Thursday 11th June

Nottingham
1.25
Volito 1pt win - 7th

2.30
Murcar 1pt win - unplaced

Newbury
2.10
Carbon Hoofprint 0.25pt E/W - 2nd 20/1 (adv)
Fantasy Land 0.25pt E/W - unplaced
Illusive Spirit 0.25pt E/W - unplaced

3.50
Kinetix 1.5pt win - 2nd

4.55
Devil To Pay 1pt win - 2nd

Yarmouth
3.25
Makaam 1pt win - unplaced

4.35
Style Icon 0.5pt E/W - 5th
Big Boom 0.25pt - 2nd 50/1 (adv)

A frustrating day with four selections finishing 2nd.

Volito ran well on the wrong side in the 1.25 at Nottingham, he can find another race when back in his own age group.

Jamie Spencer took over on Murcar who had finally got off the mark in handicap company previously. Murcar was an easy winner prior to this, always travelling well in front rank before kicking for home three out. However Jamie as his own ideas about every horse it seems, despite the animal looking so impressive when plenty of use was made of him, he decided to hold the horse up in the 2.30. The horse was never happy and ran abysmally.

Carbon Hoofprint in consistent and well treated on maiden form. He ran a solid race in the Newbury 2.10. He will find a race soon.

Devil To Pay still looked ahead of the handicapper after a recent Goodwood win and he travelled well in the 4.55. However he could only finish 2nd to Strathcal and I think this was simply a case of running into a better treated rival from an in-form yard. Devil To Pay should continue to pay his way over the summer.

Plenty of the Yarmouth form should be torn out the book due to the adverse going, the result of a poor decision to water prior to a heavy downpour. Racing was delayed for an hour due to flooding. This put pay to any chance Makaam had and his run in the 3.25 is best ignored.

The same can be said about Style Icon (4.35) who actually ran well in 5th considering. This was perhaps the most frustrating race of them all as Big Boom, backed down from 50/1 in the morning to 8/1 on-course, finished 2nd. Racing alone due to his stall one draw the only reason for defeat. He was massively over priced on the early birds and this was a fine effort from outside the weights. He may find compensation in the future but for me this really was the one that got away.

In the 8.20 at Haydock, Sunshine Always and Foreign Investment were independently unlucky. Both clipped heels with different horses when going well. More to come from both.