Friday 07th Dec

BQQ

Fingal Bay has run out in a novice chase at Exeter.
If anyone was silly enough to back it at 1/12, they must be nearly suicidal.

Horse was jumping violently left throughout, so johnson moved him to the rail obviously hoping it would make him jump straight. Instead, he ducked out since he had nowhere to jump left.

rossom

3.30 Sandown

Gigondas 40/1

Certainly comes with a fair bit of risk attached as he seems to have two ways of running which is evident by his last run when pulled up on his handicap debut but I think he is definitely better than his mark of 113. The first thing about this race is that 3 year olds get a massive 14lb weight for age allowance which I think is going to play a massive factor in the outcome of this race, especially as in less than a months time these horses will be classified as 4 year olds. Looking specifically at Gary Moore's gelding, I think he's shown some very nice form in his brief hurdling career to date which has spanned 5 starts since making his debut in July this year. He was well supported on his racecourse debut at Stratford when I think he was going to play a leading roll in the finish when a horse in front of him hampered him and caused Joshua Moore to fall off in a race where the front 3 have all won since (3rd beaten 42L) and it was a very promising debut. Gigondas showed no ill effects from being hampered as he won in very impressive fashion on his 2nd start at Fontwell when upped to an extended 18f in August when scoring by an eased down 8L when scoring from Feb Thirtyfirst who has subsequently come out and won twice since to give the form a very solid look. Gigondas was sent off a 7/2 joint favourite on his next start over the same C+D under a penalty but he never really went a yard and was a well beaten 7th in the end. I've no idea as to why he ran that poorly but he certainly jumped back to form when running a lovely race on what was his next outing two starts back in October. At Chepstow over todays trip on soft ground, Gigondas ran a very pleasing race when finishing a 22L beaten but not overly knocked about 3rd as he conceded 7lb to a pair of rivals that look very promising individuals. I think Jamie Moore knew his two rivals were better than his mount as he didn't attempt to go all out and go with the leading pair who forged clear and certainly wasn't knocked about as he had 3rd place already sewn up. The winner that day Far West has since gone on to land a Grade 2 in very impressive fashion whilst the 2nd Handazan, a 98 rated horse on the flat, has won on his only subsequent start. Gigondas made his handicap debut at Hereford at start of November off his current mark of 113 when upped to 2m4f for the first time and for one reason or another he just never seemed to travel and he was subsequently pulled up. I've no idea why he ran such a poor race but he's certainly better than that and I'm just taking a chance that he will bounce back today which is obviously factored into the price. Gary Moore is in pretty decent nick at present and Jamie Moore takes the ride off a very nice racing weight of 10-7. Given that I think he's well handicapped and he gets a stone for his age I think this 3 year old could definitely run a very big racing if bouncing back to form and he's available on the exchanges at 70/1 to do so.

BQQ

Impressive from Bold Sir Brian.

Seems a different animal over fences.

kc66

Have to admit I don't know much about horse racing, got a tip from a source that has come up with a few decent price winners recently. 100% on the last 3 tips. Was 7/1 a while ago, currently 4/1 Alghanem in 9.25 in Dundalk.

rossom

Gigondas ran ****e. Horse definitely has enough ability but has 2 ways of running.

