Yesterday’s Review

0.5pt ew No Hassle – No show from Shane Ryder’s mare yesterday as she weakened at the business end of the race to be beaten 14.75L. That progress that I was hoping to see hasn’t happened yet.

0.5pt e/way Glasses Up – The first thing that needs to be said about yesterday’s Musselburgh card is that the Clerk Of The Course should not be watering Good ground when Good To Firm is the going that is advised to aim for by the RCA and BHA. 5.4 Racecourse Husbandry Through good management practices National Hunt courses should aim to provide good ground (and no firmer than good to firm) whilst flat courses should aim to provide good to firm ground (See BHAGI Annex A to Instruction 3.2). Good To Firm ground was never declared and as with weather forecasts they aren’t always accurate. 2mm rain was forecast and unfortunately a lot more came. The racetimes were 20 lengths slow per mile by race 3 (+0.50 seconds per furlong slow) and 32 lengths per mile slow by race 4 (+0.80 seconds per furlong slow). At no stage was the going changed from Good To Soft during the card either. Although Glasses Up ran a decent race to get in the places, I believe he would have been better served by a sounder surface. Result 4th 20/1 adv…28/1 SP

0.5pt e/way Yaaser – As the selection was made on the declared Good going, the eventual Soft surface which was raced on by 6.15pm was no use to Yaaser who prefers a sounder surface. I was surprised that he was allowed to take his chance weakening a furlong out to finish 8th beaten by 11L.

0.5pt ew Dun Na Sead – The worry that the selection might get taken on by Sacred Jewel from stall 17, and go too fast early on materialised. While it looked like she may hang on for a place she had little left for the finish. While she has form on a Soft surface, I am wondering, looking at her action, if she may be even better on a sounder surface.

Today’s Advice

No Investments

Back Tomorrow,

Graham