The latest news and best bets plus our weekly tipping competition
Today's best bets, by Will Hayler
You know that feeling when you really quite fancy one? It's a strange sort of ripple of excitement.
Don't get me wrong, it's a feeling that frequently ends in disappointment and anti-climax. But nevertheless, it's a feeling I've got today.
My regular reader (hello Mum) will know that Dancing Welcome (3.30) ticks all of the boxes for the sort of horse I usually fall for on the Flat.
She's a sprint handicapper (tick), trained by Milton Bradley (tick), with a good-looking draw (tick). She's tough (tick), usually runs her race (tick), lines up at a track and trip she appreciates (tick) and off a handicap mark from which she is capable of winning (tick).
Six furlongs is probably sharp enough for Dancing Welcome nowadays, and she was always being pushed along to keep in touch when she ran at the same track, Chepstow on Monday. She was also noticeably disadvantaged by her low draw earlier this week as she was forced to challenge up the middle of the course, well away from the first four home who raced nearer the stands' rail.
Today's move up to seven furlongs should obviously suit, while returning to the track twice in the same week should also pose no problem. When she scored over course and distance in July, it came just six days after a good run at Lingfield.
Dancing Welcome isn't always the easiest ride, as her challenge can sometimes flatten out noticeably in the final stages, but if there is no more than one non-runner from today's 17-runner field, each-way punters are playing for four places and at 7-1 that's just my sort of bet ? I'll be most surprised (and poorer) if she doesn't at least make the first four.
With over 200 horses to keep an eye on, it's no wonder that Richard Hannon does let the odd one slip through his metaphorical net, but he's not just the one-dimensional trainer of precocious juveniles that some seem to think he is.
Tegan (2.20) didn't make it to the track as a two-year-old and looked very slow on her first half-dozen starts this year, but the penny dropped when she finished second at Bath in July and last month she won all three of her starts.
The ground will be quick at Brighton today, but that won't bother her at all, and although she unsurprisingly has gone up in the weights for recent run of hot form, this is still a very ordinary 0-60 contest in which she lines up. She can win again.
Tipping competition, day four
Sorry Moidadem . . .
Our top form tipster only compiles the ratings that you see in the paper every day. There are no more to publish.
Next week's prize . . .
. . . is a pair of Club enclosure tickets for Ayr Gold Cup day, Saturday 17th September, courtesy of our good friends at William Hill, who sponsor the day.
Our three leaders picked nine losers between them yesterday but few of you took advantage. 23skidoo and MauriceNL both had Golden Delicious (13-2) and Al Furat (3-1), while Harrytheactor had Al Furat and Aldermoor (5-2).
For today's thrilling climax, we'd like your tips, please, for these races: 4.10 Haydock, 5.10 Haydock, 5.30 Chepstow.
This week's prize is a copy of Gamble, the new Dick Francis novel, written by the late author's son, Felix. Published this week, the book tells the tale of a jump jockey whose life is plunged into mystery when a friend is shot dead before the Grand National. Fans of Francis may recognise one or two familiar themses there.
As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of �1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers. If you have not joined in so far this week, you are welcome to do so today but you will start on -9.
In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day (today).
For terms and conditions click here.
Good luck!
Standings
after day three
goofs +12
ToffeeDan1 +10
Mai11 +10
23skidoo +9.50
moidadem +3.50
JahLion +3
melonk +3
Kperson +3
orso +3
Harrytheactor +2.50
MauriceNL +2.50
KarlXTurner +2
BearRides -1
captjawed -1.50
unfaircomment -1.50
shears39 -2
xwireman -2
Mulldog -2
millreef -2
factormax -2
chipsolderer -2
stefanjames1979 -4
wiggy12 -4
TL127 -4
sangfroid -4
Fixxxer -4
William36 -4
MrWinnersSonInLaw -4
diegoisgod -4
Shrewdette -4
Lameduck -4.50
zzz62zzz -5
cerises -5
Ormrod76 -5
SmokingGun1 -9
SepticPeg -9
tom1977 -9
WalthamstowLad -9
VolleVlug -9 (what's wrong with fennel soup?)
JimmyDeuce -9
carl31 -9
chris1623 -9
Copshaw -9
jaygee1 -9
SussexRH -9
Viejo -9
noodlearms -9
simmorrissey -9
Blitzwing -9
snowy81 -9
suckzinclee -9
robmct -9
chiefhk -9
sandiuk -9
Ellandback -9
tanias -9
johne5knuckle -9
spudpt -9
Click here for all the day's racecards, form, stats and results.
Post your racing-related comments below.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/sep/02/live-racing-september-2-2011
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