Having watched a recording of Kauto Star's superb victory in the King George, I've just been forced into watching six consecutive episodes of The Munsters - from the sublime to the ridiculous - it's been that sort of Christmas. I haven't had the time to turn round, never mind look at Chepstow's Welsh National card.
Tomorrow's Lexus Chase at Leopardstown looks intriguing. On Racing Post ratings Denman is the clear top rated animal, yet at 4/9 his price is much shorter than Kauto's at Kempton on Boxing Day. Described as a 'brute of a horse' by several commentators, Denman looks to have the one way of running and bludgeons his rivals into submission, as he did in the Hennessy. The second in that race, Dream Alliance, knocked the form a little when pulling up in the Welsh National earlier today. Course and distance winner The Listener has it to do here but offers tempting value at 4/1, while it's not beyond the realms of possibility for State of Play to find improvement. In my book Denman is less of a certainty than Kauto in the King George, yet his price is shorter; I'll take a chance on The Listener at odds of 4/1 or bigger.
The TurfTV issue has rumbled on in the background over the past few months. The stakes will be raised considerably from Janaury 1st when live pictures from thirty one racecourses will only be available in betting shops which have subscribed to the service. Coral's have recently announced they intend to take the product; this will give them a significant commercial advantage over High Street rivals Hill's and Ladbrokes. In this day and age, are punters prepared to put up with audio commentaries after placing a bet in a shop?
Thursday, December 27, 2007
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Denman(4/9 favourite) won this comfortably by four lengths from Mossbank (16/1) with The Listener(4/1) a head further back in third. Cornelius Lysaght's commentary on Radio Five Live told me as much about the nearby suburban housing development, with its spectacular views of the course, as the race itself. I was left with the impression Daryl Jacob was reluctant to get into a scrap for the lead with Denman. The early part of the race was run at a crawl and, as the pace quickened, The Listener was tapped for toe between the last two fences.
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