Monday 11th December
Good Morning
The meetings at Fontwell and Southwell (AW) are on, the meeting at Musselburgh is abandoned.
I think a bigger issue today could be transport, especially those Stables based in the South and South West Midlands,
who along with the West Midlands and Wales had the worst of the weekend snow, and it could be that in the cold light
of day, it is impossible, or too risky, to try to get to main arterial roads down unsalted side/country roads, not that many
main roads seem to have been gritted where I live!
So; I think a day to abstain in terms of pure tipping and to draw breath for some decent racing from mid-week onwards
and with the weather looking a lot better after Wednesday (may not come in time for Ayr / Uttoxeter tomorrow or Hexham/
Leicester of Wednesday with deep frosts due over the next 2 nights); but after that looks a lot more promising.
I did have a plan today at FONTWELL which was my usual default position in heavy Going early in the week and that is to
delve deep for some Point 2 Point Form over further in heavy mud conditions. It seems however that the Novice Hurdle at
1.45 is full of ex Bumper/Flat types, there is one with decent P2P for and that is MY DANCE but sadly that P2P form was
on Good Going, so I will watch it with interest but that's all. The 3.15 already has 3 non runners and could be transport related.
The one "P2P logic Qualifier" if you like is 6 CLONDAW WESTIE is the 3.40 race. It has P2P form over 3 miles in Heavy Going;
so the trip of 2 miles and 4 furlongs won't be a stamina issue, a seasonal debut might be and the Yard has been very quiet
focussing on a new Corporate Raceday Business, but Lawney and Alan Hill. know a lot more than most, and at 16/1 he may
just go out with instructions to "hunt round" and pick a few off. IF he gets there to the track through the snow/ice I will have a few
bob each way as my "fun bet" of the day, it won't be proofed nor recorded.
At Southwell, I suspect the track has been harrowed all night so WILL be deep and very sloshy, so Course expertise will be a
bigger asset than normal, and it is always a big asset here so the following might be best in your Placespots etc but not tips just
pointers -: 1.00 Captain Bob + Ace Master; 2.00 Samtu + Bertie Moon and Cousin Khee and 3.00 Medici Man + Sonnet Rose;
finally in the 2.30 Custard The Dragon, that may be around 60% of a nice little placepot perm for some loose change.
Back tomorrow with a look at what's on and backable, I have a strong hunch that will be at Lingfield only!