Racetrack Wiseguy

Confidence is an American thing, isn't it. We English, at least traditionally, with our genteel tea shops serving polite portions of cake, our gentlemanly sense of what is cricket and our downbeat Philip Larkin, can be somewhat put out by anything quite so brash.

But 'wiseguy' is an American word, it doesn't apply to the likes of Donald Trump who is very obviously a profoundly dumb guy and even though us Englishers enjoy irony, we don't entirely object to winning as long as we do it with some panache, as if we couldn't help it, like Sgt. Wilson in Dad's Army.

In order to enjoy calling myself Racetrack Wiseguy, both ironically and in a confident, 'showing off' way, it's best if I maintain the year on year plus in the account which, as per the business plan, is predicated on the idea of getting stuck in to the Autumn jump racing up til and including Christmas. 6 winners out of 7 runners so far this week taking the year's plus to new heights is exactly what was supposed to happen.

 

So, having confidence in confidence alone, let's see what can be done with tomorrow's big Saturday racing, hoping against hope that it isn't all abandoned. If I was a musician offering students advice on how to play their instruments, it would be called a masterclass but with turf investment only the outcome can say whether it was that or not.

I'd probably rather be at Wetherby if I couldn't be in front of the telly, not as much for the return of big, proper, Grade 1, Bravemansgame who ought to be better than Ahoy Senor who has seemed to improve after Christmas. One isn't thrilled about 8/11 but what can you do. No, the Mares Hurdle at 1.50, is the most interesting race of the day.

Skelton horses are getting beat more often that one would like at present. You Wear It Well has been tremendous already, I'm a recent convert to Gavin Sheehan's jockeyship and Rod Stewart's masterpiece of chic delinquency was a far better record than Chris Rea's Stainsby Girls but we've been expecting something slightly more from Mr. Henderson's Luccia and one day soon, which might be tomorrow, he is going to embark on a strike rate worth having. I'd like to take sides but would rather not just yet.

Thyme Hill has proved to be almost, almost an 'almost horse'. Mr. Hobbs is in good early season form but Dashel Drasher is a horse that won't go away.

Only Bravemansgame (3.00) can be for serious money. I'd perhaps prefer to see You Wear It Well win again but tomorrow, if any small change is to be involved, Luccia might be included in the optimistic multipliers.

At Ascot, there's funny old Estacas in the first with a likely Henderson type and one from in form Lucinda Russell so maybe we could put Immortal into the small change combinations.

I will be taking Jango Baie quite seriously because Mr. Henderson will have resources and is likely to send some of the best of them to Ascot at 2.40 but, if I wanted to pile up winners, on a penalty taker's strike rate, I'd go to Ayr.

Indeevar Bleu at 12.00 sounds like a good thing; Joshua des Flos is probably worth including at any odds against in the second; Famous Bridge at 2.15 is one I'd sorted out for today and is now re-routed and thus there is plenty to play with in the hope that it all goes ahead.

I'm not expecting to have maintained a strike rate of 85% for the week by the time it gets dark before tomorrow tea time but I will have had a go with money that was until recently either William Hill's or Joe Coral's and it might just make a bit more of theirs mine, concentrating on those in bold type.

I'll make Indeevar Bleu (Ayr, 12.00), the nap. I prefer to know if it's going to be a good day or a bad day early doors and sit on my laurels if I can rather than wait until it's nearly dark for something to save the day.