Performance ratings

SAGARO STAKES
Shipmaster 70

DAHLIA STAKES
Heaven Sent 77

2,000 GUINEAS
Henrythenavigator 85

HERITAGE HANDICAP (6f)
Off The Record 63

JOCKEY CLUB STAKES
Getaway 88

1,000 GUINEAS
Natagora 75

PALACE HOUSE STAKES
Captain Gerrard 72

PRETTY POLLY STAKES
Saphira’s Fire 61

It was a mixed Guineas meeting regarding trends, but there was plenty in the book to provide several winners and some of you must have been on Heaven Sent following the Snowdrop stat from Kempton – just a shame it was only 6/4. I managed to include that as a banker in my Placepot that came up which impressed my in-laws, however, a dividend of £190 means retirement is on hold – but it was enough to treat them to a meal after racing! My wife also weighed in with a tenner on Henrythenavigator – not via the trends – after her friend dreamt she would have a baby named Henry! Hmmm.

Heaven Sent was one of a few massively above-par winners, the other being Getaway, who should not be opposed wherever he goes next. The Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud or Coronation Cup are both on the agenda.

In the meantime, take a deep breath before another 11 races over the next five days, including the three-day Chester meeting. I’ve only been to this venue once a few summers ago during the off-peak football season and still recall the only time I’ve seen two-pint glasses of beer being served. Yes, two-pint glasses like buckets. The venue itself is a picture and I hope to return one day when it’s less packed.
I’ve had some good days punting there from a distance, especially in sprints, with the likes of Westcourt Magic, Classy Cleo and Damalis coming up trumps from the low stalls. The draw is often the talking point here and they certainly can’t be overlooked in big fields up to a mile. The Chester Cup is probably less important, and though I haven’t studied the race as yet, there looks a fair chance the winner may emerge from the bottom of the weights where some improving types lurk.

I was hoping to be blogging more regularly at the start of the season but other commitments – including writing the jumps book – have restricted me. However, stay tuned on a daily basis as I will try and blog two or three times a week, including random ante-post advice – an area that has been kind to me over the years.
A quick note regarding Top Of The Form in the Racing and Football Outlook and I hope some of you like the new-look chart. A few winners emerged last week such as Sion Hill at 9/1, but overall it was a rare below-par spell for the Top 20. Hopefully, things will get back on track this week with another flow of winners from the chart, and we’re hoping that the runners will soon be flagged up in the entries index.