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Ballinrobe
4.40 Grozni ew 11/2 3 places 0.2
5.15 Born to Rule ew 9/1 3 places 0.25
5.45 Belles Benefit ew 12/1 3 places 0.2
6.15 Daisy’s Hollow ew 20/1 4 places 0.25
6.45 Fleurys Fort ew 16/1 4 places 0.25
7.15 Visionman win 7/2
7.45 Broomfields Kan ew 33/1 3 places 0.25I’m forgetting about my bank, there’s no point on that. Just assume I’m down overall, if I ever manage something significant I’ll let you know.
That being said, a year later, I’m taking a gamble by looking at flat racing at a nothing Naas meeting.
1:25 Pepper Streak 5/1 win
2:00 Vidala ew 66/1 2 places .25
2:30 Claras Approach ew 11/1 3 places .25
3:00 Myrcella 13/2 win
3:30 Iva Batt ew 11/1 3 places .25
4:05 Torn ew 12/1 3 places .2
4:40 Jo March 9/2 winI’ve also done my first ever Yankee, for a minimum stake ew, with the last five of my fellas on the list there. They’re not all the same odds, as I just decided to do the Yankee while I was hoovering and dreaming big. So that’ll be a lesson for me come about five hours. Don’t do the hoovering while you’re building up to a day’s racing.
You can tell if a horse is friendly and approachable and leading from that, eager and willing for more, by whether their ears are flat back or pricked forward.
If you know a horse is a crazy type, and their ears are back against their head, you’ll know they’re in no mood to be messed with. They might be cranky, they might have just had someone insult them, they might be about to kick and/or trample you. A horse’s ears back means it’s in a pisser of a mood and is not interested in whatever endeavour you might be bringing to it. In that sense, for racing, the thing that might have them being narky is they’re already going flat out and can’t give any more, so they’re getting into a whinge about it all, “Feck off and leave me alone,” kind of territory. Conversely, ears pricked will be a case of, “I’m having a blast galloping out in this track, give me more rein!”
Watching their ears is a part of a guide to a horse’s personality and what mood they might be in. Ears flat back they’re not interested in what’s going on and might be in a strop, ears forward, paying attention to what’s happening and surveying the land in front of them and they might have more to give because they’re not completely restricted in what they’re doing or giving their all, and can find “more” interest.
A disaster of a day yesterday, not even a place. However I’m still up overall on Punchestown even with no bets yet returned today and them all already placed. That has to be a good week, and I have a day of horse racing and beer to look forward to already in the profit. Then, over the next few days, I’m starting a new spreadsheet for tracking bets, seeing as I feel I’ve earned a fresh start with a new focus on the game (and a new season.) I just have to hope Racing TV give me an offer when I go back to them in August.
2.15 Josies Orders 8/1 ew 4 places
2.50 Young Dev 9/1 ew 4 places
3.20 Minella Melody 16/1 ew 3 places
4.00 Jeff Kidder 20/1 ew 3 places
4.30 Fag An Bealach 7/1
5.05 Lady Breffni 10/1 ew 4 places
5.40 Rebel Early 18/1 ew 4 placesI’m travelling today so I might not actually get to watch the races live, with spotty reception on the phone along the drive. I’ve watched a few races I’ve had bets in after the fact, knowing nothing, even placing in one, and it didn’t really take from the experience. But after that drive hopefully tomorrow I’ll be on the coast with plenty of beers, The Irish Field, and a day of racing awaiting me.
3.40 Alpha Male 5/2
4.15 Fan De Blues 10/1 ew 3 places
4.50 Contingency 28/1 ew 3 places
5.25 Abacadabras 12/1 ew 3 places
6.00 Ashdale Bob 9/2
6.35 On The Sod 28/1 ew 3 places
7.00 Elite Charboniere 66/1 ew 3 placeNo idea what was happening with Charcour there. Looked like the jockey was driving him with his body while reining him in otherwise, arms everywhere. Brakes absolutely slammed on from a horse that looked like it was having fun. I’ve never seen a horse retreat so fast.
