James Hill in Racing & Football Outlook has suggested an e/w punt on CHATHAM STREET LAD on the following interesting grounds. Compared to other Festival Hurdle winners transitioning to the Novice Chases, ENVOI ALLEN’s collective races under rules winning margins are way lower than normal for a horse with his OR. SHISKIN…
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
15th Jan 2021 BARBADOS BUCK’S had a 10lb penalty for his two Southwell wins over brush hurdles and was rated 131, when arriving at the start of his Kempton 4l victory on 9th Jan. He beat a decent field by 4l earning a rise of 8lbs to 139. They’ll have to send him chasing soon…
JCB Triumph Hurdle
27th Jan 2021 Fry is hoping he could provide the fourth successful female winner of the JCB Triumph Hurdle with FORTUNES MELODY. A Listed winner at Auteuil in September, she placed on her next three starts in Graded company for her former trainer David Cottin. She has yet to start for Fry. He said: “Fortunes…
Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
RACE TRENDS: The following profile would have found the last 10 winners and 14 of the possible 23 winners since 1998. Since that date, there have been 67 horses meeting the profile competing in 22 races and producing 14 winners and 17 places for a winning profit of £58.50 and e/w profit of £69.75. The…
Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle
28th Jan 2021 Mouse Morris’ SAMS PROFILE won the G2 John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park, despite missing the whole of the last campaign through injury. Sent off at 8/1, jockey Philip Enright kept him held up at the back of the 10-runner field on his 3m debut and worked him gradually forward. When…
Boodles Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle
15th Jan 2021 ADAGIO went into a lot of notebooks as a likely Triumph-type when he won the G1 Coral Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow on Jan 9th, beating Nassalam by 2½l. However, the connections have always insisted that The Boodles (Fred Winter) was the intended target; with a grudging David Pipe saying “…we’ll have to…
Pertemps Network Final
11th February 2021 Hendo’s CHAMPAGNE PLATINUM may be aiming for this race, although at the time of writing he does need to qualify. Which was why I noticed he had a brace of hurdle entries that with his current mark of 138 would see him run here – possibly. His far-from fluent jumping at Newbury…
Martin Pipe Hcap Hurdle
26th Jan 2021 The Martin Pipe might become a target for the Henderson-trained CRAIGNEICHE, who despite his inexperience, took the G3 Holloway’s Handicap Hurdle very impressively by an easy 7l and off OR 127. He hadn’t been since this time last year when he won but bled. Seeing him get worked up beforehand certainly weakened…
Ballymore Hurdle
8th February 2021 GAILLARD DU MESNIL got things underway at Leopardstown’s Dublin Racing Festival, with a brilliant performance in the opener. The five-year-old was cut into favourite with most bookmakers for the race. 8/1 before the race, he’s now a best price of 7/2 and 3/1 with a number of firms. Sent off 13/8 favourite…