3.30 Goodwood
Pal of the Cat 4/1 3pts win
I think this in form front runner, who looks to still be improving, has every chance of wining his 3rd race in a row (across two seasons) and that 4/1 is a fair price. The majority of the opposition do not win very often and a lot of them are out of form. However, this race also looks about pace and draw position. Pal of the Cat is the only consistent front runner in the race and there are quite a few in here who like to be held up and come late. I think he will be able to get across to the stand side rail and if the jockey (one of the flat finds of our time it would appear,certainly if his career continues as it has started) judges the pace correctly, I dont think they will catch him. He seems to like a fight as well, and often when joined he pulls away again. I was also interested in the trainer’s comments after his win at Goodwood. He said he though the horse had a stone in hand before that race. if he comes on for his first run of the season, given his age, it is possible the handicapper may still not have caught up with him. I think he is a solid bet and will be surprised if he doesnt go very close.
3.40 Thirsk – Wannabe King 16/1 1pt EW
This is a profile pick, another horse I follow, and one that has a clear rest pattern, when returning 8-15 days. He ran 4th in this race last year, is 1lb lower this time and undoubtedly this has been the target again. In truth, because of his age, and the number of progressive types in the race, we may be playing for place money. With 4 places to aim at I think he is worth a bet.
There is not too much else that interests me tomorrow. I will probably have a 1pt bet on War Command who will relish the ground and who looks to have been slightly underestimated. Toormore and Kingman fall down on some key sire trends and I will be interested to see how they run. It should be a great race,one full of quality, and I wouldnt have a strong opinion on any of the top 4 in the market. It would be a surprise if one of those 4 did not win it.
happy punting
