Good Morning, Friend

Royal Ascot Day 5...

Apologies for disappearing yesterday, due to various reasons I won't bore you with I was unable to email out any content. Hopefully you stopped by Geegeez for my Sandringham preview where I landed on 66/1 and 18/1 placed horses EW. It's been a solid week with those four previews... 9 bets / 1 win / 4 places (inc win) / +36 points... if betting 1 point EW at SP, or +£180 to £5EW bets. I'll take it!

Such relative success again shows the benefits of a fresh mind and putting in the work with just one 'big race' in focus at a time. I've no idea how people rattle through more than 3 races at day at this meeting and do them justice and I doff my cap to anyone who does so successfully. There's an argument that I should do that with one big handicap a week maybe. We shall see.

I'm off to Royal Ascot for the first time today, and for my sins had a quick flick through the card - whizzing through in around 30 minutes can only spell disaster of course (I spent 1-2h on each of my four preview races for Matt) and I know I shouldn't bother typing up the below as I'll get what I deserve but I'm playing with small stakes that I don't mind losing, so here I go...

First up, the 5pm/Wokingham- a trends race... my profile led to a long list of... Khanjar, Saint Lawrence, Spangled Max, First Folio, Flaming Rib, Hurricane Ivor, Tanmawwy, Spirit of Light, Abasheer... the trends profile is a bit so so, but has found 11 of the last 15 winners, so here's hoping.

Of those, I think my £2 bets may be sprayed around... Tanmawwy 33s, Spangled Mac 20s, Saint Lawrence 16/1+ and maybe Albashear 40/1. More in hope than expectation and just a bit of fun. The only winner of this race I've found since blogging was Baccus a few years back, for all he was 33s. It looks like high is the place to be on the straight course now but it does depend on pace, of which on paper there are not many front runners in this, so we'll see how it goes.

Of the rest... well I've used my Trainer/Jockey combo pointers from my free report in a few races, which have had a decent week also I think. Well Ryan and Frankie have had a great time and they did dominate the stats.

2.30 - La Guardia - 11/2 - Ryan may win this on the jolly for Aidan, but at 2s, i'll just watch. The 'selection' won well at Goodwood on debut and the three that followed him home all won their next starts. Drawn high, Kevin will be riding with confidence now, Amo having a good week, 11/2 could be fair. Seyadaty Sedaty hits my Balding/Murphy micro combo, he needs to take a big step forward, but you never know.

3.05 - Covey - 5/2 - one for Frankie and Johnny G. That will do! In truth not a price I really want to dive into but can enjoy watching/cheering him on.

3.40 - Highfield Princess 5/1 (NAP...) - will this race come too soon? That's the question. If it doesn't and she runs as well as a few days ago, back up in trip, she sets a fair standard here and 5s looked fair I thought, but she could bomb out of course. The sort post-race who when they win at an ok price you go...oh, that was obvious.

4.20 - Free Wind - 11/10 / Changingoftheguard 6/1 - well I think Frankie may well win this but again I'm not diving in at 11/10. For my track-side £5 i may bank on Ryan trying to make all here and getting the fractions right but a chance his isn't good enough, does need to take another step forward. But one for my trainer/jockey combo stats again, indeed they both hit those. Maybe a 1-2?

5.00 - as above, throw some darts, hope for the best! Orazio will probably bolt up now, the quick ground an unknown for him.

5.35 - Canute - 5/1 - one for the Moore/AOB combo stats again from my report. Maybe Moore and Frankie will be battling it out again.

6.10 - Run For Oscar - 3/1 (Next Best) - the way he bolted up in last season's 'CES' handicap lives long in the memory and I suspect this has been his early season plan. This trip 'could' unlock more on the flat, we shall see. The market suggests a two horse race.

So, some musings there, I won't be playing with big stakes (£2s-5s), I haven't put in the time to justify bigger, but hopefully there's a winner somewhere above. I will try and use my 'track-side eye' also. Hmmm. My Geegeez previews have ensured a great week. All good fun.

Have a great day and enjoy the rest of your weekend,

Josh