The Neighsayers - Racing League Week 1

 The Racing League is back so it's only right that the weekly series returns too! Last year's figures we're posted on twitter last night but will repeat them here, who doesn't love a trumpet, right? 

39 bets from 42 races featuring 11 winners and 6 placed efforts (43.59% win or place strike rate) with the P/L from advised prices being +52.60 and the P/L from SP's being +36.38. Like last year, win bets will be 1pt win and e/w bets will be 0.5pt e/w. We thought London & The South would win it overall last year but their effort was short lived and Ireland came away with the spoils having needed to go to Southwell to get a result. Who wins this year? Well probably Island again. Seemed to have got even more support from Irish/Non-Irish trainers and with the addition of Billy Loughnane, why wouldn't they go close again? Let's get into this year's action;

Race 1 - 12f handicap

Hoping that Team East can get off to a flying start here, THE THUNDERER is now in between his last 2 winning marks and looks to have a great e/w squeak in this contest. He can be a tricky customer as he needs to come from off the pace which is seemingly becoming harder and harder to do, but a couple will like to be handy here and more than a couple want to be closer to the pace. We're hoping this ensures an honest gallop. He ran a 6th on this card last year over 2 furlongs further off a mark of 86, now down to 74 and with 12 furlongs looking more like his ideal trip, he's now handicapped to win should the conditions suit.

Selection - The Thunderer EW (14/1 General)

Race 2 - 6f handicap

The favourite looks a solid chance here but just can't be taking that sort of price in a race like this. I'm taking a chance, again e/w on the Ian Williams trained MACANUDO. This race should be run at an unbelievable tempo, with the likes of Abate, Crossing The Tracks and Hover on the wind in the rae amongst other's wanting to lead. I think he's been running over the wrong trip, particularly the last twice when trying 5 furlongs. He's bred for 7 furlongs and a mile and now back to a stiff 6 furlong's off a decent pace he'll need all of that stamina to do his best work late. He's off a low weight here and even more so with Sean D Bowen's claim so without getting all cliché he could feel like he's running free and that could pay dividend at these sort of fractions.

Selection - Macanudo EW (14/1 General 4pl)

Race 3 - 1m handicap

Happy to get involved at the top of the market here with HAVANARAMA. He's shown now in his last 2 starts he can act over the mile on turf beaten 1/4L then a short head, on almost identical tracks Doncaster and Newbury. He's been ultra consistent at this sort of level and his only poor run was in a class 2 at Chester, so to be expected. He shouldn't be far away from a steady pace here and should be there to finish his race off nicely.

Selection - Havanarama (11/2 Bet365, Hills, 5/1 General)

Race 4 - 7f handicap

A nod from pretty much all of us for this horse who should be returning back to Yarmouth for a victory. FARHH TO SHY who won this contest last year when tipped up by Quinny, should go close again. This horse is what she is now at 6, but always brings her A game when she can be taken into races off a strong pace, which hopefully is on the cards here. How Impressive, Exquisite Acclaim, Love Billy Boy and Pedro Valentino will want to be in front and then Yantarni, Oliver Show, Storm Catcher and Ziggy's Condor will be 2nd rank who can go on when the leaders are tiring. This should take FARHH TO SHY into a position where she doesn't have long off the bridle, which is ideal as she finds very little. Now she has to put behind her a horrific showing last time out at Ascot but let's hope whatever went wrong there has been rectified.

Seleciton - Farhh to Shy EW (12/1 365, BF, Paddy)

Race 5 - 5f handicap

Hoping the spoils head north here with TROPICAL ISLAND and the Richard Fahey yard. This drop back to 5 furlongs with her should see her get her head back in front. She's shown plenty of pace but just not been seeing out the 6 furlong trip. She's still got black type potential in my eye's so she should be able to get her head in front in what's a modest race on paper.

Selection - Tropical Island (8/1 Bet365, 15/2 Ladbrokes, 7/1 William Hill, Coral)

Race 6 -14f handicap

8:00 Yarmouth 

Here I will be siding with the Ian Williams trained ONEFORTHEGUTTER, he comes into this off the back on a career best when second to the progressive Fairbanks at the Newmarket July meeting. Don’t think he will be meeting anything near as well handicapped as Fairbanks in this race, the 14F definitely looks to be his optimum trip  with his best 2 turf runs coming over this distance. For me if he runs to the same level as he did at Newmarket he will take all the beating here, after decs I genuinely thought he’d be about 11/4 fav so very happy to play the prices on offer.

Selection - Oneforthegutter (11/2 Coral, Lads, 5/1 Sky, Hills, B365)

Race 7 - 10f handicap

Competitive stuff here but I couldn’t get away from the George Boughey trained KING LEAR. Looked a horse going places last year but was beaten out of sight at Pontefract LTO but it turned out he was badly lame after the race so you can excuse that. He’s been off the track since but has had plenty of entries of recent so it’s peaked my attention that they have come here instead of other valuable races. Nice flat track and no excuses, providing he is still the horse I thought he was early doors, he should be going close here at a nice price. 

Selection - King Lear EW ( 9/1 365, BF, Paddy)