Review of the day

This is my 8th season tipping, and prior to this month, I’d only previously recorded 5 losing months.
The lack of success today, means I've now reached half a dozen !                                                          

To be fair, it’s been a relatively quiet month: I’ve only tipped on 5 days (including Thursday) - and even on the tipping days, opportunities have been hard to find.

I also don’t think I’ve had much luck this month: if either of the 2 that went close at Warwick a fortnight ago had won - or if Muratello had got up last week, then things would have been different - but they didn’t.

Instead I only managed to record one win in the month - and even that one looked as if it had got beaten !

I was hopeful that I’d found a few capable of turning round fortunes at Cheltenham today - but that’s not how it worked out.

Once again, I managed to make a few wrong calls - and that coupled with no good fortune, saw another losing day…

Sully D’Oc was the first tip to run - and I don’t think he was a bad call, nor did he suffer any ill luck.
Simply, he was competing in a very hot race - and he wasn’t up to the job.

He travelled nicely to the home turned - but then his stamina appeared to give out.
I suspect he will be cut back in trip for his next outing.

Count Meribel was the next tip to run - and I fancied him.
However, he ran no sort of race and was pulled up.
You have to think that something wasn’t right - as he was never travelling.

It was a similar story with Rocket Lad - though he at least gave us a bit of a run.
In fact in a race where there was little pace, he looked to have every chance, when he cruised up to the leader, approaching the second last.

However, he found nothing for pressure and was beaten in a few strides.
He didn’t even manage to jump the final flight.
Again, it looked as if something went wrong with him…

Summerville Boy was the final tip on the day - and he ran well.
Johnny Burke controlled the race from the front - but ironically, maybe didn’t go fast enough.
Certainly, he never managed to get a break on Paisley Park - and that one cut him down on the run to the final flight.
Summerville Boy was fighting back on the run in - though the winning margin of just over a length, probably flattered the runner-up…

Insult was added to injury, by a win for the Mentions.

I only briefly considered tipping Ramses de Teillee - and if I had done so, it would have been a pure ‘value’ call.
I resisted - and he won: holding off the favourite, Champagne Well.
In fact the Mentions nearly managed a double on the day.
I was torn between Galahad Quest and Gerolamo Cardano in the opener at Cheltenham - and they finished first and third.
However, it was Gerolamo who got the Mention - and Galahad who won the race.
Finally, OK Corral added to my woes by winning the Sky bet chase at Doncaster.
If I’d been tipping at around 6:00pm yesterday evening, I would probably have put him up.
But by this morning, he was was an 8/1 shot - and with my head going round in circles trying to sort the race, I decided it was best swerved.
The rest, as they say, is history.

Hopefully February will bring better…

TVB.