Bodugi Blogs...

Hi everyone,

I'm back again with a Big Bodugi Bath Blog Bonanza!

Nice to be back on Bodugi as have been off it for over a week or so. Been working hard to get my pennies to play Bodugi with! Haha

I expect you have all been enjoying the hot weather recently! I think everyone will agree it's about time! Even Leicester managed to stage a meeting last night, and who knows - it might actually be a Glorious Goodwood next week after all!

So to my Bodugi social betting selections today. Today's blog is going to concentrate on the racing at BATH! I have been to Bath racecourse a few times, and I must admit - there is not a lot to write home about. It's a very small track on top of a very big hill. It's okay, though I just wish they would get a big screen as some parts of the track you can't see very well. So probably my best tip of the day is if you go to Bath races, don't forget your binoculars! (And sun tan lotion in this weather!)

Bath 14.10, 26th July
To start off this marathon meeting of an 8 race card, we have a fairly open little handicap. A number of horses in this race have a chance. Play Street won last time out at Newbury and I find that Newbury form is normally good and holds up well - but I'm going against that and my selection is MUSICALLY (14/1) from Mick Channon's yard. I have backed this horse a number of times, and felt that he should have won a few runs back when he came second at Goodwood, but the jockey left it all too late that day and just failed.

Bath 14.40
The second race is one of those tricky maidens. It looks like Mick Channon and Richard Hannon are both trying to win this, with Channon having four runners and Hannon having three. I personally think The Sixties is the one to beat in this race as he has been fairly consistent in all his races and ran a creditable 6th at Royal Ascot. But my selection in this race is one from the Mick Channon yard. IMPERIAL SPIRIT (E/W @ 16/1) ran really green on his debut at Newbury in a decent maiden, and I feel that he could improve lots for this run although he has a wide draw to contend with.

Bath 15.15
This five sprint race may only have eight runners, but again is quite a competitive race with the Qatar Racing Limited and Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum both having runners. In this race I've chosen the Richard Hannon trained THE TAJ (3/1 NAP). This horse won his first race easily at Doncaster where he was odds-on and then he was sent to Royal Ascot for the Coventry stakes. The owner obviously thinks a lot of him entering him in a group 2 race. He's back down to a suitable grade for now and I reckon he is the one to beat.

Bath 15.50
So this race is again a five furlong sprint and it's the vital double points race when playing Bodugi! I really like Jonathan Portman, and I think he does well with the horses he has. OCEAN MYTH (7/2) is my selection in this race. With the return of the sun, the going should be good or maybe even firm, and that's what this Portman horse prefers. She was narrowly beaten last time out at Salisbury, and with good ground returning I fancy her to get her head back in front.

Bath 16.25
The fifth race on the card is, in my eyes, a very poor quality handicap. I personally think it's one of those handicaps you could run ten times and you would most likely get a different winner every time. My selection in this weak handicap is a horse trained by Marcus Tregoning. SCARLETT FEVER ( E/W @ 20/1) may have not shown anything in its four runs so far, but I reckon she could quite easily get in the frame for this race.

Bath 17.00
Again another handicap race, not a great one but a little better than the previous one. Taroum was quite an impressive winner last week at Brighton in an apprentices' race and escapes a penalty so the gelding should have another good chance of winning here again. I've chosen to go against the Carroll trained horse with my selection of the race being ASTROLEO (12/1). The Mark Tompkins trained gelding was running well when last seen 380 days ago. A long lay off may put some people off, but some horses can come straight back in and that's what I reckon this horse will do today.

Bath 17.30
Now that we are out of the main Bodugi races, I hope I have put you on to some winners so that you have money to back on the remaining two races with the bookie! I like horses with course and distance form and in this race BATELEUR (7/1) is my shout. The eight year old may not be in the best of form but none of the others in race are either so it's Cathy Gannons mount that gets my tentative vote.

Bath 17.55
The final race of a marathon meeting. Unfortunately it is again a handicap where nothing really excites me. Andrew Baling's Auntie Mabel looks the obvious choice with her being the bridesmaid on her last two outings. In the finale my vote is for PINDROP (E/W @12/1) last time out she showed a slight improvement round Salisbury and with the extra help of Ryan Tate taking off 7lbs I reckon she can get in the frame at a decent price.

Once again I hope you have enjoyed my blog and I get you on some winners! I would love your feedback as usual! I'm off to Bath today but it might be a bit too warm to wear my Bodugi hoodie - so if anyone else is going maybe give us a shout on the banter board!

Many Thanks,
Stef
(rfcstef)