I have picked three horses today on this quiet Monday afternoon and the first of those comes at Leicester in the 2.50. Three Kingdoms for the in-form John Ferguson stable looks like the one to side with if taking to fences.  He was progressive over hurdles having won three times before finding the Supreme Novices Hurdle all too much at the Festival in March. He has been off since and returns in a beginners chase today. He does face stiff competition in the form of Thomas Crapper who has run well in his first two chase starts. He is likely to have been well schooled at Bloomfields and with a clear round of jumping can hopefully come out on top today.

The remaining two selections run in the concluding races at Plumpton and the first of those is Little Boy Boru. He carries a 6lb penalty for his most recent success and with the others not having much form to go on he looks the safest option running in a similar race to that of his last time out win. Harry Bannister is a capable pilot and his experience should stand him in good stead here today.

Finally in the bumper I have gone for Sadler’s Gold for David Pipe and Tom Scudamore. Although it is his debut today he fits the profile of a likely winner here. His stable have won the race with similar types in recent years and he is well supported to open his account. It doesn’t look to be the strongest race and of those who have had a run Rude And Crude looks the one to follow him home after being sold to Lawney Hill after winning his completed point start.

Teak runs in the 3.40 Fakenham today for trainer Ian Williams and jockey Richard Johnson. Teak has been running extremely well this summer and having won three times on the flat and twice over hurdles, he has finished second on his only chase start this summer. He looks to have ran into an improver that day as he finished 11l clear of third. Wiesentraum looks to be the only danger having returned to form last time and having won this race last year knows what it takes to win. However I think that Teak is open to improvement over fences and is rated 2lb lower here than over hurdles which should give him every chance of winning in three different types of races this summer. He is a horse that at least this season you can rely on to run his race and should he continue in the same vein I think he will be a tough nut to crack.

Bets: 1 pt win Teak

As some of you may know from reading previous posts, Jaja De Jau recently conquered a selection of mine called Prettyasapicture last time out. Although she steps up in trip he looks to be progressing. It helps that Anthony Honeyball is in good form at present. There are a couple of horses running well and finishing in the places and also two who are looking to land their hat-tricks respectively. Although he is turned out again quickly I think it is worth siding with him as connections must feel he can follow up before his mark is revised. With a busy NH schedule he is partnered by the brilliant Denis O’Regan in place of Aidan Coleman who is in Ludlow. Only 11/4 generally and 3/1 with Bet365. 3.35 Southwell

Lively Baron runs in the 4.00 Carlisle for Donald McCain Jnr. and Jason Maguire. He won over the 3m 2f distance here when last seen in April and is only 5lb higher today. Mr. McCain’s string look to be in good shape at present and with most horses in the line up not having a recent run it is always worth keeping in-form yards on side. I think Ultra Du Chatelet may give him most to do if fully wound up for Lucinda Russell. He too is 3/1 with Bet365 and generally 11/4 elsewhere.

Bets: 1pt win on each and a 1pt double

Tizlove Regardless runs in the 20.00 tonight for Mark Johnston and Silvestre De Sousa. He has won 3 of his last 4 starts and those were all gained on polytrack. Having bombed out last time at Leicester I think it is fair to assume he runs a lot better on the sand tracks. Previously he had been improving with each step up in trip and all of this in a short space of time. He has been given a break and the race looks pretty moderate as they generally always are. I think it is worth forgiving his last run and the 3/1 on offer is a fair price in my opinion. I think Hedge End may give him most to think about.

Tahchee is my final selection in the 20.30 and is a very similar horse to Tizlove Regardless having won twice on the all-weather before disappointing back on turf last time. He now returns to the scene of both his wins and although is slightly up in class it is a very tight handicap with 6lb separating top and bottom weight. Although there are a couple of real dangers like Temple Road who now wears a hood and tongue tie for the first time tonight and Threetimesalady for Sir Mark Prescott, I think Tahchee can continue to improve now back on the all-weather. Again he too is 3/1 and I think it is worth forgiving his last run.

Bets: 1pt win each and 1pt double

So Noble goes in the 3.20 at Windsor for Willie Muir and Martin Dwyer. After a promising debut behind his stablemate, he went and won next time himself. He is stepping up in trip and faces heavy ground for the first time. He is by no means a certainty to win but he was allocated a mark of 69 which he ought to be capable of defying. He is completely unexposed and the 13/8 on offer with Paddy Power is a little skinny but with the likely form horse who ran yesterday (Mendacious Harpy) probably going to be a NR it will get even skinnier. Peak Storm may give him most to do if recapturing his old form.

