IT'S AN EVER COMPETITIVE MARKET

Paul Jacobs discovers the perils of what promises to be a hectic schedule of August meetings

- Paul Jacobs

The height of summer normally arrives with me opening my [old school paper] diary and seeing at the head of the month in large black type 'Back Mark Johnston Horses During August and especially middle distance handicaps at Glorious Goodwood'.

Having not hit the mark at Royal Ascot and with Mark's name now not on the trainer's deeds I fancy plenty of the reps from the Kingsley Park yard will go off at even better value prices during the five day festival, so do make a note rather like me.

As for more specific fancies during the week, August 1 through August 5, there are certain races that I will be targeting this year.

Starting with the Lennox Stakes on Tuesday, which having looked recently at the ante-post book looks wide open with amazingly just the one layer offering prices as I pen this piece on July 17 (Paddy Power), which in itself is a disgrace with bookmakers complaining that horse racing turnover is at an all time low.

Just going out on a limb on this subject. The horse racing market place has never been so competitive, with more bookmakers than ever, on and offline, chasing fewer bucks and yet some are simply not putting themselves out for us punters. An example of this came last week when on Friday I went into my local Corals and asked for a price on the John Smith's Cup at York the following day.