Double Dutch, 27th January 2014

Double Dutch

Double Dutch, 27th January 2014

No joy yesterday, I’m afraid as Felix Yonger was a nine-length runner-up in the opener and the well backed (6/1 to 11/4) Dunowen Point was a disappointing last home in our second contest, with our other horse, Tranquil Sea only one place ahead in 3rd.

Yesterday’s results were as follows:

Felix Yonger: 2nd at 5/2 (adv 9/4)
Defy Logic: 5th at 11/8  (adv 9/4)
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Tranquil Sea: 3rd of 4 at 5/2 (adv 9/4)
Dunowen Point: last of 4 at 11/4 (adv 6/1)

Results to date:
128 winning selections from 455 = 28.13%
41 winning doubles in 122 days = 33.61%

Stakes: 242.00pts
Returns: 248.04pts

P/L : +6.04pts (+2.50% ROI)

Not much to go at today, I’m afraid. Heavy ground jumping at Ayr and a poor-looking A/W meeting at Wolverhampton are all we have on offer, so let’s take one race from each. Nobody can say we haven’t tried!

1.15 Ayr

I really can’t see this race not going to one of the top two in the market. Final Assault is the current 6/4 BOG favourite with Hills and is clearly a horse improving with each run (5442 to date). He was only beaten by a length and a half least time to a horse that was a consistent placer on the flat in Ireland. He didn’t get a smooth passage that day in a field of 12 and is less likely to get bumped about in a filed half the size today.

My preference, however, lies with McLovin who is currently available at 13/8 BOG with Coral. He finished ahead of 21 runner at Navan just over a fortnight ago and was only beaten by the highly- rated and very useful-looking Aklan (who has won at Listed level on the Flat!). The odds-on Mullins’ favourite won comfortably by nine lengths that day, but McLovin had the rest of that large field strung out behind him. There’s no Aklan-type here today and a similar run should be enough to land this race.

*

5.10 Wolverhampton:

We just have to start with The Blue Dog, who seeks a four-timer here today at 2/1 BOG. She’s clearly in the form of her life with those three wins inside a week, the last of which was over course and distance 10 days ago. 7lb claimer Joe Doyle takes the ride once again and he’s 3 from 3 on this 7yr old horse, who has three wins at this track and also boasts a record of two wins and four places from seven efforts over C&D (2253121). She’s up 5lbs to a career-high mark of 74, but I’m unsure whether that’s enough to stop her, but…

…if it is, then I’d expect Persian Patriot to be snapping at her heels. This one had been knocking on the door with successive runner-up finishes (beaten by a length and then by half a length) before breaking her duck last time out at Southwell 18 days ago. She’s unexposed at this trip, with just that half-length defeat at kempton on her only attempt at the distance, but the way she won over 1m3f LTO suggests she’ll be a player here. Best priced at 85/40 with BetVictor, she’s a very creditable alternative to the original selection.

4 x 0.5pt BOG doubles as follows:
Final Assault / The Blue Dog @ 13/2 (6/4 & 2/1 with Hills)
Final Assault / Persian Patriot @ 13/2 (6/4 & 2/1 with Hills)
McLovin / The Blue Dog @ 6.88/1 (13/8 & 2/1 Coral)
McLovin / Persian Patriot @ 6.88/1 (13/8 & 2/1 Coral)