Bet: 1pt win

Moving on to Sunday where the action is slightly less competitive than Saturday’s Champion Day, I have hopefully found a winner in Kempton. Parlour Games for John Ferguson and Barry Geraghty run in the listed novices hurdle at 3.20. He has won 2 of his 4 starts and returns to a far less competitive event than when he contested the Galway Hurdle last time. Trip and ground is perfect and although he may lack experience in contrast to his 5 rivals this track should also play to his strengths. John Ferguson is in good form at present and the horse is still 9/4 when writing in a couple of places and 15/8 with Paddy Power.

Blacklough runs 40 minutes later in the 4.00 at Cork and I think he is overpriced at 4/1. He was impressive when landing chase debut and ran no race having fallen at the first last time. That run was in a higher grade and he was due to run the other day but was taken out for one reason or another. He now reappears against reasonable opposition over 2m4f and if he is to be competitive at the top level he will have to be winning this today. Barry Geraghty rode the last few times and Davy Russell takes over as Barry is in Kempton. I would think Davy will suit the horse and is a positive booking. This is his ground and although I have a slight doubt about the trip he has won over it previously over hurdles.

Bets: 1pt win on each

Leading Light runs in the opening Long Distance Cup at 1.45 Ascot and he has the form in the book to land this 2m Group 2 on Champions Day. He is favourite and on what he has done, deserves to be. I would have had him as a 5/4 favourite myself but bookies are winning from leg 1 of Champions weekend and seem to be willing to take him on. He looks to only have to beat Forgotten Rules who has been impressive in both of his starts but does lack the experience of Leading Light. He looks to have the measure of Estimate especially on this ground. I think it was a riding error that caught him in the Irish Leger last time and I think 5/2 is a very generous price.

Zinnobar runs in the 8.15 Wolverhampton for Johnny Portman and Danny Brock. She has the form to make it 3 wins from 4 runs. She won twice before running into Alba Verde who was winning the first leg of her hat-trick on that occasion. She has gone up 4lb for that but it shouldn’t be enough to stop her as she was 7l ahead of the 3rd last time. She was also running over 1f further that day too and both wins have come over today’s distance.

Bets: 1pt win double

It is always worth bearing in mind anyone reading this who likes to have a bet that pricing up a race in which you fancy a horse can be beneficial. You don’t have to physically write down all the different prices of each horse if you don’t want to. I like to have a look through the race and it doesn’t matter if it’s priced up already or not, I then ask myself if this race was run ten times what are the chances of my horse winning and then I put odds to my horse. It can be very beneficial in the sense that a horse you think should be 5/1 might be priced up at 8/1. If this is the case you may decide to back it having expected 5/1 and consider it a good value bet. It can also help you if a horse you think should be a 4/1 chance is after opening at 2/1. You may not have a bet at that price and more often than not it will work out for you in the long run.

Moving on to today’s racing and coming up shortly is Ivawood in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket. I’ve liked this horse before he even ran having backed him at Sandown on debut. He won nicely that day but always looked as though the further up in trip he creeps the better he would be. He has won his last two over 6f and although it is talked about the ground being an issue, I personally wouldn’t share the same opinion. He is a shade of odds on at 4/5 with Paddy Power and I think that is a good price having put him in as a 1/2 chance myself. I think the bookies are taking a chance the ground will catch him out but it remains to be seen. It is a top class race so the dangers look to be Capella Sansevero and Charming Thought. Ger Lyons colt has ran respectably in defeats this season and Charming Thought can improve from winning moderate events.

This evening’s racing from Wolverhampton is where my next selection goes in the 7.20. Equally Fast runs for Willie Muir and jump jockey Dougie Costello takes the ride. He has already beaten Field Game and now meets him again on 4lb better terms. They look the two to concentrate on here and the swing in weights makes Equally Fast the one to side with here over the minimum trip. 9/4 with Paddy Power currently.

Bets: 1pt win on each

Today’s racing comes from Punchestown in Ireland, two National Hunt meetings in the U.K and two flat meetings also in the U.K. After having a good look through the cards I fancy at least one in each meeting so I have done a small multiple bet separate to the thread just in case I’m right and they all win! I have put the multiple bet horses at the bottom of this page.

