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Tanya's Blog - Friday 24th August 2012

The dulcet tones of Mac humming and singing “Abide With Me”, rang round the press room at 9am. Steve Jones, Templegate of The Sun, tried to offset the noise by whistling back, while the Racing Post contingent of took their position to the left of the press room.

More disruption from Mac after the production meeting for this afternoon’s programme as the whistling continues, but is louder now. At least the rain has ceased and it seems to have warmed up.

A fraught evening courtesy of me misplacing my laptop lead and the inability to log on to the internet as the Wifi went down. I lost my life line to the NFL, disaster.

Plenty of emails have been received due to Willie Wag Tail’s supposed 10-1. Technology, as good as it is, has also become our enemy, because despite Pricewise being available from 8pm the previous evening the ramifications are such that to my knowledge Willie Wag Tail was 11-2 on Betfair from 8.30pm!

So to ask the bookmakers to then lay 10-1 this morning having had a dose of it through the night via phones and internet is a bit harsh. Luckily I fancy something else in the race, so I can get on what I like but the day will come when my thoughts tally with Pricewise, so I sympathise with all his followers.

War Poet and Right Step are surely the ones to be on in the first or at least mix them up in forecasts with Willie Wag Tail. War Poet showed a glimmer of form last time. He loves this ground and his trainer is in form. Right Step is always a must to side with when the rain comes down, Michael J Murphy takes a valued 7lb off his back. The hardest choice is which one to have the most on.

Knowing that Bated Breath flinches at any sight of rain and Paul Messara, trainer of Ortensia, thinks the going description should be heavy then it perhaps is best to look elsewhere in the Nunthorpe. Pearl Secret is unbeaten and the fastest David Barron’s ever trained according to the feature Racing UK has done on him. Yet I sense there could be a massive result. The is a ripple of money for Tiddliwinks, and Hamish McGonagall loves it at York, and was second in this last year, so I’m taking those two against the field.

I’m a bit downbeat as the cricket has been delayed by rain. South Africa have won the toss and chosen to field, it’s a one-dayer and I’m sure to be updated sporadically.

Today's Selections:

2.00 York War Poet (with Right Step & Willie Wag Tail in exactas)

3.40 York Hamish McGonagall & Tiddliwinks (each-way)

Tanya's Pointers

Sir Michael Stoute has frustratingly had five seconds from his last ten runners

Michael J M Murphy has had eight winners, a second and a third from his last 20 rides

Roger Varian has had five winners and two seconds from his last 13 runners

2pm York:
Eight of the last ten winners of York’s 2.00 have been drawn 8 or higher
Only two of the last ten favourites have won York’s 2.00

2.30pm York:
Only two of the last ten favourites have won the Gimcrack Stakes
Since 1988 only four winners of the Gimcrack came into the race unbeaten
Since 1988 only two winners of the Gimcrack had had just one race prior
Seven of the last ten winners of the Gimcrack came from the first three in the betting

3.05pm York
Four of the last nine favourites have won the Strensall Stakes
The biggest starting price of the last ten Strensall Stakes winners is 8-1
From his last eight rides in the Strensall Stakes Frankie Dettori has ridden four winners and two seconds today – Dubai Prince

3.40pm York
There have been only four winners of the Nunthorpe Stakes aged five and over since 1980
Seven of the last ten Nunthorpe Stakes winners came from the first three in the betting
Nine of the last ten Nunthorpe Stakes winners had won at least once earlier in the season
Masamah has won three of his six races at York
Hamish McGonagall has had 13 races at York winning 4, second three times and third once