Goodwood starts on Tuesday and all being well I will be at Galway races that day enjoying a second day's racing. Richard Hughes has some very attractive mounts and is a strong contender for Goodwood Top Jockey. I've had five points at 2/1 with Stan James that he will be. Canford Cliffs should win the Sussex Stakes on Wednesday (and Richard should also win the previous race on King Torus or Major Art). Hannon has been having loads of winners so stable confidence is high.
My big punting events of the summer - French Open, Wimbledon and the World Cup - have helped me achieve over 300pts profit on blog bets so far this year. So now it's time for a bookmaker financed racing trip to Galway. I've been to Galway several times in the last decade but have not been to the summer racing festival since 1995. I'm looking forward to it.
Anyone who has read any of my Ireland track visit reports will know that my betting strategy concerns trading value prices on-course on the Irish tote. Galway of course has a very strong market so trading discrepancies are likely to be minimal compared to Ireland's smaller meetings. But it should be a good craic nonetheless.
As a consequence there will be reduced blog recommendations over the next ten days or so.
No joy with our "three off the tee" in the Open Championship but at least our Tiger "no majors" bet rolls on to the last leg - the USPGA in a month's time -after he trailed in 23rd yesterday. Despite this dismal performance he'll still start favourite for the PGA probably around 6/1. We cop 21pts if he doesn't win this so we have an option to have a couple of points at around 6/1 to save our stake.
His last major win was in June 2008 so my inclination at the moment is to just let the bet run.
I'll decide nearer the time.
Bookmakers can't separate F Berry and P Smullen in the betting offering both around the even money mark. The standings up to last night were as follows:
F Berry 49
P Smullen 47
J P Murtagh 45
Johnny Murtagh is definitely not out of this as AP O'Brien has hit such tremendous form of late. The downside of backing JPM of course is that he races at all the festival meetings in England. However unlike the GB championship the Irish version does not end on Nov 6 but runs through to Dec 10. There will be plenty of AP O'Brien expensive maidens etc running on the all-weather at Dundalk through to Dec 10.
Johnny Murtagh is currently 7/1 with both Bet365 and Victor Chandler and I've just had 3pts @7/1
I won't be getting heavily involved in this event which starts on Thursday. In fact we already have considerable betting interest. The very first bet on the blog was 12pts @7/4 Tiger Woods not to win a major in 2010. That was suggested on 8 December last year. Well it's two down and two to go. This however is his favourite track and he has triumphed in the Open on two previous occasions at St Andrews. We also have interest in a European winner through our 1.5pt bet @16/1 on three European major winners in 2010.
Having said all of the above I can't resist some small each-way bets with two bookmakers offering generous place terms as follows:
1pt ew Graeme McDowell 30/1 Boylesports 1/4 odds 1,2,3,4,5,6,7
1pt ew Justin Rose 23/1 Paddy Power 1/4 odds 1,2,3,4,5,6,7
1/2pt ew Ian Poulter 33/1 Paddy Power 1/4 odds 1,2,3,4,5,6,7
Total invested 5pts
It's not that long ago that bookmakers offered 1/4 odds 1,2,3,4 and fifth place offered was seen as a major concession. The two Irish bookmakers are trying to out do each other with prices and concessions. If we can get one of our nominated three golfers in the top seven we won't do any damage (if it's Poulter only it would mean a small loss).
It should be interesting viewing as the weather is forecast to be poor - wet with strong winds - on at least one of the days.
