A Winning Pre Cheltenham Week.
Sunday 1st March. Doncaster Friday night was a scream I met up with Simon Holden after racing and we hit the town. It was funniest in the Australian bar when two girls started fighting and when the boyfriend tried to split them up he got sat on his arse.
We finished the night off with a really nice Chinese and a then onto a club, you always know when it’s not quite top market because your feet stick to the floor. We didn’t stay until silly late and unfortunately no shakey, shakey for me tonight so we drifted back to the hotel.
I leave the hotel nice and early and get most of my work done at the track in the press room.
RELAX is my first advice of the day ridden by Aiden Coleman ew at 10/1 also I am told that MAJOR MALARKY is expected to win the Hunter Chase and even money is a superb price. Also I get a whisper that the Nicky Henderson trained CALL THE COPS at 9/4 will go very close here under Andrew Tinkler so I email both these out to my ANDY BELLs clients I also add GOLAN ROAD at 3/1 last knockings.
Theres a better crowd today to say farewell to the jumps season here for another year. It will be nice to go out on a winning note and get ready for the next meeting here which will be the Lincoln.
A nice winning day to finish off a very successful month with two winners CALL THE COPS at 9/4 and MAJOR MALARKY in the Hunter Chase at even money and we very nearly copped at 10/1 winner with RELAX ew who was just beaten in second by the Favourite.
In summary February was a very good month for both my sets of clients as ANDY BELL finished with a 44 point profit and a 39% strike rate and my LATE SERVICE which I told you all was now concentrating on quality and not quantity finished with a 35 point profit and also an excellent strike rate of 40%.
Rather a lame column from the Don today, I wonder if he had forgotten to tell Penny about his Epsom bashing lol lol. I can see he is warming to the Cheltenham challenge as he ONLY lost 20 points last month.
Only the two fancies today GLEN QUEST who runs across the water at Naven and closer to home BALLYHENRY who is a ridiculous price of 5/6 and runs at Huntingdon, as I say in my email I think he is a good thing and personally I’m going to get as much on him as I can.
I’m catching the 11am train up to the city today as my good friend and Norwich City director Michael Foulger has kindly got me tickets to watch the local derby against Ipswich. We are meeting in the Gunn club at 12-00 clock for a few beers before the 2-05pm kickoff. The beers are slipping down far too easily and quickly and all of a sudden kick off is upon us. A superb goal by Glen Johnson in the first half gives Norwich a 1-0 half time lead. Back into the Gunn club for half time Gin and Tonics.
I watch GLEN QUEST kick on two out on my iPad and think he is our first winner of the day, only for him to get lonely in front and folds up and falls away tamely. A disappointing start but my mood is soon lifted as Norwich score their second and take a 2-0 lead against the scum. Norwich take the three points and move into third place and level on points with the automatic promotion places with their sixth straight win on the trot.
Again we are in the Gunn club and I have had far too much on BALLYHENRY at 5/6 and 4/5 and I am a little concerned at how much he has sweated up. Thankfully this doesn’t stop James Davies taking him to the front two out and winning as I had expected at a very well backed 2/5.
Oi oi a perfect day we have had a winning start to the month, beat the scum 2-0 and a large Gin and Tonic in my hand, life’s not bad at times is it??
Monday 3rd. It’s cold Fakenham today and I am going to back AP in the first on LION CHARGE at 15/8 and also HIGH VIC at 11/4 who runs for the resurgent Alan McCabe and also advise a little ew double.
Although AP doesn’t trouble the scorers in the first he is still drawing the crowds in and will soon have writers cramp as everybody is after his signature.
This time next week I shall be on the rattler heading towards the greatest show on earth and I can’t wait as I can’t remember being so much up for it before.
I have travelled all the way to Fakenham and LION CHARGE runs very poorly and even the urgings of AP can’t get him going which is a great shame as HIGH VIC bolts in at a super sp of 9/2.
A very nice winning day and what a shame LION CHARGE let us down for a really nice double.
Tuesday 4th. No racing for me as such today I am on my way down to Kent to visit the Trainer John Best.
