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Tanya Stevenson's Racing UK Blog |
| Saturday 19th July 2014 |
Bond’s Girl can shoot down Super Sprint field
Meeting Wes Welker, the owner of Undrafted, last week at the July Course was phenomenal. Two pictures of my interview of the American football legend arrived in the post on Thursday.
As soon as I obtain a spirit level they’ll be on my wall, alongside the enlarged photo of me interviewing members of the New Zealand cricket team. I still can’t believe such things would ever happen to me!
I keep being reminded by my family, which is steeped in Oakland Raider history, not to get too excited by a Denver Bronco!
It’s virtually the equivalent of an Arsenal supporter with a Spurs player adorning their wall.
When you back someone to be first touchdown scorer in the Superbowl, it’s not the norm to see them at Newmarket just a few months later!
My love of all sport mainly through betting was in evidence on Thursday as I was sat at Lord’s to watch the first day of the second Test. India batted dismally, but at the same time I was listening to The Open on the radio.
Also as and when I could, I was scrolling through Twitter for the latest news updates, looking at betting websites for the odds-on golfers, cricketers, and racing movers.
Plus, of course, I did weigh in on a couple of golfers in-running. Jimmy Walker and Jason Dufner were my victims, before they even teed off.
Jimmy Walker just comes across as a fine fellow with a great sense of humour yet he is another player who is questionable in the weather. He shouldn’t be too bad seeing as he won the AT&T at Pebble Beach and the wind isn’t exactly still on that course.
Now the World Cup has finished you would think racing would once again bounce to the forefront of everyone’s mind, yet with the second Test and Open in progress it is a case of “after you” to those two big summer heavyweights.
Blanket coverage from 9am and 10am respectively diverts attention.
The only news from racing which filtered through to Lord’s was that Taghrooda was going to Ascot for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and latterly that there had been five horses test positive for morphine with probably more positives expected.
That story is sure to develop throughout the next few days, yet at this stage the revelation hardly puts me off betting as most of the reports suggest it could be linked to contaminated feed. We wait.
I was also at Lord’s on Friday with the Open commentary in my ear. There is free Wi-Fi at the ground and bet365 have an onsite presence so I can watch as many races as I want live on my Anywhere!
There was plenty of feedback regarding the Google glasses technology that Barry Orr of Betfair wore at Newmarket last week.
The glasses are very costly at present, and indeed very niche, as not many companies have a compatible app. Once they are developed it is going to be very tempting, as it would save me looking down and missing the action at various sporting events I attend.
They would, in theory, be invaluable in racing but they do require a strong and dependable internet connection. Technology on course needs to continue to develop as in some places it feels that we are still on ‘pigeon post’.
Boylesports are paying 1/4 odds a place
on ALL races at Newmarket this afternoon
There has been some cracking racing on this week – 41 races live and exclusive on Friday.
I thought Joe Fanning’s ride on Stopped Out at Beverley on Tuesday deserved so many more plaudits. The recognition was much less than it ought to have been.
In the early hours of Friday morning I awoke to a cracking lightning display and many rumbles of thunder, along with a torrential downpour. More of the same is expected ahead of the Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury on Saturday.
It shouldn’t affect the leading players Realtra and Tiggy Wiggy if the ground does indeed soften. Even so, tentatively I have gone for value and Bond’s Girl.
Jumping is back and I have gone for Book Em’Danno in the Betfred Summer Plate at Market Rasen. Peter Bowen is looking to win the race for the fifth time and Book Em’Danno has won six of his nine races at the venue.
Let’s hope Saturday isn’t the wash out forecasters are predicting.
Tanya Stevenson’s Saturday tips:
3.30 Market Rasen: Book Em’Danno at 7-1 with BetVictor
3.50 Newbury: Bond's Girl at 14-1 with Paddy Power
Tanya Stevenson's Saturday Pointers:
Richard Hannon has won the race seven times with 1992 Lyric Fantasy, 1993 Risky, 1996 Miss Stamper, 2002 Presto Vento, 2003 If Paradise, 2005 Lady Livius, 2009 Monsieur Chevalier.
Richard Hannon won the race seven times using seven different jockeys! Michael Roberts, Walter Swinburn, David Harrison, Eddie Ahern, Dane O’Neill, Martin Dwyer and Richard Hughes.
Kevin Ryan’s last 20 runners have all been beaten, yet since 2006 he has had a second and three thirds.
Twenty of the 22 winners carried 8-11 or lower.
Nine of the last ten winners came from stall 13 or lower.
Eight of the last ten winners had run only over 5f.
Five of the last ten winners had won twice previously.
Nine of the last ten winners had had no more than three career starts.
Four of the last ten winners had taken in a race at Royal Ascot.
Only one maiden has won in the last ten years (2005 Lady Livius).
In 21 years fillies have won 13 times and also fielded the first two home ten times.
Six of the last ten winnershave come from the first three in the betting.
Nine of the last ten winners had run at Royal Ascot that season (2004 Pastoral Pursuits didn’t)
Al Basti Equiworld Hackwood Stakes:
Seven of the last eight winners of the Hackwood Stakes had run in either the Diamond Jubilee or the Wokingham Stakes (2013 Heeraat ran in the King’s Stand Stakes)
High Standing 2009 & Deacon Blues in 2011 had won the Wokingham Stakes before coming on to win the Hackwood Stakes
Nine of the last ten winners of Newmarket’s Aphrodite Stakes came from the first three in the betting
Peter Bowen has had four wins, two seconds and two thirds.
In 2013 Pineau De Re finished 12th before going on to win the 2014 Grand National.
In 2012 Aurora’s Encore finished 13th before going on to win the 2013 Grand National.
In 2009 Always Waining finished 5thbefore going on to win the Topham Trophy at Aintree in 2010 (He followed up in the Topham in 2011 & 2012).
In 2008 Snoopy Loopy won and four months later went on to win the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park.
Book’Em Danno has won nine of his six races at Market Rasen!
Seven of the last ten winners of the Summer Plate carried less than 11-0.
Seven of the last ten winners of the Summer Plate had previously run at Market Rasen.
(2013 Bobowen, 2007 Iron Man & 2004 Glinger had all won at the course)
John Ferguson has a 37% strike rate with his hurdlers at Market Rasen
Nicky Henderson has a 34% strike rate with his hurdlers at Market Rasen
Sam Twiston-Davies has a 35% strike rate when riding chasers at Market Rasen
Denis O’Regan has ridden the winner of Market Rasen’s 2.55 three times in the last four years (2013 Sea Lord, 2011 Viva Colonia, 2010 Australia Day)
Nine of the last nine winners of the Irish Oaks came from the first two in the betting
(Last year’s winner Chiquita is the odd one out as she was third in the betting)
Seven of the last ten winners of the Irish Oaks won last time out (2013 Chiquita, 2011 Blue Bunting & 2008 Moonstone were 242 respectively)
Seven of the last ten winners of the Irish Oaks ran in the Investec Oaks (four had won 2010 Snow Fairy, 2009 Sariska, 2006 Alexandrova & 2004 Ouija Board)
