This Looks Suitable For Right Touch

Last Friday’s missive worked out well with The Tin Man winning the Sprint on Champions Day at Ascot. As I mentioned to you, James Fanshawe has a very good record in top Ascot sprints and The Tin Man, a half-brother to Deacon Blue, won well. 13/2 was something of a bonus as he was only around 5/1 in most lists.

I thought Ribchester ran a fine race in the QEII but going up against Aidan O’Brien at present is a thankless task and Minding quickened when it really mattered. Ribchester will win top races at four, of that I’m quite sure.

I like the telephone line to dovetail with the Weekend Card and Friday blog where possible. Cloudberry was napped everywhere when he won at Sandown and I recommended him strongly again on Wednesday morning, when he still had three possible weekend outlets. Well, he won convincingly at Newbury but at 7/4 he was very short indeed. You could argue that, raised 5lb and with George Baker taking over from 7lb claimer David Egan, he needed to have come on the better part of a stone. Of course, George is a senior jockey and a very talented one, so we had plenty going for us. It’s just that on the line I try very hard for value and, with that in mind, I needed the lad on board again. Roger Charlton is a master trainer and probably knew Cloudberry had come on plenty again.

That one and RIGHT TOUCH were the only two horses I fancied over the weekend. I’m happy enough that Richard Fahey has chosen the seven-furlong conditions race at Doncaster on Saturday for Right Touch, who was most unfortunate over the trip at Goodwood in the spring. This will not be easy with the likes of Sovereign Debt in the field but I nurse the belief that Right Touch is still improving and I hope he proves the point on Saturday.

I’m not in form in sprint handicaps at the moment and George Bowen disappointed me at Doncaster on Friday. He seems to have lost his way but at least I’m getting a bit cannier in my old age and avoided the each-way. The five-furlong handicap on Saturday looks next to impossible but I see that Andrew Balding has booked Jimmy Quinn for DUNGANNON. This horse is a real autumn type and you can ignore what he does through most of the season. Of course, he’s not bound to come good again but 8st 2lb looks a very lenient mark and Quinn has done the business for the trainer a couple of times this term. A very small win and place bet is justified.