17,167 Days & 532 Full Moons

16/11/16

I turn 47 today. I know, I know, I don’t look it. Phenomenal, isn’t it!?

I thought I’d google the main news story for the day I was born – apparently it was Richard Nixon being the first President to attend an NFL game when in office. Riveting stuff. More interesting is that I was born on Mackeson Gold Cup day which was won by the Ted Rimell-trained Jupiter Boy who beat the subsequent Grand National winner, Specify, into second. Google also tell me that the numbers of my birthday mean that I am on Life Path Number 7. Good to know. This represents analysis, awareness and understanding. I am also apparently the searcher and the seeker of the truth and 3485.6 billion M3 worth of water has flowed through the River Danube since I was born. Oh yes.

As for this season’s ‘Mackeson’, to say I am annoyed that I didn’t go with my initial thought of Taquin Du Seuil as indicated in Ante-Post Focus was annoying to say the least but he was just too ground-dependant a horse to have a strong view on in advance and then the price vanished once the rains arrived. I was pleased for Jonjo O’Neill though. He gets a lot of unwarranted stick and J P McManus doesn’t support him with his best horses like he used to but he’s one hell of a Cheltenham target trainer. I also thought that his Minella Rocco shaped very well on the same card. So much for his stable being out of form.

Anyway, I’m going to celebrate my birthday adding Trainer Trends to the Stable Tour Highlights in the Horses to Follow section, by taking a look at the weekend’s leading races in Ante-Post Focus and giving the lawn one final trim before the spring. It’s all fun with me. The Trainer Trends won’t be as involved as before, just getting down to the nitty gritty of at which racecourses and in what races the featured trainers are to be especially noted. I have added a few more ‘best of’ trainers stable tours since the previous blog.

Week 1 of the Cheltenham Ante-Post section was uploaded on Monday so just 17 more to go until the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. I wouldn’t have thought that I will be too active in putting up ante-post bets for Cheltenham before Christmas but one thing I have learned from last season is that if I like a Willie Mullins novice, it really has to be backed in between their first and second start of the season as then their odds are slashed.

Alan Potts has been busy with his blogs in the last week and tomorrow I will be uploading his thoughts on French jumps in general and how it differs to Britain and Ireland. Mike Henderson will be continuing with his preview of the Grand Slam of Darts on a daily basis now that we are in the knockout stages and Premier League Picks returns on Friday alongside NFL Week 11. I will also be covering the best of Friday’s racing on Thursday evening before the main weekend preview.