Double Dutch, 13th December 2013

Double Dutch

Double Dutch, 13th December 2013

Porteous went down by a length and a half in the second race yesterday, putting paid to our hopes of a 13/1 double. The eventual winner got first run and although Porteous quickened and stayed on, he couldn’t get to the leader.

All this came after Funny Star had prevailed in a 4-runner race littered by bad jumping mistakes from all runners. In fact, it was a surprise that all four completed the race!

Yesterday’s results were as follows:

Funny Star: won at 5/2 (SP 9/5)
Workbench: 3rd of 4
———————————
Porteous: 2nd at 3/1
Nova Princesse: last of 8

Results to date:
83 winning selections from 294 = 28.23%
26 winning doubles in 80 days = 32.50%

Stakes: 158.00pts
Returns: 176.97pts

P/L : +18.97pts (+12.01% ROI)

We’re heading over the water at lunchtime, before tackling an all weather nursery:

12.05 Downpatrick:

This looks a really weak/poor race on paper with only two horses really capable of taking it (in my opinion, of course! :D). Rasco is most likely to start favourite (currently best priced at 5/4 with Seanie Mac) and showed great promise when 3rd behind Grade 1 winner and 1/9 fav Briar Hill at Wexford last month. Even just a repeat of that run should be enough to take this one.

For me, the only serious challenge would come from 13/8 chance Royal Captain, who was 6th on debut at Punchestown and showed enough there to suggest he’ll fare well over hurdles. His breeding certainly points towards him being useful in this sphere and connections will be looking to start seeing some return for their £20,000-plus purchase.

4.25 Wolverhampton:

Despite both market leaders having to carry 6lb penalties for winning last time out, I still think this will be a shootout between Nice Arty and Trinity Lorraine.

The bookies find little between them either, with both trading at around the 7/4 mark, although Hills are offering 2/1 about Trinity Lorraine. Both were winners here at Wolverhampton 11 days ago and are the only two in the field with any real recent form.

If I had to show a slight preference, I’d side with Nice Arty, as his win came over today’s trip, albeit in a claimer. Trinity Lorraine is being asked to go 2.5 furlongs longer than ever before and that might be all that separates the two.

4 x 0.5pt BOG doubles as follows:
Rasco / Nice Arty @ 5.19/1 (BetVictor : 5/4 & 7/4)
Rasco / Trinity Lorraine @ 5.47/1 (BetVictor : 5/4 & 15/8)
Royal Captain / Nice Arty @ 5.88/1 (SkyBet : 6/4 & 7/4)
Royal Captain / Trinity Lorraine @ 13/2 (Hills : 6/4 & 2/1)