Tom Roper's Weblog

Haydock and Ascot

205 Haydock: Sharp Belline
300 Ascot: Royal Rosa
310 Haydock: Character Building

Welsh Grand National

I was unable to take an interest in the King George yesterday, but today's the day for the Welsh Grand National.
So my selections are:
Leopardstown 130: Central House
Chepstow 205: Lou du Moulin Mas
Kempton 230: Foreman
Chepstow 240: Paradi

Hereford, Bangor and Fontwell

Today's racing, as always in this period, is a little thin, but Tuesday will compensate for that. In the meantime:
Hereford 210: Kalca Mome
Bangor-on-Dee 255: Rowley Hill
Fontwell 340: Border Castle

Ascot and Haydock

Ascot 110: Harris Bay
Ascot 140: Acambo
Ascot 210: Neptune Collonges
Haydock 235: Strong Resolve

Cheltenham

It would be wonderful to be there today and see the sun shining on Cleeve Hill, but the television will have to do.
130: Black Jack Ketchum (why on earth is this race not televised on Channel 4)
240: Ross River
315: Hardy Eustace (I agree with PG's Tips)
345: Massini's Maguire

Technorati Tags: cheltenham

Tingle Creek Day

There's a lot of short-priced favourites today. I can't see Kauto Star being beaten; I hope I'm not swayed by hyperbole.
205 Sandown: New Little Bric
235 Sandown: Kauto Star
250 Chepstow: Michael Muck
255 Wetherby: Royal Rosa
310 Sandown: Verasi
340 Sandown: Iris Bleu

Hennesey Gold Cup Day

205 Newbury: Inglis Drever
240 Newbury: State of Play
300 Newcastle: Neptune Collonges
315 Newbury: Claymore
330 Newcastle: Desert Quest

I note from the Racing Post that the forty races involved in the HRA's investigation, in which Shane Kelly and eleven others are accused of corruption, thirty-four were at all-weather tracks. The HRA's PR manager is quoted as saying that in all eighty-seven races are under investigation. This vindicates my long-standing belief that all-weather racing is to be avoided.

Technorati Tags: corruption, newbury, racefixing

Cheltenham: Paddy Power Gold Cup

I managed one out of three yesterday; my instincts about Royal Auclair were right, and Spotthedifference fought tooth and nail for the win.
So to today, all at Cheltenham:
1255: Freeze the Flame
240: Knowhere
310: Star de Mohaison
345: My Will

Postscript: two out of four is not bad, and I dare say Paul Nicholls is pleased too. As for the others, Knowhere was doing well until a fall at the eight and Freeze the Flame looked good and only missed by a neck. I always feel nervous about backing more than one horse form the same stable at a meeting, after some sarky things were said about my selections back in 1997 in the uk.sport.horseracing fantasy handicappers league, when I once selected a horse of Mary Reveley's in each race of an afternoon's card at Sedgefield. In my defence, it was not an altogether crazy strategy.

Cheltenham

155: Kalderon
230: Armaturk
305: Spotthedifference
The 305, the Cross Country Chase is a difficult race to get right, but then aren't they all. Spotthedifference has the experience in spades, and I think can beat Royal Auclair

Technorati Tags: cheltenham

Down Royal and Wincanton

I shall leave the Breeders Cup well alone, and have chosen three odds-on favourites for this afternoon, two of them from Paul Nicholls' stable. In the James Nicholson Chase I can't see Beef or Salmon as the force he once was.

Down Royal 240: War of Attrition
Wincaton 320: Ladalko
Wincanton 355: Desert Quest