A NICE DAY DOWN THE LOCAL

Ben Morgan popped to nearby Ludlow and left with his pockets bulging

The Ebor Handicap is the centrepiece of York’s four-day August meeting and is invariably one of the toughest races of the year for punters to solve, as befit.

Ebor Handicap is the centrepiece of York’s four-day August meeting and is invariably one of the toughest races of the year for punters to solve.

After a fairly successful Cheltenham Festival, where many struggled, I was going into the final third of the Jumps season in front and pretty happy with the Winter’s work. Speaking to a few shrewd punters in the aftermath of Cheltenham they admitted it was a losing week and when you look back at the horses that didn’t win you can see why it was a difficult week.

Good wins on Marine Nationale, Corach Rambler, Stage Star and You Wear It Well secured my profit for the meeting but it could have so easily gone the other way.

Just two weeks after the Festival, the Flat turf kicked off with the Lincoln meeting. I don’t usually get involved in this apart from a sporting bet in the big one itself but I found myself fancying a few starting with Vadream in the Cammidge Trophy. Looking at her record you would have to admit she doesn’t win often enough given her ability but she appears to be a fussy sort and everything has to drop right hence why she only had the one win to her name prior to Doncaster.

Her form on the all-weather wouldn’t inspire you but she wouldn’t be a horse to excel around those tracks as she needs a straight 6f on soft ground to be seen anywhere near her best. I think this is why she was freely available at 12/1 (£10 each way) once decs came out but soon shortened as the shrewdies caught on to the fact she was race fit in a flakey enough race.