Breeders' Cup & Website Tinkerings

October 28^th

I am pleased to say that the tablet and mobile formats are now both set up which should make it easier to navigate around the website via those platforms. There will be a few more tinkerings on all three platforms before we officially start on November 12th. You will notice, for example, that the subscription based copy (not the public areas such as this blog) is now black and white text so the blue doesn't drain your colour printer ink! I know some of you like to file hard copy. If it is still coming up white in blue in those areas, click on Control and F5 at the same time. You will also now notice a Login on the Home Page rather than scrolling down to the individual links.

Over the last day or so I have posted my early thoughts on the Charlie Hall Chase in Big Race Focus and Andy Richmond has supplied the first of his weekly Trading Talk articles in Guest Contributions. In Sport, Matt from Football Elite has taken a look at the Premiership after the first ten games and also look out for Mike Henderson’s analysis of the outright market and first round matches for the European Darts Championships which will be uploaded in the next 24 hours. I will be adding four more trainers to the Trainer Trends section in the next day or two.

I’ll be watching on Friday and Saturday night but I’m struggling to get into Breeders’ Cup mode at present. My interest usually perks up after I read Nick Mordin’s annual thoughts of the event in The Racing Post Weekender where he ran through each horse’s prospects one by one armed with all kinds of wizzy stats but he is not writing it this year which is disappointing. As such, the Attheraces Breeders’ Cup microsite is now the place to go for the best previews.

The good thing about Kentucky-based Keeneland hosting The Breeders’ Cup as opposed to Santa Anita on the west coast is therefore not having to wait until beyond midnight to watch the Classic as the grand finale is off at 9.35 our time. However, if you like backing European-trained horses and especially at American PMU odds, this will be the first occasion it has been hosted at Keeneland so that can’t be good and the luck of the draw has failed many of ‘our’ best hopes with wide berths. Even connections of Golden Horn are bemoaning the luck of their number 1 draw. Dettori’s quote also amused me: “He’s been a dream horse for me. Every challenge we’ve been asked we’ve passed.” Except getting past Arabian Queen. I hope Golden Horn wins of course and he should do but I will happily watch the race witout an interest.

In fact, for the first time I could watch the whole meeting without a bet. I was considering Karakontie for the Mile who has been trained for this one race all season so he looked overpriced at 14/1 attempting to defend his title but his draw of 11 of 12 has made me think again. The other horse I was looking at was Hit It A Bomb in the Juvenile Turf on Friday who went into the Horses To Follow section of the website after his last win but he has been posted in 14 of 14. The second-favourite, Cymric, is drawn next to him in 13 though which is some kind of silver lining. Ryan Moore will have to be at his brilliant best from that stall as he will on Time Test and Waterloo Bridge who are also drawn in the widest stall for the Mile and Juvenile.