One runner-up finish and one win were the end products of Wednesday's racing.
I managed to tune in to the middle of Cloud Forest's race, and I thought he ran a perfectly respectable race. He came under pressure a little sooner than I'd have hoped, but he stuck to his task and finished second to a very good winner.
Lion Of Mali was extremely well supported in the market, and he delivered the goods for James Fanshawe and David Egan. He moved through the race like the best horse, and when he came challenging on the bridle, it was a question of how many lengths.
Blue Hercules 7/4 – Ffos 4.37
Whenever Emmet Mullins sends a runner to the UK over the jumps, his horses are ridiculously priced and are shorter odds than they should be. His strike rate over the jumps when bringing them across is solid enough for them to do that, but this is a flat race, and it's completely different.
Emmet has had one winner on the flat in the UK in 26 attempts, which is a shocking ratio. His runner in this race is interesting now that he's back with Emmet and they are willing to travel for a flat race, but he's got questions to answer. My selection in this race, Blue Hercules, also has questions to answer, but he's definitely a more solid option than the favourite.
Blue Hercules' main question is why are you 86 rated but hasn't managed to win a race, which is fair enough, but it's not like he's a twenty-race maiden. This is going to be his best chance to date to win a race, as on paper it's one horse who could win, unless Saaffya makes an impressive debut. Blue Hercules has run to a very strong level, and we know this trip is fine for him. Winday has run much further over the jumps, but on the flat, he has raced just beyond a mile.
Haaderr 4/1 – Southwell 7.00
With a decent amount of rain coming from the forecast thunderstorms, I think trying to avoid the turf racing is the play. At a solid enough price, Haaderr caught my attention on his second run at Southwell.
The sandpit isn't what it used to be, where niche horses would love the old Southwell, and others would detest. However, it's still a track which favours some horses better than others, and not every AW horse likes running there. Haaderr put in his career-best performance at this track on his sole visit, so despite not winning or improving on that RPR in his latest two turf starts, the return to Southwell could be profitable.
I think the reason he isn't vying for the top of the market is because of his last two starts. They weren't bad efforts by any stretch of the imagination, but the piece of form to focus on is the Southwell victory. If he follows in his mum's footsteps, the artificial surfaces might be where he's always wanted to be. There is a chance he'll make the running as well, which is always a positive in my eyes around the AW tracks.
GambleAware