Time For a Change

Last week was a very average week for us, only two bets landed with 8/1 and 10/1 places. Today the going is looking to be on the testing side which could blow some of the fields wide open across the country. Also i passed 100 followers on twitter this week (mostly racing related). If you aren't following me then you can @lukeyboy1325 where during the week I post fancies etc.

One more topic of discussion, next Friday I am moving to Canada for the foreseeable future and will be trying to keep up to date with English racing. If there are less posts than now then that is the reason why, who knows I may throw in a few Canadian races. Onwards and Upwards though

2:10 Newmarket - Maxentius - A very smart performer from his two starts thus far. Hails from a yard in the form of their life lately and one of the most in form jockeys on board in William Buick. He absolutely cantered home in his last race at Doncaster when being eased down late on. This Colt by Holy Roman Emperor should take all the beating today and will be fresher than Olympic Village after bypassing Royal Ascot. Should take all the beating today. (3/1)

2:25 York - Bolivia - She is a mare by Monsun who has been doing well with his offspring. Bolivia is a 6 year old though, a lightly raced one at that. I think she was a selection when she absolutely bolted in at Sandown a few weeks back. She has been raised 10 pounds for that effort and that shouldnt be enough to stop her today on this testing ground she dearly loves. Always one that is there but you got the feeling she turned over a new leaf in her last run and should go well at decent odds again today. (12/1)


3:20 Newmarket - Sirius Prospect - Yet to refind his best form from last year when winning a listed race at Doncaster on Soft ground. He came late that day and that could just play to his advantages here today with pace almost guaranteed on testing ground. The return to testing ground should see an improvement in his performance, also the most encouraging factor was his return to form behind Black Caviar last time at Ascot.  He has a bit of work to do if he is to reverse running with Society Rock from last time though. Real chance (14/1)

3:35 York - Caledonia Lady - I couldn't believe the price she is when I first saw her. I was there last week when she won the Coral Charge very easily after running into horrific traffic problems. Hayley Turner keeps the ride today after winning last week. She has ridden this horse 3 times finishing 4th, 2nd and 1st and she obviously gets on very well with the horse. Today should be another big race for her to claim. (8/1)


4:30 Newmarket - Janoub Nibras - Yesterday the Hannon stable was flying and today should be another big day for him and stable jockey Richard Hughes. This looks to be their best chance of the day however after just prevailing at Kempton in a two horse race. The return to turf looks to be the much in his favour today after finishing 3rd on debut in testing ground at Ascot. On debut he was behind the impressive Cay Verde and Hototo who have both won big races since. Should be bang there (9/2)

Hopefully today will throw up a few winners and spark a return to form from last week, I also hope that I am able to put up a blog next week, but only time will tell.

thank you for reading, happy punting

Ascot is on the horizon

A pretty good week by all accounts last week, one winner and 3 other places at nice enough prices. But the poorer quality racing continues this week ahead of Royal Ascot with handicaps looking the order of the day all round. 

As I'm sure everybody knows, Black Caviar is here and is reportedly well ahead of her crack at the Diamond Jubilee. She is around a 2/5 favourite now and it looks as if the value has gone, personally I like Bated Breath each way still available at around 10/1. But onto the racing today.

2:50 Sandown - Sam Sharp - Second the last two times, each by under a length. I was there for his Sandown defeat to todays rival Weapon of Choice, he looked to have his measure but for idling in the final strides. He was probably lacking in the fitness department from the winner as it was his first run since December. Only raised a pound for his last two efforts and coming out just better on the ratings over Weapon of Choice, he can finally get his head in front. Disappointing if out of the places.

3:45 York - Doncaster Rover - Steps up to a mile for the first time today which for me is nothing but a positive. He goes on any ground so getting his toe in here shouldn't phase him in the slightest, neither will the course as he is a winner round here and seems to enjoy it. He usually gets the definition of running on late over 7 furlongs. With that in mind a mile should be right up his street with others in the field looking a touch out of form. The danger could well be Ptolemaic getting heaps of weight from his elders.

