Bert’s Horseracing Blog

I was a bit down yesterday thinking about the number of second places I have, so I checked out the stats.  The stats are poor for horses running in my name - 3 wins, 7 seconds, 6 thirds from 39 runs.  If I include all horses I have a piece of the figures are 22-30-14 - not great but not a disaster.  The Comic Strip Heroes do best with 12 wins to 10 second and 4 third.

Two seconds yesterday, but very different stories.  With Skid Solo we felt after the race that we should have won it - Alan hadn’t seen the winner coming and  he would have ridden differently if he had, there was better ground down the middle of the course and given that Skid is more of a 6f type he should have pushed on earlier than he did.  I accept all of these excuses, but it was a disappointing run nevertheless - we thought a lot of the horse beforehand and he hasn’t lived up to it.

With Bouguereau the more I looked at the race the more pleased I was.  He lost fair and square, but he may have caught a tartar in Unnefer, who also had everything in his favour - he likes cut, 10f is probably his optimum, he was extremely fit, he is small and was less buffeted by the strong wind.  The rumours were that Unnefer had been working extremely well with Twice Over and Henry Cecil had upped his opinion of the horse.  Bouguereau on the other hand definitely wanted further, and looked like he could have gone around again after the race.  We’re thinking of the Italian Derby and I hope we go for it.

No runners today.  I’ve been told Sound of Nature goes well at Newbury and Old Benny in the Scottish National.  I like Moyenne Corniche in the first at Newbury (dam did well between 2 and 3, family handle cut) and Transcend (specialist 7 furlong, needs cut) in the 2:40 at Thirsk.  I may also back Wi Dud at Thirsk who I think is an old pro now despite respect for the 2nd fav.