Saturday 25th April

Sandown
1.00
Nisaal 1pt win -unpl
Spotty Muldoon 0.5pt win - unpl

Ripon
2.55
Braille 0.5pt E/W - unpl

Haydock
6.40
Solas Alainn 1pt win - 3rd
Zuwaar 0.5pt win - WON 10/1 (adv)
7.10
Capucci 0.5pt E/W - 5th

A slight profit on the day (+0.5pt), continuing what has been a profitable and consistent week.

I felt afternoon's racing was too competitive for the most part and played in just two races. The first of which was the 1.00 at Sandown which turned out to be a total farce. The form for this race needs to be totally ripped up and forgotten. There was just one horse in the race, Twilight Star, who kicked clear early under Daryll Holland while the remainder chose to watch and admire rather than attempt to catch him. Perhaps the jump boys thought this was a 2m bumper at Towcester. The pack closed by the line but the winner never looked like being caught.

Hennessy landed the Bet365 Gold Cup under the McCoy drive at the end of a punishing gallop. There will be a separate post on this.

Tartan Bearer showed decent toe to pick up Pipedreamer who looked to have an unassailable lead inside the last. Not wanting to take anything away from the winner but it's possible the runner up got there a little too soon. Both these decent types look set for another solid season.

Light From Mars travelled like the winner in the 4.50 but Dunn'o rallied gamely to deny him. I believe the runner up is still improving and I'm hoping the handicapper leaves him alone for this effort so I can get stuck in next time out. Not for the first time in his career Tartan Gigha ran a strange race on turf. He looked a little unwilling at the halfway mark before running on well into 7th. There are races to be won with this horse but I feel he is happier on polytrack.

In the 6.40 Haydock I thought Zuwaar was over priced on the pick of his winter form and he bounced back to form. There may have been something amiss on his last start or perhaps he was feeling the affects of a busy A/W campaign, whatever the reason he benefited from a small break and was back to his best here. Solas Alainn looked slightly unlucky as he had little room inside the last, as I said on the line in the morning, it's a matter of time before this horse wins a staying handicap.

Capucci would've been close than 5th had he not dwelt badly in the stalls. He also refused to settle for the first half of the race, a result of his pilot urging him to make up that lost ground. He did well to put himself in with a chance at the one pole and could be ready to strike soon. It was a decent effort from Boy Blue in 3rd as he pulled ferociously in the first half of the race.

Will keep records of N.H. and A/W bets since the blog started, alongside the full Flat (turf) record...

Combined
Bets 85
Winners 31
P/L +25.48pts
ROI 25%

All-Weather
Bets 23
Winners 9
P/L +13.22pts
ROI 50%

National Hunt
Bets 7
Winners 5
P/L +11.01pts
ROI 138%

Flat (turf) 2009
Bets 55
Winners 17
P/L +1.25ts
ROI 2%

All bets proofed to Racing Post