Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Frankie´s back!

it is comeback week in British racing, with Big Bucks (winner of 18 successive races between January 2009 and December 2012) due to reappear on Saturday at Cheltenham, and all fans of N.H. racing hope that he and his young jockey Sam Twiston-Davies will pass the winning line in first place.
Of more immediate interest however is today´s very poor card on the all-weather at Lingfield, where all eyes will be on Frankie Dettori, riding in public fof the first time since breaking his ankle 4 days before last year´s Arc, won by his intended mount Treve.
Frankie is a very professional and dedicated jockey, one of the very best we have seen in Europe since the war, and we are sure that he will be back at the top before long. However experience has shown that even the best jockeys need some time before coming back to their best form after serious injury, so we would be cautious about backing his 3 mounts today. They are John Hills´ Eco Warrior in the opening 1 1/2 mile maiden at 14.00 CET, Jeremy Noseda´s Gone with the Wind in a 3yo maiden at 15.00 and Alex Dunn´s Exemplary in a 2 miles conditions race half an hour later. Gone with the Wind has probably the best chance of these, but we would rather watch than bet.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Experimentalist - Eco Warrior - Celtic Sunlight
2. Race: Kindlelight Storm - Geeaitch - Keep Kicking
3. Race: La Napoule - Gone With The Wind - Mercury Magic
4. Race: Theology - Arch Villain - Mr Burbidge
5. Race: Go Far - Greensward - Club House
6. Race: Compton - Mr David - Smokethatthunders
7. Race: Resonare - Minimee - Bertie Blu Boy