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Captain's Blog - 31st March 2011

Just one week to go until the Masters from Augusta starts and I for one cannot wait. This is one of the best sporting events of the year and makes for compulsory viewing. I have backed Phil Mickleson each way at 12/1 and am hopeful lof a good ride from lefty who has a great track record. He has not been at his best so far this year but Augusta is his place and it would be no surprise to see him bounce back to form. I respect the likes of the superb Martin Kaymer and Tiger Woods who is slowly recapturing his form. Lee Westwood was second last year but lefty who won in 2010 is my man to do it again this year.

The Flat season is back although for me it does not really begin until Doncaster on Saturday. I think Ryan Moore will win the Jockeys championship this year, much as I admire Paul Hanagan he is not as good as Ryan and with an injury free season it should be straightforward for the former champion. If I was getting involved in handicap betting I would be half interested in Neil Callan and Sivestre de Sousa, but in truth even money about Moore winning again is good enough for me.

We made an inauspicious start to the flat season yesterday with our selection finishing only fourth. As the D-Ream song goes; things can only get better, but all in all I am satisfied with March which has seen us secure a nice profit. I am heading into the flat season with a good deal of optimism and will be spending as much time as possible looking at speed figures in pursuit of winners, so at least if I tip you a loser it was well researched. Talking of research I am firmly of the belief that you can do too much in this game, you can analyse a race to death, but without a feel for the sport you cannot make a profit. Having a feel or a sixth sense about what is going to happen in a race is far more important than hours and hours spent with your head in the form book. Ask Tom Segal and he would tell you the same and he is pretty good isn't he? The form book has a massive role to play and for me speed figures are the way the truth and the light, but without an understanding of the sport, and a feel for it, the form book becomes redundant.

Time for me to draw stumps again here on the blog. All the best.

Today’s Selection

4:50 Leicester - Sand Owl (5/2 Victor Chandler )