4:20 Bath - Selinda - Backing Mick Channon's charge blind right now isn't a bad idea and this one looks to  be his best bet of the day. She ran well on her return to come fourth at Ayr when probably needing the run and will strip much fitter for that experience. She is a winner of two races (both at Yarmouth) on fast ground and todays ground will be fine for her. Matthew Davies takes the ride today and has been riding a few winners for this stable as of late. This could be another one.

5:30 Sandown - Bolivia - At face value this one seems an odd selection, but delve a bit deeper and you will discover her a bit more. She has been out of her depth running in class ones the whole time and if memory serves me right she had an entry at Royal Ascot last year for a long time. Today is a class four and will be much more to her standard. In the bigger races she has been running well behind horses such as Barbican (beaten 12 lengths) and if repeating that form she is sure to go close. Today is the lowest mark she has run off of but also the longest distance she has run over, which is no negative. Could well go close.

8:15 Leicester - Red Inca - Brian Ellison will be praying that the meeting today passes the 7am inspection as Red Inca will love the ground today. He first caught my eye over hurdles at Musselburgh staying on over 2 miles, he won next time out and went on to run a blinder at Sandown in a hot handicap behind Lexi's boy. He was right up there till just after two from home when the stamina gauge emptied. He was well looked after by Felix De Giles that day and has since ran a good 5th at Beverley on ground probably too fast for him. There was a runaway winner that day and the form is better than the numbers say. Should improve this time.

Hopefully this gives us a few pennies for Royal Ascot next week, I'll be back on Tuesday when we will be hoping Frankel can supply us with another mesmerizing performance.

Happy Punting as always 

William Buick Appreciation Day

A fantastic day for the blog yesterday with a 5/1 advised price winner in Burke's Rock and a 16/1 winner in Coronea Lilly this evening. Personally for me I got a 55/1 double and thanks to some feedback quite a few of you guys also had them in a double. Also one more thing before we move onto today's selections, Burke's Rock was outpaced for the majority of the race today but finished very strongly over a mile. In my eyes this makes her a prime candidate for the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot over 1 mile and 4 furlongs. Now onto today with the money we won yesterday.

I have named today's blog 'William Buick Appreciation Day'. Last time I did an appreciation day was for Sue Smith that came up with multiple winners and i expect today to be no different.

CAUCUS (NB) - Buick's first ride of the day and one that ran a fantastic race on his reappearance in a good handicap at HQ. He will strip much fitter for that run off of the same mark and is a relatively lightly raced five year old with a group one entry. That entry is for the Ascot Gold Cup over 2 miles and 4 furlongs. For the moment today's trip is his ideal one and should take all the beating to get us off to a flyer on the afternoon. Wont be out of the places.

ARCTIC COSMOS (NAP) - Today's NAP and the 2010 St. Leger winner. Last time out was a disaster for him on bottomless ground when becoming completely bogged down at Newbury. That run is best forgotten and a return to faster ground couldn't be more welcome. He has only run over this distance once and that was his Leger win, it seems the further he goes the better and for a short while he was going to be aimed at the Neptune over hurdles at Cheltenham. He is a huge price for a horse of his quality today and is the one to beat in this field. He has had his problems but they now seem behind him and he is taken to land this on his way to bigger and better things.

LAUGH OUT LOUD - Ran well enough in the 1000 guineas to suggest she is a very good improving horse. She was a short head behind Lily's Angel on that occasion and meets her on 3 pounds better terms today, before that she had 3 good wins on the all weather. She proved in the Guineas that she can handle the turf just as well as anything and should take all the beating in a hot contest today. Mr Buick is one from one on this filly, that win came in her highest profile victory, she is also taken to win today with her name down in a group 1 entry at Royal Ascot.

