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Grey Spirit was unbacked but an easy winner lumping odds winner at Redcar yesterday so we move onto the Monday cards……..Ayr, Beverley and Windsor with Timeform below for the former.  We’ve got just one for members today that are in the notes below.

We’ve had a look at those two divisions of the Peter Chapman Handicap at Redcar and there’s nothing standout or of value. The Div 1 has NT’s Kilbaha Lady going off around 3’s and in the subsequent race, Sir Mark Prescott’s horse, Grey Spirit, was given to us a one to watch last year and likely to be odds on. Possibly both of interest to you lumpers but we’ll keep the powder dry today and get back to looking at Ayr, Beverley & Windsor tomorrow.

We’ve been bemoaning the lack of runners recently in our search for some value selections at odds of north of 10/1….we managed a place about Fieldsman last night at HQ with 12’s  in what was a 10 + runner race. However, Saturday disappoints again with Haydock & Ripon just one race north of a 10 runner, zero at Newbury, Lingfield and HQ.

A Friday evening at Ponty usually wets the appetite but this evening aside from the C2 claimer there are no decent fields to get stuck into.Possibly Dandy Highwayman offers a tad of value in the last (19.10), albeit that is just a 7 runner. He’s well capable when dropped to this class but Ponty’s stiff uphill 6f my just find him out being a 5 and 6f specialist and never beyond on a testing track?

A similar tale of not a lot of 8+ runner action today with a lot of the races covered not offering 3 paying slots….looking at ones we have backed previous, Colonel Frank goes at Epsom (19.05), it’s just a 6 runner and he’s likely to try and make all under Frankie Norton. Coincidentally we tipped up the winner in this last year, and it was ‘another Frank’ with Charles Bishop on Frank Bridge who did the business for us at 8’s also in a 6 runner.

We backed Ripon winner WOTABREEZE at Epsom LTO for a place and can race off a lower mark with his amateur rider’s allowance taken into account in the (17.00) at Catterick – he’s being racing predominantly in C5 and this represents a drop to where he is more than capable, however he’s likely to be below the threshold price for us at around 7/2. Another of note we backed LTO is HART STOPPER going in the (19.15) at Yarmouth

Apologies today….we are travelling with no or little internet. As it is….previous winner HITMAN is back out at no price so we will skip selections and be back tomorrow.

Back to what seems a regular Monday with a night meeting at Windsor and racing at Ayr and Ripon on the afternoon with Timeform for the former of those below….we’ve nothing really of note at Windsor….Epsom Secret is an option in the opening apprentices race (17.50) – LTO he had to get into position from a really poor draw and after that had no etra at the finish in a race 2f below his optimum. Back up to the 10f tonight the previous C&D winner is on around wipes yer face prices 9/2.

Today’s the day we consider was our introduction to racing when first attending the John Smith Magnet Cup meet at York way back in 1980 with the big race won by Fine Sun under Edward Hide – two of us managed to drop the placepot that day for about £35 and a good night out in Skipton ensued 🙂

Hopefully not a ‘grim reaping’ selection today….yesterday we hit the cross bar again with Wotabreeze at Epsom last night as he finished a length down in 2nd and Kingstreet Lady finished just one out of the slots at Doncaster. Another big day’s cards with Ascot, York, Chester and Chepstow to supplement the July Meeting at Newmarket  – anyone missing yesterday, you can still get that FOC download from the speedmeisters