Not a great week for the bets, with my three win and each-way suggestions going down the tubes, though I’m still smarting about Persica’s nose defeat on Friday. We’re still grimly hanging on to a slender profit at least. I, along with many other punters, will no doubt be hoping that clerks of the course go easy with the watering can in the coming weeks. Epsom, which I’ll cover in my blog piece next week, was nothing short of a farce.

Anyway. On a brighter note, both Lay bets were easily beaten. Amelia Earhart, at an SP of 7-4f on Friday in the Oaks, and Never So Brave today at 15-8f in Epsom’s opener, finished 6th and 5th, respectively.

That means the Lays now stand at 16 from 17 selections. That’s a tidy strike rate and profit realised. Though ever the perfectionist, I’m annoyed I bottled putting Calandagan up at prohibitive odds, instead opting to put up a win bet on the second home Jan Brueghel.

This afternoon’s three notebook horses realised a profit. The stinkers first. Pina Sonata travelled well for a long way in the 2.05 at Epsom, but faded to finish last, while Item raced keenly in the Derby, those exertions and dreadful underfoot conditions saw him drop back to ninth. The positive came at Doncaster (3.05) with Any Which Way. As I relayed ahead of racing, I was quite sweet on his chances at odds of 3-1, and he won as I hoped he would by 2L (SP 9-4), with the Charlie Appleby-trained Study Of Words (6-5f) only managing fifth.

Good luck all,

Black Type Racing