Friday Wrap…

Geegeez Racing Club horse

Lots to share today, though nothing in particular. In this post, a further quick line on the Jim Best story, an update on the ratings competition, news of some tipping successes on this ‘ere blog, a new geegeez syndicate horse running today, and the races I’m planning to cover in tomorrow’s TV racing preview. Phew.

Let’s start with the Jim Best story. I wrote about this yesterday, and have been very interested to read your comments and opinions on the matter. This morning, a multiple owner from the Jim Best yard added his thoughts, which are a nice counterpoint. If you’ve not taken a look yet, it’s well worth a read. And, if you have, I’ve been through the Best stable runners to ‘out’ the next two possible plot jobs…

The first of the pair is Maria’s Choice. This ex-John Oxx and Sir Michael Stoute-trained horse was rated as high as 84 on the flat, before having four quiet runs in novice hurdles for his new yard. Beaten 32 lengths, 75 lengths, 46 lengths and 30 lengths is better than some of Best’s alumni prior to their big days, but a mark of 94 – granted after that thirty length loss last time – looks workable.

Expect a break of between 60 and 260 days from that last run on 13th August before he wins.

And a horse who is a far better fit to the identikit profile put together in yesterday’s post, is Staff Sergeant, rated 80 on the flat. He has so far had five runs over hurdles – the last three for Best – without getting nearer than 59 lengths to the winner. Awarded a rating of 89 after that last run, that looks extremely lenient in the context of his flat ability. His last race was on 17th June, so it will be interesting to see where he shows up next.

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It’s the last day for entries into the ratings competition today. There’s been a really good crop of entries so far, with 66 responses.

The competition closes at midnight tonight, and I’ll announce the lucky winners next week.

To remind you, the prizes are:

Overall winner will receive a Lifetime subscription to Geegeez Gold

One runner up will receive an Annual subscription to Geegeez Gold

Both subscriptions include the excellent Peter May speed ratings, as well as all of the other brilliant winner-finding content in Gold.

All details of how to enter can be found here

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Talking of winner-finding content, after a quiet enough week last week, Stat of the Day has been back with a bang in the last couple of days. Wednesday’s confident selection was Anglo Irish, nominated at 7/2 and returned the 11/4 favourite. It only takes one bet like that from the six Stat of the Day puts up each week to ensure at worst a small loss and, happily, SotD has been punching well above that level for a couple of years now.

It was little surprise to SotD’s loyal and raving fan base, then, when yesterday’s pick, Charlottes Day, won easily. What was surprising was that the suggested 9/2 Best Odds Guaranteed price was actually returned 8/1 starting price. Eight. To one. Those two winners are enough to cover off even a fortnight’s worth of supporting losers, though it is rarer than hen’s dentures when that happens.

Some people subscribe to Geegeez Gold purely for Stat of the Day. After all, at £24 a month for a tipping service that has been worth 220 points profit since it started, that’s going to easily cover the investment outlay. At £10 bets, it’s £2,200. At £20 bets it’s, well you do the sums… but it works!

Yesterday’s comments included these generous beauties (ignoring the one from me)…

Stat of the Day comments

If you’re not a subscriber to Geegeez Gold yet, you can trial Stat of the Day and all of the brilliant racecard features, including Dr Peter May’s best of breed speed ratings, free for ten days. Full details are on this page.

Oh yes, I almost forgot. Congratulations to Juan in Barcelona, our latest monthly Tipping League winner. His prize is £100 cash (about six thousand euros I think, at the current exchange rate. 😉 ), and he becomes the third winner in a row to be a Geegeez Gold subscriber. Just saying!

The Tipping League is open to all registered users, free or Gold, and you can win £100 every month. Go here to play.

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Also, whether you’re a current Gold subscriber or not, there are still a few Lifetime places on offer. I have done very little to advertise this because… well, because I don’t really need to or want to. I only make a few of these spots available at a time, and most of this batch have been taken this week.

For those who know they love Stat of the Day, and the Gold racecards and form tools, reports and Tracker, it’s a great offer. For everyone else, as you were. 🙂

The link, if you need it, is here. When the Lifetime option has gone from that page, they’re all gone, for now at least. The next time I open up a few spaces, whenever that is, they’ll be slightly more expensive, as a reward to those who have already committed to Geegeez Gold; but also as a reflection of the ongoing investment we’re making to the Gold tool kit.

I hope that all makes sense and sounds fair.

Lovely!

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Now then, the eagle-eyed amongst you may have spotted a horse entered today which is running in the Geegeez colours. He’s called Nonagon, and he’s having his first run for us this afternoon in the 3.25 Newcastle.

A three year old with just one run to his name, a promising staying on fourth over an inadequate five furlongs, Nonagon has been off for almost 500 days. That’s due to him picking up a tendon injury. But he’s been nursed back to fitness by wily Wilf Storey, a man who knows more about horses than I ever will, and who has trained some smart ones in his time, though not so much recently.

Myself, Councillor Jim, Tobacco Charlie, and Derbyshire Pete own a half between us – or an eighth each, if you prefer – and we’re hoping he gets home in one piece. We’re not expecting him to make the frame – and nor is the market, he’s a 33/1 shot – but I’ll be having a tenner each way… just in case!! But we hope to have some fun with him once he’s found his level.

I do occasionally get offered horses to syndicate and, as regular readers know, I occasionally buy one to syndicate. We’ve had a lot of fun with the likes of Khajaaly, Priceless Art and The Geegeez Geegee in recent times, and I might be tempted to put another syndicate together in the coming months. Do let me know if that’s of interest to you.

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I’m on daddy daycare duties all weekend, starting lunchtime today, as a consequence of Mrs Matt gallivanting off to do the Three Peaks Challenge, a twenty mile hill walk across the Yorkshire Moors. She’s faintly mad, and is actually going to be ‘yomping’ or racing it!

Anyway, the reason I mention it is because I’m aiming to preview a handful of the Saturday TV races, but time may beat me. I will make every effort to go through the Haydock Sprint Cup, a deeply competitive Group 1; and the Old Newton Cup, an intriguing handicap. Beyond that, I’ll do my best.

Have a great weekend from me and team here at geegeez, and back a winner or two!