Saturday Nov 3rd

I didn't fully appreciate just how much warmer London is to the Midlands until I moved up here. On Thursday/Friday I was walking around town in t-shirt – surrounded by people all wrapped up. All those northern football fans with their tops off at Craven Cottage over the years is beginning to make some sense!

The Royal Parks were looking great in their autumn plumage by the way – anyone close to town should get there quickish.

Busy day today, with some early season trepidation.

Ascot 1:40
He may be a dog, but Ouninpohja places as regular as you like. There's a few ways to play this, and if you've got accounts that will let you place each way bets you could do worse than take the 4/1 and lay off the win portion for an evens place bet. Or , if braver, lay-off the win bet in-running. He's close to 10/11 in the place only market and that may be simplest of all. I'll probably combine all three approaches.

Ascot 2:10
Two horses suited by likely conditions at nice prices are Full House and Briery Fox. I haven't decided how to play them at the moment.

Wetherby 3:30
You can have doubts about all of these. State of Play would be the most legitimate contender. One way in could be the pace angle because there's every chance of this being a tear-up, especially if Ollie Magern runs with the choke out again. I think that could give Monkerhostin a great chance of plugging on for a place. He looked to have gone at the game last year – over-raced the season before – but fresh may be the best time to catch him, and his form in the King George and Gold Cup wasn't too shabby.

Football
Can't find a way in to the big match, although Arsenal may still be vulnerable at set pieces, so, despite having described this type of bet at dinner last night as a “mug punters, mug punter bet”, I'll have a very small go on Vidic ew as first goalscorer!

My long-term opposition to Liverpool continues and I think Blackburn are still being underrated. I'm happy to take them at 4/6 on the Asians to win or draw.

I'd throw Leeds, Watford and Stoke into the mix and Oldham at 3/1 or better isn't to be sniffed at.

£500 Challenge

Ascot 1:40
Ouininphja - £15 place at 4/5+

Wetherby 3:30
Monkerhostin - £15 place at 6/4+

Blackburn £15 +0.5 4/6+