On route I email out to my ANDY BELLs clients SEVENTEEN BLACK ew at 10/1 and a shorter priced favourite trained by Donald MCCain COURT DISMISSED AT 10/11, who won last time in a conditionals race so escapes a penalty for today’s race.
First winner of the day the new charging camera system don’t appear to be working on the Dartford Tunnel.
Just as we hit the A2/M2 I get the nod on both of Alan Kings runners at Exeter, SPELLBOUND runs in the first and is ridden by James Best and is trading at 3/1 and in the penultimate race the ex hunter CHOSEN WELL who is also trading at 3/1 but this time ridden by Wayne Hutchinson so I advise my LATE SERVICE clients to punt both of these in singles and a ew double as I have personally.
We arrive at Johns at 12ish and I am staggered by the facilities that greets me.
John successfully trained three horses for me, FIGJAM, BERTIESOUTHSTREET and ACTING LADY. We had some great fun with all three and more importantly won and made loads of folding. FIGJAM was first and the name was formed by F##k, I’m, Good, Just, Ask, Me, who won a couple of sprint races for us and was eventually sold at the sales for a nice profit. In my opinion BERTIE was the looker of the trio, but had a mind of his own, although John even managed to get wins out of him and finally and not least ACTING LADY who John purchased from America as a yearling, we bought her for £40,000 turned down 250,000 dollars for a half share and she came sixth in the American Oaks only to die of colic after foaling.
John had a quiet time last year, but since he has moved into his new state of the art yard late in December he has already knocked in six winners.
The facilities I was so impressed with on arrival has a round course 3f aw gallop and a mile straight, with a grass gallop planned. His yard most Newmarket trainers would be proud to own, two solariums, a huge indoor equestrian centre where he can break in youngsters and exercise, Horse walkers and stables for 50ish horses. I think I have got the buzz again after looking at the fantastic setup John has now got and think I may well be dipping my toe in again as I saw a lovely forward 2year gallop and two or three more possibilities.
John still has two or three syndicates that are not completely full so if interested have a look at his monthly Newsletter at http://www.johnbestracing.com/newsletter.html or
http://www.johnbestracing.com/assets/files/Newsletter%20March%202015.pdf
I shall also approach Betfan towers about syndicating one for any of my members or you readers with myself at a very special rate if of interest or you would like further details please email with subject – FAO Andy Bell ref… John Best.
After our tour it’s coffee in his massive and very posh function room and a general chat about what’s running and happening in the near future. I can assure you there are many more winners waiting to hit the winners enclosure from these stables in the very near future and defiantly a stable to keep on side in the coming flat season.
Before I know it, it’s race time for SPELLBOUND and he goes off at a very well backed 15/8. He is tracking the leading pair and kicks on two out and despite running green always looks the winner, a great start to the day and sets up the LATE SERVICE for a possible double as well.
Our first runner for my ANDY BELLs clients SEVENTEEN BLACKs chances are spoilt by the very strong winds and drying ground although he has just about halved in price and just can’t go the pace on the good ground. COURT DISMISSED ran to and slightly better than his mark but just bumped into one and came second.
We are nearing the end of the our journey home on the A12 just as CHOSEN WELLs off. Wayne Hutchinson has him perfectly settled and switched off and when he kicks three out the only dangers are in front of him and barring a slight mistake at the last there’s never a moments doubt and he bolts up. Oi oi two lovely singles and a fantastic double landed for the LATE SERVICES first bet of the month to finish off a great day and hopefully productive day.
Wednesday 4th. Great start to the month for my LATE SERVICE and all the clients as our first bets of March copped with two singles and a double taking us to the top of the Betfan table with a 43 point profit yesterday.
We are going to take on the Easterby favourite in today’s Hunter Chaser with a 3/1 shot CAVE HUNTER and we are also going to back Harry Bannister who rides CLASSINAGLASS at 7/4.
Next Wednesday we will be having a maximum bet in the RSA Chase if the owners hopefully decide to go this route rather than the Gold Cup.
The owners of MOLLASSES think that he can win again today and that is backed up by his winning time, so I email him out to my flying LATE SERVICE clients.
John has two runners at Kempton tonight that need looking at, personally I’m not backing them I’m going to watch and just settle in first.
