ODM's Pretty Young Things

Thirsk today. I'm very annoyed that I didn't post last night because too many of my selections are shortening in the market which would normally be a good sign but only if it happens after I've posted them.

130 Spice Store for reasons above. Currently 28/1 and drifting but available at 39/1 (minus commision) for the win and around 5/1 for 4 places on the exchanges. 2 points staked (1 win, 1 place)

Deputy. A horse that I put in my tracker after its debut in 2020. Has won twice but is of interest today on first run for new stable. I backed it last night at 11/2 but in order to prevent any issues around after-timing, I'll leave it out of today's calculations as it's now a stupid price.

205 Kraken Power. 2nd run for a new yard and showed little last time out but on its lowest mark ever and had a creditable 3rd at this track 12lb higher around this time last year. Would like to have maybe seen some headgear tried in an effort to spark it back into life but the move from 16/1 last night to 10/1 this morning is encouraging at least. 2pt ew

Le Cheval Rapide (wind surgery) 1pt ew 25/1 4 places

240 James Horton is definitely a trainer to keep an eye on and he runs Rhythm Master in this race. 2pt win 5/1 and 3pts for a place (2 places) to win 4.5 pts

315 Three in this race on handicap debut and one for a new yard. Bicep is the latter and little to recommend it in truth. Even it's 3rd last time out was uninspiring, having the run of the race and with a better jockey that today's. Price drifting and only an idiot would back it. 1pt ew 28/1 4 places . Of the first time handicappers, I'll go with Edward Cornelius 1pt ew 8/1 4 places as the first time hood seemed to have some benefit last time and is retained.

350 I'm a big fan of Jack Mitchell and his mount Juan de Montalban has its first run for a new trainer today. I'm glad to see that it's drifting because I stand in danger of being accused of following the blue on oddschecker today. 2pt win 13/2.

430 is a novice race with an odds on fav so not one for me today but the 500 is as open as they come and well worth picking out two or three arrows to throw at the board.

Hot Scoop's first run for a new trainer and an impressive claimer on board. 1pt ew 12/1 6 places
Western Melody first time handicap 1pt ew 11/1 and 5 places
Fircombe Hall has worn cheekpieces on all of his last three decent turf runs and they are back on again today. Does that mean it's trying? Fuck knows. It also wore them in a pretty shit display on the AW 2 runs ago. Am I clutching at straws? Quite likely. I do like the jockey though and any of these donkeys could win so I'll bung 1pt ew on at 16/1 5 places. Another one drifting in the market.

I would have been more confident of a profit had I been able to include Deputy in my selections but we'll just have to see how they go.

Good luck for anyone having a bet. My selection for the National has been taken out (Phoenix Way 33/1) but for an interest I'm going to have small stakes on Mighty Thunder, Lostintranslation and Any Second Now.

After two races it seems a high draw is the dish of the day today at Thirsk which is not going to help me much.

25 pts staked, just the one winner, Edward Cornelius and a non runner returning 13.6 points. Loss of 11.4 points on the day. Only managed second in the national as well and I've not done anything on the football either so, all in all, a day to forget.

Pontefract today
I have three possibles in the first race and can't decide between them so I'll leave that alone.
305 Ravenglass in 1st turf handicap and gelded 1pt ew 12/1 3 places
340 Glory Fighter for new yard (comments say runs well fresh but badly drawn) 1pt ew 20/1 5 places
415 Le Reveur. This is the one I mentioned the other day that had the last race in the back before veering badly left and finishing 3rd. Opened up at 9/1 with William Hill and actually went out to 10s but others opened shorter and is now around the 5/1 mark. 2pts ew

As an aside Frankello opened up at 18s and is currently 4/1 7/2 so it looks like today may be a "trying" day

450 Nobody who ever studied form in any way could back Balkotic on its handicap debut. Drifting like a barge so will probably back on exchanges for a win and four places later.
The same could be said of Ayda hooded first time and looks like its first run on turf in this country but did win a race on turf in France although I have absolutely no idea what sort of level that represented but is obviously priced up on its all weather performance in this country so far. Going to be 50/1 plus on the exchanges so will back for 1pt win 1pt 4 places when there is more liquidity there later

520 Alwajd has changed trainer since it's sole run last year. 1pt win at 11/1 without the two market leaders Nos 1 and 8 and, again, I'll look to back a top 4 place later for a point.