I’d love if someone else watched its race to let me know what to think.
3.40 Charcor 12/1 5 places
4.15 Sully D’Oc AA 13/2 4 places
4.50 Classic Concorde 66/1 4 places
5.25 Ronald Pump 7/1 4 places
6.00 Minx Tiara 201/1 5 places
6.35 Janidil 6/1
7.05 Global Equity 14/1 2 placesI was looking through some of the races (and having a good day yesterday is colouring this) but I feel like I am and will enjoy this Punchestown more than Cheltenham. That’s not meant to take away from Cheltenham, other than to say some of the pressure surrounding it really told this year. It had to be a good Cheltenham, it had to have a story, it had to put racing in a positive light. More, you had to enjoy it, despite there being much less buzz around from random punters, and the online interest outside of racing people seeming much lower. I still got my beers in and sat down to watch it all, but after yesterday I specifically went out to buy beers today for the racing. It’s more low-key, and I actually think the racing might be better. For one, there’s fewer races to dodge into, but also Cheltenham gave form to some of the horses running yesterday and over the next couple of days. We have all the knowledge of Cheltenham, all the franking of performances, and now there’s another go around where horses are taking up rivalries again.
With that being said, I’m ignoring Cheltenham, to a degree, and going for outsiders with my bets today.
3.40 Flash De Touzaine 66/1 ew 5 places
4.15 Stranger Danger 14/1 ew 3 places
5.20 Telmesomethinggirl 13/2
7.00 Midnight Maestro 25/1 ew 5 places3.40 Hallowed Star 13/2
4.50 Jazzaway 9/1 ew
6.30 Colreevy 15/2
7.00 Precious Bounty 66/1 ewI have a triple with Hallowed Star, Jazzaway and Precious Bounty, ew for 25p.
Generally, in sports, the people involved accept the risk that things might happen. Even a two footed tackle going for the knees in football wouldn’t have a successful case, because you accept the risk. I can’t see how this can win, unless there was something seriously untoward with the ride (horse or jockey doped, etc.) If you ride in a race you accept the risk that someone will fall in front of you, and the chance you’ll be brought down, and the chance of injury. I’d imagine the severity of the injury in this case is what’s pushing it, and he’s looking for someone’s insurance to latch onto and settle out of court with. Something that’s very possible, because no sport wants a legal decision setting precedent that injuries sustained playing the game are matters for the court, it’d kill pretty much every sport. This has to be looking to bring someone else into the case, and for someone to settle. And it could happen with how badly injured he is and the risk if the court sees the severity of the injury and rules with a “Poor lad” type judgment.
I’m watching Luck On Sunday as I type this. Thanks!
Edit: I just have to hope in August when my RTV promo ends they’ll offer me something similar on the phone. Mostly I was wondering about similar dealings in other podcasts. Those two minute talks were exactly what I was thinking I’d like more of, even longer than two minutes.
Are there any podcasts that mainly focus on the industry, talking about news, jockeys, the money side of betting, training horses, trainers’ approaches, etc. I have no interest in listening to fellas tipping horses with no comeuppance for them. Talking about races after they happen is a little better, analysing what happened, and what the horse’s potential is, but really I’m just looking for one that takes account of the wider goings on in the racing world.
I feel like the bravado behind gambling has done it a lot of damage. You have absolute eejits screaming and roaring about their big wins, making out they’re geniuses, when all their friends know they’ve lost more than they’ve ever won. When you have these guys acting like gambling is some measure of your value and success, and not a challenge and a way of having an interest in something, you’re going to get people reacting to these fellas’ massive egos and not the fairly considered thing gambling is for a lot of (non-problem) bettors.
If there’s some fool in the pub braying about his sure thing winning him money you’re going to react to the fool, not the act of gambling, but you will come to dislike what it is he’s doing and causing him to act like a moron.