Prettyasapicture runs in the opening race on today’s Wincanton six-race meeting and looks to have been found another winnable opportunity within a week after some shrewd placing from his handler Alan King. PAAP was a winner seven days ago under today’s retained rider Tom Bellamy in a conditional riders race, meaning he escapes the mandatory penalty. She is however due to go up 7lb in the future and therefore a winner without a penalty. I think it is worth concentrating on the three lowest weighted horses here, Jaja De Jau, Con Forza and the selection PAAP.  Con Forza is also a last time out winner for Phil Middleton and although was put up 10lb for that performance should still remain competitive. Jaja De Jau wasn’t given the best of rides behind PAAP and with a better jockey back on board today is entitled to finish closer than the 13l he finished in 3rd last time behind her. These three particular horses have less to prove than most in the line up and it looks likely they will fight out the finish amongst themselves. However, I think Prettyasapicture looks the safest option in what looks to be a pretty moderate race on face value and the extra 3f today shouldn’t pose a problem. (5/2 with most big firms)

Jolie Blonde runs in the concluding Wolverhampton race for Sir Mark Prescott and Luke Morris in the familiar silks of Miss Kirsten Rousing whose colours were carried to victory by Alba Verde yesterday. She like so many others is bred for staying distances and now looks to complete a hat-trick over an extended 2m and is interestingly also entered this Saturday again in Wolverhampton over 1m 4f. That is probably because she is due to go up another 4lb in the future. As with all these low level contests this looks like a penalty kick with the exception of Gimme Five for Alan King. Gimme Five has won over 1m4f on the flat and two hurdle races this summer and could prove to be better than his flat mark of 58. He looks like he will still probably have to play second fiddle to Jolie Blonde today as she looks well ahead of the handicapper at present. I think a straight forecast on Jolie Blonde to beat Gimme Five is also worth doing. (10/11 Bet365)

Bets: 1pt win on each and a 1pt double.

Multiple Bet horses:

Prettyasapicture @ 5/2 2.20 Wincanton

Jacksonslady @ 7/2 2.45 Punchestown

Alelchi Inois @ 5/6 3.45 Punchestown

There You Are @ 3/1 5.00 Uttoxeter

Jolie Blonde @ 5/6 8.30 Wolverhampton

Moving on to today’s racing, there is plenty of action both in the UK and Ireland. Punchestown takes centre stage in Ireland and there are four meetings to choose from in the UK. As you may have gathered I think the best opportunities of a winner or two will come from the lovely leafy Lingfield in Surrey. Having had a good look through all five cards, two horses stand out to me as having a good opportunity to strike. The fourth race on the Lingfield card features a small but select group of 2yos for this nursery. Ten horses go to post and over half of the field (7/10) have won a race already in their short careers. Rather than taking the view that this race is competitive on paper and the likeliness that all have their respective chances on figures, I have instead focussed on the fact that as 2yos these horses will generally be progressive as they mature into their careers. I narrowed the race down to four horses which are Evening Rain, Russian Heroine, L’addition and Koptoon.

L’addition is the biggest price of these but that is no reason to be put off having won here over C&D on her debut. She then ran twice on turf and has a chance, returned to all-weather and may be able to pick up on the AW where she had left off. Russian Heroine has had four runs and has been 2nd three times, all over 6f on turf and came agonisingly close to winning last time missing out by a nose. Her chance is obvious if she handles the AW surface and she represents top connections. Koptoon was a last time out winner and most importantly it was on a similar AW surface in Kempton. She is handed an opening mark of 78 but it is hard to gauge the form of that maiden having no worthwhile form to go on. She may well defy her mark but I am not convinced. Finally that leaves Evening Rain for the Saeed Bin Suroor and Godolphin operation who is the top weight on a mark of 82. She has ran respectably well on all four starts but her first three were over today’s 6f trip on turf. Interestingly she was upped in trip to 7f last time (also on turf) and despite finishing second, lost little in defeat. She looks to have the form to be competitive and her current mark is probably just right on what she has achieved so far. On her third run she was upped in class and ran well splitting 80+ rated performers and last time I think she wasn’t quite ready for 7f having plodded on at one pace against a winner who looks to be improving having won their previous race too. She has the assistance of cheekpieces and a very capable 5lb claimer in Kevin Stott on board to do the steering. While the surface is an unknown I think she has less to prove than some of the others and I expect her to get her head in front today. 5/1 with Bet365

In the penultimate race on the same card, Sir Mark Prescott runs a horse called Alba Verde over nearly 2m. She is a progressive horse having won her last two races since being upped in trip to around this distance. Having ran over inadequate trips earlier in her career she has now found the winning thread as so many do from Sir Mark’s yard. She is going for her hat-trick here and is probably not done improving just yet. I would think she will go off at a shade of odds-on so 6/5 (Bet365) may look good while it still lasts. Graylyn Ruby will probably give her most to do as she is a proven C&D winner. The race lacks any real strength so hence this short paragraph.

Bets: 1 pt win on each and an 0.5 pt double.