One win from the three Saturday selections was definitely not good enough, but it reduced the damage.
More Thunder managed to win in a head bob in the Bunbury Cup. I thought if he got a clear run, he'd win that race quite comfortably, but he made a meal out of it. He got a clear run on the inside rail, but didn't show a turn of foot.
Blue For You was very weak in the market in the opener at York and ran like the market suggested.
Archivist went from the front in the big handicap at York, was given every chance to win the pot, but wasn't good enough on the day. Maybe he didn't see the trip out, or maybe he isn't as good as what connections thought he was. He finished in third, so he ran a credible race.
Only Spoofing 8/1 (0.5pt EW, 4pl) – Navan 2.15
There is a lot of racing on Sunday, and some Group races in France. For the most part, the racing isn't of great quality, so it's just the one selection from me which comes at Navan.
Only Spoofing has been a fantastic horse over the years; he never reached the pinnacle of sprints, but he comes back year after year. He is now an eleven year old, and has already been a winning selection for me this year, so there is sentimental value with him.
I normally back him when he comes to the UK as the trainer has done well with his UK runners in the past. Today, he runs at Navan, which is another track he has done well at in the past. The big indicator that a good run is on the cards is if he is strong in the market, so I'd recomend watching the betting to see if any strong money arrives.
His handicap mark is below his last winning mark, which came at Musselburgh earlier this season, so on that basis alone, he is likely to go very close. There are younger and more unexposed horses in this race, but the level of their form is very debatable, so I'm more than happy to give another chance to the old boy who knows where the winner's enclosure is.
Navan has been a happy hunting ground for Only Spoofing over the years, which has seen him rack up three wins at the venue. The good ground is also in his favour, with nine of his fourteen career wins coming on this surface, and the rest coming on good to firm. Joey Sheridan has already won on him before, so he knows the horse well.
The trainer, Kevin Thomas Coleman, does much better with his UK raiders compared to his Irish runners. However, his strike rate at Navan is one of his better tracks, with a much better strike rate than the majority of the other Irish tracks.
GambleAware