Keeping Faith

Another weekend has passed. Whilst most of the racing world was focusing on the much-loved Veterans Chase Final at Sandown and then Envoi Allen strutting his stuff at Naas, I was doing my best to stay focussed on the All-Weather. It has perhaps been the hardest adjustment to make, the switch from looking at all racing, in particular those on ITV on a Saturday, to specialising and more importantly, having the discipline to stick to only that area. Like a contestant on Mastermind, being good at your specialist subject pays dividends, but general knowledge can find you out.

For an All-Weather fan, this weekend was perfect. Lingfield on Saturday afternoon, Kempton in the evening and then a decent card at Southwell on Sunday to keep me occupied. After several hours of careful study, 6 horses stand out on Saturday. A few too many really, as I have tried to focus to 2 or 3 selections each day. Whilst checking each selection, there is nothing that I feel confident enough to ignore, so with 4 at Lingfield, a Lucky 15 is reached for. Still trying to keep to a budget, with an aim to break even at this stage, 10p each way will do for now.

We are off to a bad start, Capriolette seems to find trouble around the last bend and finishes a disappointing 4th, beaten only 3 lengths but it’s an ominous start. The horse is fit and well, running a good time and will probably go in next time given a better run through, but all the same it’s a loser. 30 minutes later and the 2nd selection, Universal Gleam also runs his race, but Sky Defender is given a soft lead and Joe Fanning makes all to win by 3 lengths, with my pick a frustrating 3rd of 7.

Next follows a tough period, 2 hours between my 2nd and 3rd selection, when all the other racing is underway. Staying disciplined and avoiding the temptation of a bet on the jumps because it’s on the box is tough, but we make it. However, the wait was not worthwhile, Alicia Darcy never travels and trails in a dismal 8th behind Sword Exceed, it’s not going well.

In all my research, 1 word has stood out from those whose advice I have sought, Discipline. The temptation to give up on the method and throw a few darts at Sandown to console myself is very strong. Made worse by Fiddlerontheroof, a horse in my tracker, duly bolting up in the Tolworth Hurdle. However, then it all changes. Battle of Marathon runs a blinder to power home in the Lingfield feature, his win, (7/1 on the Lucky 15 at treble the odds for 1 winner), has meant just a small loss on the afternoon and has restored some confidence. My figures said he was the most likely winner, the videos I had watched showed he was the most likely winner and most importantly, he won.

Had Battle of Marathon not been successful, I might have drawn stumps for the day. 4 losers in a row could have been a blow and the Kempton card might well have been left alone. However, buoyed with some new confidence, the 2 selections, Maqboola and Be Fair are duly covered in a 50p each way double.

Maqboola wins like a good thing. She is an unexposed filly, well ahead of her mark and travels like a dream under Shane Kelly, in hindsight, she was more of a 2/7 shot than the 2/1 in the double. She is added to the tracker and provided the handicapper is not overly harsh, (2nd placed Azets is a more exposed 13 race maiden rated 53), she should win again for Richard Hughes. 2 winners in a row can do wonders for the mood. Another wait ensues, with 2 hours until the last pick of the day.

Be Fair, another who is worth noting as perhaps having a little in hand, has been in the tracker since 4th December, when winning in a good time at Lingfield. The form of the race is ordinary, but the time stood out on the day. Be fair breaks well, but is keen, too keen, a big worry on a flat speed track like Kempton where the opportunity to regain lost energy is limited. Somehow she starts to settle and comes with a sustained run in the straight to get up by a neck.

The double has landed, with a 50% strike rate for the day. A small profit made overall and everything is rosy in the garden once again. With renewed confidence, 4 selections are found for Sunday, with Wins for Zapper Cass, Suitcase n’ Taxi and Noble Behest. Even the losing horse, Global melody is an unlucky 4th as having drifted to the stand side rail (by far the slowest part of the track at Southwell at the current time), it had no chance and is beaten 3 lengths more by the surface than the opposition. Still, another decent profit form a 10p each way Yankee and 6 winners from 10 over the weekend is a solid return.

Whilst it’s always nice to make a profit, perhaps the best lesson of the weekend is to keep the faith. Horse racing is not an exact science, if it was every punter would be a millionaire by now. Horses, and Jockeys for that matter, are not machines and it’s the variables that make racing so enjoyable. Put the time in, keep the faith and the effort will be worth it in the end.