Placespotter -: Ripon 6.45 5 Shipyard - each way @ 8/1 (a tip, news of a well handicapped Course specialist and a potential "plot horse too)
With some fairly small fields and moderate fare today, I focussed on two decent handicaps;
the 3.10 at Epsom and the 6.45 at Ripon. The Epsom race is the harder of the two to fathom
as there are some potential improvers yet all of the form points to the proven form of Ashpan
Sam and Artic Feeling, the former needs some rain and the latter has recently changed yards.
I actually got a very good insight in to Ashpan Sam from his ex Trainer (John Spearing)
yesterday as I spent an enjoyable 3 hours at his Yard looking at one of our SP2A Racing
Club horses; and a few more lovely types including Clear Spring and Barton Gift. John told
me that the Owner of Ashpan Sam wanted to help a former Assistant to John to set himself
up, so he has moved to David Drinkwater at nearby Hanley Castle, the horse is very well
handicapped, is an Epsom specialist, but it seems has not really enjoyed the change of
scenery. John trains at Kinnersley, former home of the legendary Fred Rimell and I can
understand any horse being taken away from there - and that tempered my enthusiasm
for the very well handicapped Ashpan Sam, so we will focus on the 6.45 at Ripon.
----
A 5 furlong Class 3 Sprint with 13 runners and it would be hard to really discount any of them.
The Racing Post, not incorrectly, leads anyone reading it to the view that a high draw is an
advantage, but unless my eyes deceived me, there was a definite low draw bias on the
straight Course there yesterday, there are no obvious Going changes and the Course
has always favoured extremes of raw either very high or very low.
I was not particularly taken with anything drawn high, the likes of Lexington Place and
Ritas Boy are due to win but both look in the grip of the handicapper, however drawn
in the 3 lowest stalls are Avon Breeze; Shipyard and Silvanus, all have won over the
Course, which is quirky, and all have good form claims. Avon Breeze fits the profile of
a fresh Autumn horse that I referred to earlier, and may still nee this run, Silvanus
looked to be coming to hand last time but, that was in a Class 4 race and he has
dipped a long way down the handicap to find his feet again. SHIPYARD ran a
cracker here in a Class 2 last time, is; like his Trainer "tough as teak" and off
a mark of 89, is in that range just below a mark of 90, where he usually does
some real damage to the Bookmakers. At 8/1 he looks a cracking each way shot.
----
I have one other horse that I cannot ignore today and that is LADY VALDEAN in
the 1.50 at Goodwood. Now; when you look at the race and the horse you may
rightly think that I have gone "stark raving bonkers" but let me explain.
The last 3 runners from this specific Trainer/Jockey combination have won at
200/1; 12/1 and 12/1 - the 200/1 race was one the SP2A Racing Club had a
runner in, and there was a fair bit of crafty money put on the horse; literally
as they went in to the stalls by the groom, I have watched the Trainer since,
not hard as he only has a few horses. The horse today cost £600. There are
a couple in the race who cost in excess of £100,000. I cant see the horse winning
today but I will, and suggest that you, put it in your trackers as aiming a horse
at a decent Maiden, and then running it on the AW a few weeks later at huge
odds, is a trait this Trainer has employed more than once!....if it did win
today, I would truly believe in magic potions BUT; one to keep a close eye
on! ; even more so next time if it loses by a furlong today and that will only
reinforce my suspicion, that this is a good old fashioned small string "plotting stable"