Sunday 26th April

Brighton
3.15
Saints Bay 0.5pt E/W - unpl

3.50
Lady Hestia 1pt win - WON 9/2 (adv)
Clazaghe 1pt win - 5th

4.25
Rapid City 1pt win - WON 4/1 (best odds gt'd adv)
Tignello 1pt win - 7th

5.25
Green Velvet 0.5pt E/W - unpl

4.5pts profit on the day making it 15.8pts profit over the past 8 days.

Many punters dislike Brighton but from a betting point of view it's one of my favourite tracks, I rarely come away a loser and all today's best bets were at the Sussex track. In the claimer (3.15) El Dececy had an obvious chance at the weights but at the prices I was prepared to take a chance with Richard Hannon's 3yo filly, Saints Bay, at the other end of the weights. She was tailed off after a furlong and it was reported she returned lame.

I talked up Lady Hestia's future chances after her last run on Thursday 9th April. She made no mistake on this, her 2nd handicap start, knuckling down well to score - she should improve further. Calzaghe, a winning selection last Sunday, was arguably an unlucky loser back in 5th. He was denied a clear run at crucial time and wasn't knocked about once in the clear.

It's been some time since Rapid City contested a handicap, he has held his own in claiming and selling company recently and looked well weighted on his old handicap form. We've come to expect improvement when a horse joins Jim Best and indeed Rapid City did make his return to handicap company a winning one. He was a decent effort considering he pulled hard early (as did many) due to the dawdling pace. He could follow up if the handicapper is fair. Tignello was one of many who suffered due to the 'gallop' and is capable of better.

In the last Travis Block allowed his mount, Green Velvet, to be carried wide by Toby Atkinson on Multahab. Both horses lost all chance due to this manoeuvre and their form lines are best ignored. Who's more foolish? The fool, or the fool that follows him?

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

Combined
Bets 89
Winners 33
P/L +29.98pts
ROI 28%

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 59
Winners 19
P/L +5.75pts
ROI 8%

All bets proofed to Racing Post