Hello, Friend,

I hope you had a great weekend. I've just about recovered from my trip up to Liverpool, where 32 RTPS owners/partners/friends enjoyed Aintree's hospitality. Great company and some superb racing. I suspect that will become an annual event and we may well open up invites next year, the more the merrier

Below you can find some musings for today's card from Uttoxeter. They're not 'tips' but with any luck I say something of interest for today and moving forwards.

It's been a decent start for the 'December Trainer Angles', a bit better than November's efforts - Venetia fired in x3 winners on Saturday, 3/6,3p, +29 BFSP. Not bad at all, hopefully more to come.

A big thanks to those of you who've shown a firm interest in Golden Mayflower.(pic above) We've got more than enough interested to secure a controlling percentage in her, and we can't wait to get cracking with our first flat horse. It promises to be an exciting journey. Amy reports her wind op to have gone well and she's now back at Southgate Stables recuperating, before being geared up for a run on the sand in the next month.

We still have some shares available and you can find out more HERE >>>

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To Uttoxeter...

Nothing from Adam or myself today ‘tipping’ wise, so I thought I’d have a flick through the Uttoxeter card. It’s a fascinating one, certainly with eyes on the future.

First up, flicking through Geegeez, a handful of trainers who appear in decent form in the last 14 days, certainly way above their 365 day figures when it comes to win %, win/place % and % of rivals beaten…

• Fergal O’Brien: 34% wsr / 49% w|p sr / 65% RB

• Nigel Hawke: 20% wsr / 40% w|p sr / 58% RB

• Ben Pauling: 28% wsr / 52% w|p / 74% RB

• Ryan Potter: 25% wsr / 41% w|p sr / 55% RB

• Kim Bailey: 25% wsr / 46% w|p sr / 60% RB

• Oliver Signy: 33% wsr / 50% w|p sr / 70% RB

• Alastair Ralph: 22% wsr / 44% w|p sr / 53% RB

Whether any of that group have any winners today, we shall see, but a few smaller yards there also worth keeping an eye on in the coming days. Fergal is rarely out of form but they’re going along particularly well at the moment. Nigel Hawke – well he’s had a 5% wsr in the last 364 days, evidently in better form now with a couple of recent winners. I wonder if the yard has had issues which they’re now getting over, not impossible.

Ben Pauling has been in mad form since moving yards, his horses seemingly transforming for the switch in surroundings and facilities, the trainer having noted how many are just much more relaxed. He wont maintain a 28% wsr forever (esp as some become badly handicapped) but has been doing so for some weeks now. Potter, Signy and Ralph are all smaller operations worth keeping an eye on, they know what they’re doing I think and will no doubt have some better priced winners in the coming days/weeks.

In terms of horses today…

11.55 – this could well be between the in-form O’Brien string and that of Nigel Hawke , Hurricane Harvey vs Ballymagroaty Boy, in what doesn’t look a strong race. This is weaker than many races HH has been running in, the move back up in trip may help, could be the perfect opportunity for him here, first run in a C4 since handicapping/non maiden hurdle days. I suppose I’d always favour the ‘class’ angle when stuck, so maybe that would swing it ahead of Hawkes – the latter is well handicapped though and his 3rd start after a monster break, he should relish this return to 3 miles. I thought he may want softer ground but i would expect a much better run here today and on his very best form, he could win this. Maybe they’ll be scrapping it out, for all I haven’t looked in great depth.

1.55 – looks far to complicated to me at a quick glance, although obviously I like to see the Amy Murphy horses run well and Symbolic Spirit looks interesting up in trip, but with stamina to prove. She wasn’t stopping LTO. However, lots of lightly raced handicapping lurkers and it’s low grade, something may have jumped out of their stable having decided today’s the day to put it all in.

2.25 – Venetia has one in here and evidently in decent form now, having finally got enough work into her string at home. Tanganyika – a November Angle qualifier above – hard to know what to expect really, not much to go on, ex-French 4YO – didn’t do much LTO but she may have left loads to work on and this is a much weaker race. A bigger run wouldn’t be a shock but this is just the sort Venetia would handicap over hurdles – introduce him gently to UK racing this season, a summer off to strengthen up, maybe two if sticking to hurdles next year – only to, at some point, win hard held on the bridle when chasing and racking up a sequence. However, he may do something over timber before then. I still can’t believe the ease with which her chasers won on Saturday.

2.55 – a cracking little novice handicap chase to watch with eyes on the future. The money has come for Skelton’s, who ‘could be anything’ now chasing and is a former point winner. He didn’t do much wrong over hurdles. I do wonder if the Skelton’s have changed approach at home, certainly with staying chasers – they’re on a fine run with those this season in big races, fair play to them, but they’ve certainly found the key to getting the best out of their stayers. This horse could be a future 3 miler in the making.

I do think Cobbler’s Dream may be underestimated at 10/3, a reasonable chasing debut/seasonal return, jumping well. I suspect he may come on bundles for that fitness wise and was a very very good handicap hurdler, his form solid. He sets a very good benchmark here if running his race and I hope he wins for Jack, who’s building up a good relationship with Ben Case, as well as Richard Bandey (got a big priced novice hurdler earlier on) and Neil King, to supplement his stable jockey duties for Amy. The Cob could be a 3 mile slogger in the making for Ben Pauling, a decent hurdler at his best, chase debut here, this trip could be sharp enough at this course/ground, we shall see. He’s interesting though also. Olly Murphy has a ‘could be anything’ type in here also, the market may guide. In any case, a race to watch for the future I think, interesting enough. If I was track side, I’d have a nibble on Cobblers.

3.25 – Quick Draw always strikes me as the sort of horse to oppose, as he’s a thinking who doesn’t put it all in every time. Maybe this is his time but not one to trust – just then a case of finding one to oppose him with! Easy. Ahem. Again, a fair few lightly raced chasers and this could be one to keep an eye on also for the future.

Hmm, I think Animal at 7s would be top of my list, he will be winning more chases from this mark when getting back to the level of his Fakenham win. He needed the run LTO, drops back in trip here, Gavin Sheehan on. I like his chances.

Eaton Collina may be next best in, 6s-5s or so, fit after return LTO, chasing debut. Could come on bundles for that experience, especially mentally. Kerry Lee in fine form, her main jockey now jumps back on, hurdles winner, ran in races that have worked out.

Maybe they’d be the two for me to oppose Hendo’s with.

Windance is the one to keep an eye on for the future – maybe the excellent Antony Honeyball will have him ready here, first run 580 days but also chase debut. I’d rather watch at 8s but he was a solid hurdler and I’ve no doubt this mark will be left behind at some point over fences.

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Do with that little lot as you please, hopefully I’ve said something useful, or at least interesting to read.

All the best,

Josh