Busy Start To August!

It's another busy days racing and I have got two selections for the account today.

2.45 Newmarket - 1pt ew Sir Isaac (available at 8/1 generally)

4.40 Thirsk - 1pt ew Squirtle (available at 12/1 Stan James, 11/1 Sporting, 10/1 Corals & Bet365, 9/1 generally)

I'm in danger of following Sir Isaac over a cliff and today will be the last time that I throw any money at him!! We have put this horse up twice before and it was unlucky in running the first time before finishing fourth (I think it merited 2nd) and the last time it traded very short before being fairly comfortably beaten by a well handicapped Godolphin horse. Last time out it was very disappointing but the ground was extremely fast that day and the race was a 4 runner tactical affair and it appeared to hate every minute of it, lugging in behind, and I'm prepared to forgive it. Today will suit it much better and its current mark of 78 looks generous to me given the way some of its previous race form has worked out. 3 runs ago the 1st and 3rd have both won again off higher marks, 2 starts ago the 1st and 3rd have won since so I really believe that this is a well handicapped horse.

Todays easier ground will be much more to his liking and I think the track should suit. The trainer is one of my favourites and he has an uncanny knack of keeping his horses under the handicappers radar and he has a good record in this race with a win and a place from 4 starts. There are a number of rivals who could be improving but most of them are racing off higher marks than they have won from or have had opportunities from the same marks before and I'm very hopeful that we will get a good run from Sir Isaac today .

The second selection looks to have been laid out for this race and has a course record of 2 wins and 2 places from 5 starts. The only time it disappointed was in a much tougher race off a mark of 67 and today it runs off 59 which is much nearer to where it should be. The horse does have the profile of an in and out performer but it was second in this race last year off a mark of 55. It then won over C & D off 57 very comfortably and with a decent claimer taking 5lbs off it today it is definitely on a winnable mark. 1st time up on turf this year it ran out a tidy winner over 17f at Warwick when it was expected to need the run and I get the feeling that we can draw a line through the run at Yarmouth 5 days ago when it failed to get competitive.

The opposition does not look overly inspiring. The favourite Black or Red has been put up 9lbs for winning very easily over this distance at Ffos Las and could still be well handicapped. I am always keen to take these types on as it had already gone up 3lbs for finishing 2nd the time before and at 6/4 it's an easy one to oppose despite the jockey booking looking significant with a strike rate of 40% for the yard.

Secret Ploy is interesting and has won off this mark but it has only ran once since 2007 and I wouldn't be keen on backing this today second run back. Jackday is fairly consistent and was just touched off over C & D last time but has gone up 5lbs as a result and is 8lbs above its only winning mark. A typical horse that pays the price for consistency but not a regular winner!!

Miss Keck doesn't look as though she is particularly well handicapped, Danzatrice would probably appreciate faster ground, Unawatuna is fairly unexposed but doesn't look like a winner in waiting from this mark, Sir Sandicliffe looks to be the selections second string and the other two don't look good enough.

Overall I just think that at a double figure price it is a much bigger price than it should be and is worthy of a bet.