rossom

9.25 Dundalk

Circus Act 12/1

Pretty annoyed about the price given it was forecast to be 25/1 but I feel Circus Act is a horse that could absolute bolt up tonight. This 4 year old gelding was formerly with Mahmood Al Zarooni and Godolphin and after not achieving the heights needed for their high class operation in 4 runs he was sold to current connections for £10,000 last year. I think it is interesting that Godolphin kept him for his handicap debut and although pretty disappointing overall I certainly think he showed some ability. On his 2nd career start over 10f he shaped as if he was a horse that needed a trip to be seen to best use even though he was well beaten that day. He made his handicap debut for Godolphin off a mark of 70 when a well beaten 6th before being sold to Douglas Taylor and moved over to Ireland to Vincent Ward. For Ward to date, he has had 6 runs - 3 over hurdles and 3 on the flat and after analysing all the runs he seems to have been given extremely tender handling in all cases. His 3 runs over hurdles saw him never put into contention as he was allowed to come home at his own pace on each occasion and its clear that these 3 runs that occurred over a 21 day period in March were to get him a decent handicap mark.In relation to his flat runs, he was campaigned at Dundalk over 7/8f with his last start coming over 7f at Gowran Park in May. Again, in each occasion he was dropped out the back over a trip that was clearly too short and was tenderly handled on all 3 occasions. Resultantly, he's plummeted down the weights very quickly from a mark of 67 to 47 and given he is a Darley bred former Godolphin horse its very hard to envisage that he couldn't be competitive off this basement mark.

Circus Act's owner is now listed as MCR Bloodstock but after some investigation it appears that Douglas Taylor is the managing director of the company and the colours appear the same so it may simply be him maintaining ownership under a different name. Nevertheless, Douglas Taylor is a very interesting character as back in 2010 he landed a major punt on one of his horses called D Four Dave and reportedly picked up over €200,000 from the coup. I find this very interesting given that Circus Act appeared to be handled very tenderly in all his starts for his new yard. In relation to todays race, he comes here on the back of a 204 day absence and he is now back up in trip to just shy of 11f and the return to further looks sure to suit. Moreover, his best run to date came on the back of a 6 month absence so I think he'll be fit and ready to go for this race. In this apprentice contest, Leigh Roche takes the ride and he looks a very encouraging jockey booking - especially as his handler Dermot Weld has a runner in the field that doesn't yet have a jockey so I'm hoping that its a definite sign that Circus Act is fancied. This unexposed 4 year old has only had 8 starts on the flat to date and although he has yet to show a great deal I'd be very surprised if he didn't have enough ability to be competitive off this basement mark of 47 and although he clearly comes with a fair few risks attached I think that is most definitely factored into the price. Although the draw in stall 12 could have been kinder, I'm hoping Circus Act has indeed been laid out for a race and I'm hoping he can break his maiden at the 9th time of asking on the flat to improve his trainer's already impressive 22% strike rate at the track.

Cart

Is he entered in the mcr hurdle in January. Mcr owned the winner in 2011 final approach and he had only 3 runs before that race. Could be laid out for that race.

rossom

Cart wrote: »

Is he entered in the mcr hurdle in January. Mcr owned the winner in 2011 final approach and he had only 3 runs before that race. Could be laid out for that race.

Only rated 90 over hurdles so I don't think he'd get in at present. Will be all over him if he goes for it though.

UrbanSea

Circus Act the one I like there. Was going to back Asian Wing earlier on but could only get 12/1 I wanted 16s. Nearly puked watching him win at 25s

BQQ

kc66 wrote: »

Have to admit I don't know much about horse racing, got a tip from a source that has come up with a few decent price winners recently. 100% on the last 3 tips. Was 7/1 a while ago, currently 4/1 Alghanem in 9.25 in Dundalk.

nice one. Thanks:D

rossom

Winner pissed in!

Circus Act ran a belter in 3rd. He was keen early on and considering he couldn't have been any less fancied in the market drifting out to 20/1 speaks volumes about that run. He'll come on an awful lot for that and his winning turn won't be far away at all.

ste2010

Cheers rossom Did a decent each way on him..pulled me back out of the water after an appalling day today!
What is the story with Hobbs high class horses and fences...crazy!!!

Ray Mond

kc66 wrote: »

Have to admit I don't know much about horse racing, got a tip from a source that has come up with a few decent price winners recently. 100% on the last 3 tips. Was 7/1 a while ago, currently 4/1 Alghanem in 9.25 in Dundalk.

Nice one man

jimjamcos

ste2010 wrote: »

Cheers rossom Did a decent each way on him..pulled me back out of the water after an appalling day today!
What is the story with Hobbs high class horses and fences...crazy!!!

Definitely a dose of Fenceophobia going round his yard these last few years!