York Day 3 – Part One

Another good day on the Knavesmire as Navajo Chief won at a nice price of 15/2 to secure 10pts of profit overall. Rather peeved with myself for not advising people to back Secret Gesture with Paddy Power who returned the each way part of the bet … alas on to tomorrow and three bets. I’d reckon Keji will swing in with a couple more later and he is definitely worth following at present.

 

• 2.45 York – Ahzeemah 2pt e/w @ 9/1 (15/2 Paddy Power)
• 2.45 York – High Jinx 1pt win @ 22/1 (16/1 Paddy Power)

The ground here will be key and I’m hopeful it will continue to dry out which would give Ahzeehmah a cracking chance. The Dubawi gelding has a cracking record on ground with good in the description over distances of 12f+ with a record of 21-22122212- for a 30% win s/r and a 100% place s/r. His win at the back of end last season at York looks a key piece of form and although he then ran poorly at Ascot the ground was pretty terrible. High Jinx is also worth backing as a cover bet as he will also really appreciate the drying ground and at 22/1 is too big to ignore. On decent ground over 1m 4f his record his 12-1222-42. I also wouldn’t be too concerned with his reappearance at Nottingham as he has never won first time up – his record on his second run however is much improved. High Jinx also has been placed twice in his two runs at York. The favourite as it goes Tac De Boistron really needs cut. Of the rest Camborne worries me most but I can’t back them all!

(Worth noting if you wanted to back them with Paddy Power it would make perfect sense as returns stake if 2nd/3rd).

 

 

• 7.50 Aintree – Pure Faith 1pt e/w @ 20/1

There’s an element of madness about this bet but I do think Pure Faith on decent ground is a price worth chancing having much better form in the summer months – coincides with the stable which has a fantastic level stakes profit during May for the past five years. Pure Faith hasn’t run well this season but based on his exploits last summer – beat Ciceron off 125, then finished 2^nd in two decent races off 132 and today’s mark of 134 he is worth backing at 20/1. That last race he finished 2l behind the 126 rated Storm Survivor and ahead of a number of decent horses not least the Grand National winner Pineau De Re and Problema Tic who re-opposes here. His record at Aintree on good ground is decent 5-3-12-5-0 (amusingly the second he actually beat Master Minded who was rated 178 at the time). His record in May, June and July reads even better on good, good-to-firm and firm with a 43% win rate and 71% place rate from 14 runs (only once outside of the first 4). It’s obviously competitive but at 20s he’s definitely worth a poke.