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Captain's Blog - 4th August 2010

A day in the booth for me today as we bring you all the action from Pontefract this afternoon. Then this evening we will be studio based for some fun and games from Kempton Park. Nick Luck and Eddie Freemantle will be in the studio tonight and they would welcome your thoughts on anything really via the medium of email. Please send your thoughts to [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from all the usual suspects, but I bet Barnsie from Brighton is quick off the mark with a mail as he always is!

There is a debate going on in the Racing World about what would happen if Goldikova met Canford Cliffs. To me it is a no brainer, Goldikova would win. She is the best miler we have seen for a long time and only the imperious Zarkava has properly lowered her colours. I am not downgrading what Canford Cliffs has achieved, but as of yet he has not met a horse anywhere near as good as Goldikova and if they do clash he will wonder what has hit him. Some would throw another miler into the mix in the form of Paco Boy and there are those who would have it that Paco Boy would have beaten Goldikova in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot if he had got a clean run through the race. This is nonsense, in terms of speed figures Paco ran the best race of his career behind Goldikova, to suggest he could have run even faster and beaten her is a theory that belongs in the Wonderful World of Disney rather than the world of analytical race reading. Canford Cliffs has run some big numbers in his career as has Goldikova, but Goldikova always seems to win leaving plenty in the tank and I have to suspect that if Canford got to her inside the final furlong she would simply find more to hold him off. This is all conjecture of course, but it is interesting conjecture and we can only hope that they meet in the Jacques le Marois or the QUE 11 at Ascot. Bring it on.

I am on weather watch as I write this morning because I was planning to cycle to work, but the forecast is not conducive to this method of transport so I am keeping a close eye on proceedings. If it is dry in half an hour I will risk it and set off. Such a plan is bound to fail as it will almost certainly chuck it down just after I set off. Such is life and a light shower never hurt anybody.

No joy with our selection yesterday who was backed into 7/4 from 4/1 in the morning! That’s the way it goes sometimes.

Have a good day folks.

Today’s Selections

4:10 Pontefract – Chosen One (each way 5/1 Stan James )

4:40 Pontefract – Ninth House ( each way 7/1 Paddy Power )