550 1pt ew Latin Five 30/1 4 places. Won at this distance last year on a higher OR so gambling on the wind surgery having an impact and will watch the race and back again if it looks like it may have improved it.
The other one having had wind surgery is Secret Eagle at a shorter price 2pt ew 9/1 4 places

WINDSOR
220
Olivia Mary (first time blinkers) 4 year old on a dropping mark who has ran well on turf on higher marks than this at Bath and Brighton but will need something to spark back some enthusiasm. As likely to finish last as first I suppose but 2pts ew 14/1 five places
Moving for gold (first time visor) 1pt ew 12/1 5 places
Gordonontheorgan handicap and turf debut (apart from a last in a NHF race). 1pt on exchanges at 47 and will back 1pt for 5 places later


510 Queyaady is no surprising favourite given its eye-catching run last time out but the price is short enough.
Golden Dove (new yard) Big price at 40/1 (bigger on the exchanges). The small amount of movement in its rating over the last nine runnings points to its consistency over the last year. Could a change of scenery and regime and the brilliant Tom Queally make a difference today? 1pt on win and 1 on 4 places to be placed later .
Iconique is hooded for the first time and could easily be the winner and one I would have backed had it not been for another "first" at a bigger price in Broomy Law. I'm gambling on the combination of a first time tongue strap and a dropping rating doing the trick. 2pt ew 12/1 4 places



I'm going for a lie down now. I really must try to make time to go through the cards before the day. Apologies in advance for any errors

450 Nobody who ever studied form in any way could back Balkotic on its handicap debut. Drifting like a barge so will probably back on exchanges for a win and four places later.
The same could be said of Ayda hooded first time and looks like its first run on turf in this country but did win a race on turf in France although I have absolutely no idea what sort of level that represented but is obviously priced up on its all weather performance in this country so far. Going to be 50/1 plus on the exchanges so will back for 1pt win 1pt 4 places when there is more liquidity there later

Update. Was available at 95 on betfair and now available to lay at 46 so I'm in and out of that with a free win bet plus a 1 pt place bet (4) to win 7.64
Balkotic 1p win at 28/1 and 1pt 4 places to win 3.5

Newmarket tomorrow

115 No form to go on but you could probably back Tudhope and Omeara blind through April and make a profit . 1pt ew Family Ties 12/1 3 places

150 Punchbowl Flyer . Wind op and back down to the rating of its last win 16/1 4 places drifting 1pt ew
Bergerac 2pts. two 3rd places so far this year and first time cheekpieces tomorrow 2pt ew 7/1 4 places

300 Catch twentytwo (new stable) 1pt win 12/1 and 1pt 3 places to be placed tomorrow

335 First time tongue strap 1pt ew 5/1 4 places
Rishes Baar 1pt ew 11/1 4 places

loss of 13.2 pts today I reckon

Punchbowl Flyer's a non runner but I'm going to add one on the all weather from my tracker which ran a good race from the back on its handicap debut. Ebtsama 615 wolves 4 pts 7/2

Fucking done in a long photo-finish in the 150. Fine margins

Loss of 5.2 points on the day yesterday. A couple of nostril hairs would have made a difference but that's the game.
No time for detail today and most of these are drifting in price
Beverley
140 Gliding Bay, gelded and first time handicap 1pt ew 11/1 and cabinet maker 2pt win 5/1

215 Makalu 1pt ew 33/1 5 places and 2pts ew Foden 12/1 5 places

435 Queens fair 4pt win 11/4

Newmarket
115 Queen of Comedy 1pt ew 11/1

410 Wait to Excel without No's 1 and 2 (2 places excluding them) 1pt ew 16/1

445 Dreaming 1pt ew 25/1 5 places

Returns yesterday were on a withdrawn horse and Foden winning at 11/1 (backed at 12/1) so a profit of 16.8 points on the day

Newmarket
300 Comments say Intellogent is too high in the handicap for its British debut but 1pt ew 12/1 3 places

445 Hand Solo Berger Change of yard. Course, going and trip not an issue and won a class 3 race at this track two years ago off a 3lb higher mark. Form a concern so looking for change of stable to provide the spark.

