I’ve had better

I’ve had better weekends.  On Friday in the day my main fancies ran badly, although I found a couple of winners to limit the damage.  I had three runners in the evening, all fancied a little bit and they all finished tailed off!  I decided to have a go at the Scoop6 on Saturday – I put only one in each of the first two races and covered most of the runners in the last four.  The bet cost me £8k – it blew out on the first leg when Markab came second.

All my adult life I’ve had a problem with headaches – I had one on Saturday that had me reeling for the whole day.  In the days when I played bridge for a living my headaches were a huge liability – I’d spend weeks building up money in my account and blow the lot in one day, turning up at the club with a splitting headache and playing like a complete novice.  Saturday was a bit like that – I lost a stack of money punting injudiciously throughout the afternoon.

I woke on Sunday without a headache but with a terrible cold – often a headache for me is the sign of a cold coming.  I found out later that I’d made a small profit on my Scoop6 – I hadn’t realised that there was a place pool as well, and the accrued place dividends came to £9k. 

On Sunday night I did a terrible thing – I watched I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.  I watch very little TV these days – I haven’t got time for it and there isn’t a lot I want to watch anyway.  I don’t watch reality shows in general – the only one I’ve ever enjoyed is IACGMOOH which seems to appeal to the sadist in me.  Having watched one episode I now know I’ll be glued to the set for the rest of the series.  Oh well.

I’m looking strange at the moment – I’ve been growing a moustache in November for charity.  It’s an Australian custom called Movember – Betfair is full of Aussies, all suitably moustachioed right now.  I’ve gone for a Hulk Hogan number accompanied by sideburns and a little extra bit under my lower lip.  Every weekday morning I drive my daughter and a few of her friends to school and I’ve been getting very strange looks from the mums.  Only a few days to go.

I tried to claim a horse today – Kinigi in the 1:10 at Southwell.  It was an obvious claim and there were 21 claims in – she went to Conor Dore.

I’m fairly positive about the three runners on Friday.  Effingham was hopeless – beaten at the first bend – but he’s better than that.  He’s a tricky ride and he probably needs strong driving – he has a slight leg problem and can be a slow starter.  He’s been dropped 7lb – if we can get inside his head there are races to be won with him.  Shepherd’s Warning could do with coming down the handicap a bit – she was dropped 2lb but I doubt that’s enough for her.  She’ll be back in claimers soon.  I don’t think King’s Head enjoyed being crowded – he might be better being dropped right out the back and coming with a late run from there as he did at Epsom. 

Mon Michel is currently in for a novice chase at Taunton on Thursday, and he’s likely to stand his ground.  It could turn out to be quite a hot race, but we’re ready to take our chances.