Harry Bannister gets his fractions spot on and wins nicely for us although he was running on fumes coming to the post, which ensures us a winning day with CAVE HUNTER still to run.
MOLLASSES never jumps a hurdle and doesn’t help Gavin Sheehan at all and ruins any chance he ever had of winning and disappoints.
As we thought we got the favourite beaten in the Hunter Chase but unfortunately our CAVE HUNTER fell three out.
Thursday 5th. Yesterday was my ANDY BELLs clients turn to have a winning day, although it wasn’t as massive as the LATE callers on Tuesday, but a winning day nevertheless.
Today’s cards look pretty mediocre to say the least.
I think that the Ian Williams trained POKER SCHOOL can win today as he is 6lb ahead of the handicapper also on the same email to my ANDY BELLs clients i advise backing the stayer ARMEDANDDANGEROUS in the 3mile 2f race at Carlisle.
With nothing else likely to come through now for my LATE SERVICE I decide on a final bash with the boys at Weatherspoon’s before I flit off to the Cotswolds next week. If any of you are there contact me on my Andy Bells Racing Facebook page and I will try and meet up for a beer with you.
We kick off with a few games of pool and than up the road to concentrate on the day’s racing. I’m very conscious next week the Guinness will be freely flowing so today I’m drinking spritzers with soda in hope that my suits will still fit next week.
If not all is not lost as I will buy a new wardrobe with my winnings from the Grumbling Don. I’m going to get some pictures of him at Cheltenham and post them on my Facebook page so keep a look out.
We always have a laugh in Weatherspoon’s and today is no exception, this week it’s not the disabled toilets which are the centre of attraction it’s the delivery lad that comes through the door and trips dropping all his boxes, which in it’s self doesn’t seem that funny until it becomes apparent it’s eggs, I didn’t realise the cheap skates bought in their poached eggs pre poached, well these are now more like scrambled. The poor lad is hardly off the floor before the health and safety signs and tape has cordoned off the area and the smokers outside now have to walk all the way round to the front door, if they have enough puff.
Three out I thought POKER SCHOOL was going to win but GREYBOUGG who had only won two days ago had different ideas and actually won going away leaving us a clear second. As for ARMANDDANGEROUS my Corals ew ticket was screwed up on the floor four fences out as he wasn’t even close enough to be on the screen and than he came with an amazing late run to finish full of running third and made us a small profit.
Friday 6th. Bit of a nothing day yesterday but where did ARMEDANDDAGEROUS come from to get us a 6/1 place, I think he needs to be tried over a least 5 miles next time.
Today I have three for my ANDY BELLs clients two at Leicester and one at Sandown. Our first runner is at Sandown and he runs in the 2-50, it’s the Nicky Henderson trained LESSONS IN MILAN who shaped really well when winning last time, next we have CLOUD CREEPER at 13/8 who is partnered by Dicky and loves Leicester and finally an ew nap in the Hunter Chase last years winner SIRO DEMUR ew at 5/1 ridden by Alex Edwards.
I’m not going down to Sandown today for two reasons number one the M25 is an absolute nightmare on a Friday afternoon and more importantly if we are to win shit loads next week the hours have to be put in and time is now running out.
I have two lined up for day one at Cheltenham and my ANDY BELLs clients are already on L’AMI SERGE ew at 12/1 and he is now 7/2 second favourite.
Day two I am very excited about because I’m hoping to have a maximum bet in the RSA chase. Thursday we are taking on the Favourite PEACE and CO with ???? All will be revealed Thursday am. Whatever you do make sure your all on board Friday for the Foxhunter Chase as we have an extremely strong fancy.
Saturday I shall be hung over and victorious.
A nice profit today with two easy winners at 13/8 and 9/4 and a very close second ew at 5/1 in the Hunter Chase, only beaten by a 33/1 rag which hadn’t won for six years.
Just to help you on your way Grumbling Don from the great man…..
“Tact is the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip.” Winston S. Churchill
Get in on this Cheltenham Special as I intend to smash it this year.
Never, never, never give up or get caught.
Back next Saturday
Andy Bell
http://go.betfan.com/1000/258
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