DANEKING - Ran very well on his comeback run and looks set to improve for that experience. His last two runs have been on Heavy ground which isn't his preferred going by a long way yet has still turned in good efforts. This means he has maintained a mark of 77 and looks set to blow that out of the water today with a Derby Entry still on the cards. He looks to be thrown in off this mark today and could well win this doing handstands. There really isn't much else to say about him that i haven't said already.

The bets that I have put on already are as follows:

Arctic Cosmos (single)
Win Lucky 15 with all the above horses
Caucus, Arctic Cosmos and Daneking (Win Treble)

hopefully we can follow up with another big one today
as always happy punting.
one more thing, a few of you have taken time to email me to let me know if and how you got on my selections. I love hearing from people that have read my blog and taken the tips. Let me know of any winners you get on lukethebest@btopenworld.com (ignore the immaturity)
Thanks guys, good luck

ATR Tracker updates

I have just received a notification email about two horses running from my ATR Tracker today and I will throw in the Dante for good measure. The first day of York saw The Fugue make his step in trip a very successful one when laughing at her opponents in the Musidora and is now a leading light for the Oaks at Epsom. Hoof It was possibly the highest profile running on the first day of the Dante meeting but he looked outpaced the whole way in the 6 furlong group 2 event. There is talk of a step up to a mile for him in time but for the moment a clash with Black Caviar looks on the cards at Ascot.

York - 2:30 - Betfred Dante Stakes
We saw one horse from a Guineas win yesterday in The Fugue, FENCING takes a step up in trip today after staying on well in the 2000 Guineas behind Camelot. Only one win on his CV but he has been very highly tried including some very smart 2 year old form, he is improving the whole time and is one of five in the race with a Derby entry. BONFIRE is the choice of poor tipster Matthew Wynn and he won a very smart maiden before being unlucky at Saint Cloud in France when finishing third behind French Fifteen in the Criterium. He has been the favourite for this race for a while and should be thereabouts. EKTIHAAM has won 3 out of his 4 starts but in his only loss he was the last of 9 to finish, that was his only step up to a Group 1 but this is a lower grade today. He may just be outclassed a little today with 4 of his opponents expected to make it at the top level. MANADEAN is having his first run for Godolphin and must overcome a 187 day break as well as proving his love for faster ground at the top level after winning his last run on testing going. That said he won very easily that day and looks to be going in the right direction and looks a very promising young horse. I'm siding with Aidan O'Brien's classy maiden winner ERNEST HEMINGWAY who hardly broke sweat when winning at Dundalk by 10 lengths. He is thrown in at the deep end today but Ballydoyle have been making some good noises about him and is a very strong understudy to Camelot for the Derby. He will have to prove he is as effective on turf but that really shouldnt be any problem for him and a confident vote goes his way.

5:55 - Newmarket 
BURKE'S ROCK has been a winner for the blog already but more is expected of her and she wont be running off a mark of 73 for much longer. She had a very unlucky debut when getting murdered on the turn for home at Lingfield when making progress. Hayley Turner rode hands and heels for the remainder of the race and she picked up again in good fashion to get fourth. Since that She has won on a saturday at Lingfield when seemingly having much more left in the tank at the line. Ryan Moore gets the leg up today and that is in no way a negative thing. She also has an entry in the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot, that is over further and it would be expected that she will stay very well over the trip today and should be very hard to beat.

8:15 - Ludlow
CORONEA LILLY won at the first time of asking under rules at the Galway Festival in a flat race. She then wasnt seen for 607 days before returning at Hereford for Neil Mulholland when getting a very tender ride from Dougie Costello. She stayed on very takingly in third and should build on that hurdling debut today. The form isnt the strongest from the race but there have been a few placed efforts from the others. She will strip all the fitter for that run and could turn out to be a useful performer over hurdles. It would be no surprise were she to win today and is open to a lot of improvement on this occasion.

NAP - Burke's Rock
NB - Ernest Hemingway

I would be surprised if at least one of them didnt win and for one I will be putting all three in a treble.
Happy Punting