Wayne Bailey

Regular readers will know I enjoyed a welcome bit of luck in the opening race at Hamilton last Saturday, where Thornaby Pearl scored at 7/2 to push the year’s profit to around 16 points to Betfair SP. It was a nice boost after a difficult spell, with Raammee also scoring at York at 5/1.

The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (3.35 Ascot) is Britain’s premier open-aged Flat race, although Britain appears to have mislaid most of its horses. Eight of the nine runners are trained abroad, leaving Andrew Balding’s Kalpana as the lone defender of British honour against a formidable international raiding party.

You have to admire the optimism of punters at the start of any racing festival. Not a bet has been struck, every wallet is still full and we are convinced this will be our week.

Adrian ‘Ado’ McGuinness had no representative in the Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap (6.45) last year, but his runners are always worth noting when the entries are published. Since 2014, he has saddled 29 horses in the contest, producing three winners and five other placed finishers.

Willie Mullins trains five of the 20 runners in the Galway Hurdle (4.30), with Murcia, at 13/2, seemingly the top dog on jockey bookings under Paul Townend. However, that won’t put me off Too Bossy For Us (12/1).

Ross O’Sullivan’s charge can banish the narrow defeat in the Guinness Beginners Chase 12 months ago

Some trainers seem consistently underrated by the betting market, and I reckon Owen Burrows falls into that category.

Trying to solve handicap races is often about finding an unexposed sort with improvement to come, so it might sound strange to suggest backing an 11-year-old with 72 career starts in total, spread across the Flat, all-weather, bumpers, hurdles and chases.

Regular readers will know that I’ve had a rough time of it lately with my betting. Nothing an experienced gambler hasn’t seen before, but just one of those awful losing streaks that can test even the most seasoned punter.

I’ve done enough moaning lately about a poor run of form with my betting, so three winners from seven bets last week, following a profitable week previously, have at least postponed the need for a change of profession.