Happy New Year!Not too many features for you, Just a handful I believe we might keep thinking about for 2010.1. The whip.Well, my information is that most horses won't race at their ultimate speed without it. We live in a punter's world and we've allowed non-punters to call the shots. OK, fine, but ultimately it will all need to be radically revisited, or else we'll have a real "form means nothing" mess.2. The jumpers.Same comment as above. Bye-bye most slow thoroughbred horses. Race u
Happy New Year!
Not too many features for you, Just a handful I believe we might keep thinking about for 2010.
1. The whip.
Well, my information is that most horses won't race at their ultimate speed without it. We live in a punter's world and we've allowed non-punters to call the shots. OK, fine, but ultimately it will all need to be radically revisited, or else we'll have a real "form means nothing" mess.
2. The jumpers.
Same comment as above. Bye-bye most slow thoroughbred horses. Race until you drop, then off to the knackery. Was this what the do-gooders really wanted? I doubt it. But did we have real and meaningful consultation? No need to answer that.
3. Prepost Betting.
I have a whisper that one major player (a recent one) has been bailed out twice now. Odd that, since I can't make a consistent go of prepost at all. Even my good results, such as Sniper's Bullet at Ascot, go to the post at either the same price or LONGER than I was offered early. Maybe the shorties are the way to go. If so, that's for the very big players. Not much use to us.
4. Benchmarks.
This may just turn out to be an absolute winner. I'll wait with bated breath and watch it unfold.
5. Best Riders are Best Bets
No doubt about that. Proved again by the results most of the year. In 2010 you could do worse than home in on two, maybe three riders and focus your betting on them. If they are riding on-pace horse, the bet is probably a better one. Fewer worries when you're up near the front!
6. Best Trainers too
They win. Bart, of course, but others do too. Again maybe half a dozen of them. You'll miss winners (of course!) but you'll become familiar with the tactics of the best. That should be a big bonus.
There we go. Just a handful to pop in the diary. So...
Happy New Year to All of You out there, and thanks so much for being the most important part of our show.