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Tomorrow’s meeting at Musselburgh has been abandoned due to a frozen track.

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FONTWELL FROZEN OFF

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SEDGEFIELD LATEST WEATHER VICTIM

My only bet at Great Leighs was Tartan Gunna. Finally managed to break on terms but wasn’t able to contend with the impressive Dover Street Art. The Gunna will surely be able to win a race in the near future, and hopefully I get my money back in 2009 after losing stakes on him the last twice. My only other bet of the day was Sublimity. I really rate Punjabi, and to get within a head of him when reportedly only half fit made him a max bet here for me. 3/1 was a scandalous price on form, and even though he finished well, won’t have enough to stop a Nicky Henderson 1-2 in the Champion.

Tuesday 30^th December: Only had the two bets today. Had a word for Why Nee Amy in the morning, unfortunately missed the fancy prices, but it was all irrelevant in the end, finishing unplaced. Win and place money down the Gazbalou. Thankfully it only took an hour to get some of my money back. Imaginary Diva won what looked an extremely weak Nursery. Officer Mor appears to be regressing at a rate of knots, and connections are probably desperate to get rid based on the 2yo’s latest runs. The Cuckoo will almost certainly come on for the run, and hopefully after being dropped a few pounds too. The only disappointing thing is I didn’t have the balls to take the 9/4 in the morning. I made the Diva a 4/5 shot so the 6/4 I finally availed myself too was still value, albeit it some 25% less of the price.

Wednesday 31^st December: Two bits of information, and 3 losing bets. Probably sums up 2008, and thank fuck its over, because 2009 is Year of the Punter after all ay? First up Nawamees, that was considered a moral. There is certain kind of information that I berate and will not be listening to in 2009, and this is another prime example, as is I Confess. Not whinging, as the only stupid individual in all of this… is me! I then backed Tricky Trev each way in the next… unplaced. And the horse that won? Cut And Thrust, the horse I’ve been chasing after being given the heads up on its handicap debut. Joy! Roll on 2009…

Thursday 1^st January: Again, not a vintage day, and not a great start to 2009. Ballydub was probably the only bet where I can say I was remotely unlucky. Tartak and Franchoek were comprehensively put in their place. I done a few today, but learnt a fair bit about the Festival markets for my money. Talk of Big Bucks for the World Hurdle after winning the handicap off a high mark… would he have won it though if Ballydub had stood up? I very much doubt it! Tartak was put in his place easily by Calgary Bay, but that will have to improve no end for me to win or even place in the Arkle. And Franchoek is gone, although we probably knew that before the race, yet I still availed myself idiotically.

The most frustrating thing about Franchoek was that on my tissue he wasn’t the value selection, or anywhere near it. After timing at its finest, but the value selections finished first and second. Nicholls said before Five Dream finished third at Sandown that he was considered badly handicapped… so how was he meant to compete on this stage? What is the point in doing my own tissues if I’m going to totally ignore them? After reading Dave Nevison’s latest book, I totally berated him for doing the same thing, and on the first day of a new year, with new starts… I go and do the exact same thing!

Friday 2^nd January: Didn’t have a bet, and looking back through the results it doesn’t look as though I missed anything.

Saturday 3^rd January: After both national hunt meetings went the way of the weather there was only one place left to go… the pub! Bit gutted I didn’t get a chance to lay Mahonia at 2’s and back Clay Hollister at just over 5’s, but hopefully the race gets rerouted to Kempton next week! On FA Cup weekend it was great to see my boy’s start 2009 with a bang. I’m not talking about my beloved Canaries getting a battling one-all draw at The Valley, but Chris Wall’s stable starting the year with an easy victory in the Conditions Stakes at Leafy. On paper he was a moral, and won more emphatically in my opinion than the distance suggests. Imaginary Diva proved what a shocking race she ran in during the week by getting thoroughly destroyed at Lingfield. Excuses can be made, but she’d never have won. In fairness a poor days racing for a Saturday, exemplified with a 58 rated horse winning the first leg of the Scoop 3!

Sunday 4^th January: After waking up at 6:30 somewhere deep in CB8, taking 45 minutes to march back to my car, before proceeding on the 90 minute drive home all in aid of Sunday league football, I was devastated to hear the match was abandoned at 9:45! The match was due to be played in Esher, less than a mile from Sandown. If that had been called off the day before, this was always going to be cancelled! Why did I bother with the long journey back? 5 points top of the league at Christmas, and second place have two games in hand… any dropped points from now on in will be costly!

So I woke up especially early and all for nothing! I could have spent an extra few hours being a Teddy Bear to the ‘Nugget’. Teddy Bear was all I was good for that night, after falling asleep early doors, probably at her dismay. Oh well. When my last pal left me in De Niro’s with the ‘Nugget’ I knew I was making a fateful error. I was never going to stay the trip out, and instead of waking up at 7:30 in the warmth, I had to contend with a walk home in the freezing cold… the fucking freezing cold!! All credit to any man that gets up at those hours in the winter! After getting home I slept all through racing, waking up in time to see The Power destroy Barney in World-Record fashion.

A long debate ensued on how The Power and Tony McCoy have never been prominent in the running for Sports Personality of the Year. What more do either have to do to be respected for their achievements? 14 and 13 time champions respectively, whereas some silly cow that jumped in a swimming pool last summer was odds-on favourite to take home the trophy. In the scheme of things it’s disgraceful. After having a conversation with an ex-flat jockey on Saturday he pointed out why Tony McCoy is such an athlete. On average, that man will ride 5 horses a day, over an average of say 20 furlongs. He is pushing away for longer, he is invariably in the finish of most races, in a ding dong battle up the straight, he’s invariably booked on horses that need smashing to pieces to get them home, he travels relentlessly up and down the country, to and from the Emerald-isle, and for what? People could use the excuse that Horse Racing is a low-key sport, but how many people give a shit about swimming or cycling apart from the Commonwealth or Olympic Games? People are oblivious to most Olympic sports bar Athletics unless it’s on the main stage, yet the majority of the country are aware of the Grand National and The Derby. Scandalous. I could go on, but can’t be bothered!

Looking to tomorrow’s racing; laying Romantic Queen at around 5/2 looks the only stand out bet for me!

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McCAIN AND HOBBS HORSES STRIKE

Our best bet today on a cold Monday’s Racing see’s just one meeting pass the inspections, and it’s Lingfield Park were off too and in the 3:15, BOLLIN FRANNY has every chance to get back to winning ways after two solid seconds over six furlongs. A free going sort this ought to help John Longs horse settled better and enable Richard Thomas to kick on into the straight. Up 1lb for his last run this horse remains well handicapped and today can be the day in a poor looking field.

Selection: Bollin Franny (3:15 Lingfield)

P.S – Best Bet’s to return daily as normal from this moment forward.

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TOLWORTH VERDICT GOES TO THE WIRE

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AL’S WELL FOR WILLIAMS

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NO COVERS AT WARWICK