Ripon
140 2 x 8/1 chances 3 places Oasis Iriandes and Bay Breeze

215 I've ignored the ne that's had a wind op as it's the fav and too short (Marks Choice) and gone for one that was in my tracker a while ago and sprang a 25/1 return about this time last year and is 2lb lower than that mark today and a decent run last time out off the same mark as today. Mandigordo 2pt ew 11/1 4 places
Shark two one, (first time blinkers) 1pt ew 10/1.

I have a bit of a dilema in the 435 race as I have three to choose from, all at decent prices which means I'm happy to back two of them but we all know what that means is going to happen lol. I've got to go with Cassy O in first time cheekpieces 1pt ew 28/1 3 places and the toss of a coin is between Global Sprit and Trinity Lake so purely on the basis of the bigger price, I'll go for Trinity lake 1pt ew 14/1 3 places

I'll have to look at Bath later but I was impressed by Cuban Breeze's second last time out and I'll have some of the 28/1 for 4 places in the 530 race

So far, Bay Breeze a winner . Shark two one 2nd returning 14.6. 20 pts staked plus the following

530 Bath White Lavender 1pt ew 16/1 4 places

730 Nature 1pt ew 14/1 4 places

Second in a fucking photo finish again. Intelligent way BY FAR the best horse on the day today and ran out of room when making its move. I know that's racing but I'm fucking gutted to be honest. I'd have preferred it to have finished a close 4th and put it into my tracker for another day

Intelligent 2nd in a photo and then White Lavender went and won the 530. Profit of 15.6 points on the day.

Five winning days out of the 8 so I'm happy with that and a profit of 126 points since 4th of April.

No turf racing today but I'll start on tomorrow's with the 150 Newbury Thunderous gelded 3pt win 7/2

300 Flaming Rib (1st time hood) 1pt ew 10/1 2 places
335 Irish Admiral (1st time cheekpieces and Tom Marquand on) 1pt ew 8/1 6places and I'll take my pick of the two who have had wind surgery who are both 40/1 plus, tomorrow and probably back one of them on the exchanges

555 Going to take a chance with Heart of Soul, a Chester regular who is probably too honest for its own good and is as often in the places as out of them. 1pt each way 18/1 for 5 places available with William Hill but for those of us who are still lucky enough to get BOG, 365 are offering 16/1 for 5 places so I'll have to take that just in case there's a big drift

Musselbro. 132 Three handicap debutants so I'll go for the two at the bigger prices, Sunday Justice 1pt ew 14/1 4 places (no bog) and Dirtyoldtown 1pt ew 14/1 3 places with BOG

204 Danzan was a horse I followed in 2020 but despite achieving four second places, it never quite managed to get its head in front. Similar story last year having placed eight times but, again, no cigar. It may not place again tomorrow but I'll stick with it for 2pts ew 14/1 4 places and take a chance on it on its lowest ever mark. Got to have a good chance of getting in the top four.

457 Goodwood Glen (new stable) 1pt ew 14/1 4 places

I'll do the evening meetings later as the prices are not out yet

715 Nottingham Fast Medicine (1st time hood and only out of the places once in its last 6 races - last time out and dropped 1lb for that. Spent the fist part of the race running sideways like a crab LOL so here's hoping the hood sorts that shit out).
2pts ew 14/1 4 places

745 Antiphon (new yard) 2pt ew 6/1

Further to the above,

335 1pt ew Cu Chulain 33/1 6 places

Antiphon has drifted like Robert Maxwell's corpse so I'm assuming that will do nothing in the next race but another profitable day with Fast Medicine winning the 715. Backed at 14/1 but there was a rule 4 but along with the two places by Danzan and Dirtyoldtown, made a profit on the day of 14.28 points making the total profit since 4th of April +140.28.

I'll be back later with tomorrow's lot.

Just the one for tomorrow - Sunday Newbury 505 Dubai Station on handicap debut after a string of second places 1pt ew 11/1 3 places