Saturday 26th January

Kruguyrova continues to be my new Persian Punch. That was actually the sort of race to divide value bettors and growth bettors the world over. I'd say 6/4 and better about Kruguyrova was a damned fine bet even though it lost, whilst others would say the fave was better value since it actually won! I'll stick with my canoe.

A few tissues today:

Cheltenham 2:10

Nacarat 4/1

Private Be 6/1

Patman Du Charmil 6/1

Maljimar 6/1

New Little Bric 6/1

Time TO Sell 20/1

My front three have all done me well this year. Private Be on the other hand hasn't. Dickie (my least fave top flight jumps jockey – a Richard Hughes of the sticks) gave him a woeful ride in the Mackeson as was. Hopefully he'll be ridden with a bit more sense this time. If so, he looks a long price this morning. I'll try to keep my other faves on-side.

Cheltenham 2:40

Simon 4/1

Our Vic 4/1

Neptune Collonge 4/1

Madison Du Berlais 9/2

State of Play 7/1

Our Vic doesn't seem to get up the hill over this trip and Neptune Collonges probably needs softer and may be a bit short first time out. Madison Du Berlais has been running well and there may be more to come over this trip. Simon remains in very good heart. Both of them were thought to prefer flatter tracks but have run respctably enough at Cheltenham this year. I'd rather be with them than the front two.

Cheltenham 3:50

Inglis Drever 6/4

Blaxing Bailey 9/4

Millennium Royal 9/1

Sonnyandjoe 12/1

No-one can turn me off my favourite Inglis Drever. I remain of the mind that the horse doesn't receive the respect he's due, probably not helped by his admittedly strange way of running. However, if there's a horse that likes the downhill stretch on this track better than him I've not seen him. He's weak this morning – on the back of rumours of being held up in work, and on Blazing Bailey's defeat of him in this race last year. I'm not overly worried about either of these, (more worried about dear old Dickie being on top), and would happily back him on the drift.

Doncaster 3:00

An Accordion 8/1

Opera Mundi 9/1

Yardbird 11/1

Bagan 11/1

Juveigneur 12/1

Rambling Minster 12/1

Ungaro 12/1

Brooklyn Brownie 25/1

Thistlecraft 25/1

Ligo de Louge 25/1

Probably not my finest tissue. It's the sort of race I've turned against over the last couple of seasons. At the prices there are three who you'd give chances to as long as you were forgiving. Juveigneur has threatened to win a big one and likes races like the Hennessey where he can travel at pace over a trip. The going should allow that to happen today. The Reveley pair Rambling Minster and Ungaro unfortunately both prefer righthanded tracks but probably need to come late in big fields. Doncaster is one of the best tracks to do that and if we can get a few nutters loose up front (in truth there are no obvious pace horses but big fields on faster going than expected usually hare off), one of them could come through late. Tentative for sure, but all three have a touch of class and I don't think this will be the war of attrition it usually is..

£500 Challenge

Inglis Drever £20 at 7/4 guaranteed.

Woods and Stenson doing just fine, so far.