If it was all toned down a bit, and people didn’t crow about their wins and hide their losses people might take it for what it actually is. And that might even result in fewer problem gamblers (outside of the bookies changing) who don’t get attracted to the massive ego stroking.
Although, maybe it is the money turning people into fools. You only have to watch people bring up their wins every time they’ve had some measure of success. It could be my firmly middle class upbringing, but not talking about money (and so not harping on about my wins) is a thing, and I’m far more likely to bring up my losses, or take them on the chin. And even more likely again to actually talk about the race and how it shaped up compared to my expectations, because it is a sport first, not a willy waving contest.
Thanks!
I’ll pick up the Henrietta Knight book in a few days. I’ll hold off on the Martin Pipe one as it’s a bit more expensive and it’ll take longer to get here.
When I graduated from university my parents took me and my siblings out for a meal. They asked me where I wanted to go, I said the Indian restaurant, and even my brother who isn’t a fan of curries was happy because it was my day and my choice, and I wanted to enjoy it with food I really like. My university classmates didn’t get it at all. They were all going to five star hotel restaurants and award winning restaurants. My actual friends in university all did get it, indulge in the things you like for your day, which is why only one or two of my friends in uni were classmates. It’s not about primping and preening and doing what people think is “important” for special occasions, it’s about doing the things you love.
There’s still some award winning restaurants I’d love to go to around me, a few with Michelin stars. Those days will be about the food, with no distractions. If I have another reason to celebrate something in a restaurant it’ll be right back to the Indian.
I care where the winner was trained in the sense that, with my limited energy when I wake up early (or am awake during the night), I’ll look at Irish race meets before I’ll look at British race meets. The fields seem larger, there’s more interesting tactics, frontrunners, horses behind the leaders, horses coming from way back, horses trailing off and pulling up. When it comes to Cheltenham I feel the Irish trained (and raced) horses have had much more exposure against different horses, and may have better proved themselves (especially at the start of their careers) against the 10 year old that runs a once-off knowledgeable and give-it-everything race, and against the five year old that everything clicked for on the day but won’t live up to their potential (for whatever reason,) and against the handicapped horse that’s been looking for the right race. I don’t get the same vibe from watching British races, where your average meet won’t have the same level of competition from a horse, trainer and owner going out to upset the odds against better judgment (and often actually upsetting the odds.)
When Gladiateur says I bring up Irish horse racing in the Irish psyche, that seems to me to be fueling this. Maybe it’s just because there’s fewer meets (for a smaller population of people, but relatively more for the smaller population with more horse-interested people) but to me it seems like an exciting Irish horse has risen up through the ranks, an exciting English horse is almost destined to be exciting.
And saying I prefer watching Irish meets is partially through it being where I’m from, but if I was just looking at my returns I get the feeling (although I haven’t looked at the precise numbers) that I actually win more betting on British racing. It might be all the same to a horse whether they race and are trained in Britain or in Ireland, but from a viewer’s perspective, someone with an occasional interest, Ireland is far more challenging to get a good grasp on in each race, making it a better intellectual experience in finding an edge, and as a sport, at least for me. And more, that can only be good for the horses who really do rise up to the top. They can get the exact same training in Ireland or the UK, but once out on the course and under a jockey (outside of the likes of Cheltenham) for the moment Irish horse racing is a real place to prove yourself.
I don’t know any of the smaller time trainers, but I do think Bryony Frost could come out in years to come as a really good quality trainer, should she choose to take it up when she retires. Other jockeys seem to have a natural instinct on how to judge a ride while they’re on them, from her interviews, to me, it seems like she has a far more intellectual knowledge (this could be that she’s willing to open her mouth more, as well, but she does speak well.) I think she has a charm about her, too, that’d be great for getting owners in.
Whatever about having to be ruthless as a trainer, and doing what’s necessary for a win, I think Frost has the people skills for the owner side, good knowledge about individual horses, and it’s obvious she has a real love for the animals, which might be a downside in some ways, but could easily be used to her advantage.
