In-running Week: Charles Camoin's battling qualities

In-running / Neil Munro / 04 April 2012 / Leave a Comment

The sunshine may have gone but the Flat season is here to stay

"The Cheka keeps finding when expected not to so he does tend to trade bigger in the run."

Neil Munro hails the beginning of the flat season and considers the merits of betting in-play on four intriguing runners...

The Flat season is here. Doncaster and Kempton started the ball rolling with some big field challenges. Having had the Lincoln we now go through a couple of weeks of non-descript average racing so I think the authorities still need to work on the narrative of the Flat season. But there was still enough to interest me over the weekend.

Charles Camoin

So often the horses that I research for in-running trading are a little quirky, or don't like to get involved in a battle. So it is nice to talk about Sylvester Kirk's four-year-old gelding who seems to have battling qualities. Charles Camoin has now won three of his eight starts, a good ratio, and proved his scrapping qualities in all of those victories. Indeed, at times he has been pushed along quite early but he has just kept on finding. He won on his seasonal reappearance at Kempton recently but, if you need proof of how he keeps trying, watch his first run of the season last year when second at Sandown. He did everything he could to win that race and proved everything I have seen in him. He just wasn't quite good enough that day. His qualities mean that he trades bigger in the run: [12.21] BSP (42.0 in the run); [13.0] BSP ([6.10]); and [10.43] BSP ([23.0]).

If you believe Charles Camoin has the right conditions, split your back stakes with 50% at BSP and 50% in the run at double the BSP.

Kyllachy Star

This horse is one of many owned by Dr Marwan Koukash, but is it good for the industry that we have these new owners who are willing to invest huge amounts of money? Kyllachy Star was one of four of his runners on Saturday to either win or be placed at odds of 10/1 or bigger. Although the six-year-old hasn't won on his seasonal reappearance, he has run well before and did so again in the spring mile. He likes to be delivered late and normally has a minor turn of foot which can lead to him trading big in the run when he wins. However, this also means he has some low trades as they do try and deliver him as late as possible. We may see him at Chester's May meeting.

Back Kylachy Star over 7-8 furlongs on good or faster ground, splitting your stakes between BSP and double BSP in the run. But leave an order up to lay out your stake at one quarter of your matched price.

The Cheka

This six-year-old won on his first try over six furlongs, coming off a strong pace and confirmed that he runs well on seasonal reappearance. This really does open up other opportunities for connections of The Cheka. He keeps finding when expected not to so he does tend to trade bigger in the run.

If you fancy The Cheka split your back stakes with 50% at BSP and 50% in the run at double the BSP.

Eton Forever

Yet again Roger Varian's lightly-raced five-year-old traded short in the run in the Lincoln without finding what in-running backers expected. Eton Forever obviously has class, but does he have the will to put it all in?

Back Eton Forever pre-race at BSP and then lay out your stake at half BSP, with further offers to green up the field.

Neil Munro has a spring in his step as he considers some pointers for the upcoming Flat season as well as one that might return to big fences soon......

After four days of ups and downs at the Cheltenham Fesitval, Neil Munro reflects on what in-running bettors learned at Prestbury Park......

Neil Munro provides an entertaining account of a race that was run exactly as he thought it would be. He also two profiles a pair of horses for you to add to the in-running portfolio......

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Michael Vaughan: Broad has the qualities to be skipper

Twenty20 / Michael Vaughan / 23 June 2011 / Leave a Comment

Stuart Broad gets a crucial LBW decison against South Africa at the last ODI World Cup

"They see him (Broad) as a natural leader of men and think he’s tactically astute. In T20 you need to think on your feet and always be one step ahead of the game. You need to make big decisions that somehow change the course of the match and Stuart looks like a man who isn’t afraid to make them and then live by the consequences."

The appointment of Stuart Broad as England's T20 captain is met with Michael Vaughan's approval. But this is a tough job and he needs to start getting results right away.

I must say, I'm a little surprised by all this never-ending business surrounding the different England captaincies.

I can see the rationale behind naming Andrew Strauss (Test), Alastair Cook (ODI) and Stuart Broad (T20) as the three captains across the different formats. Strauss has called time on his limited-overs career but remains as Test captain whilst Alastair Cook has been named ODI captain to give him some experience of international leadership, presumably so he can take over from Strauss when he retires from the Test game. Cook himself isn't part of England's T20 set-up so the management has decided to see how Broad fares with a view to possibly take over in one of the two longer formats in the future.

What I don't understand is the decision to name vice-captains on top of that. Eoin Morgan has been announced as Broad's deputy in the T20 format and we await the announcement of Cook's stand-in just before the ODI Series starts. It all seems chaotic. When I was skipper, there was no need to formally tell the Media and everyone else that Marcus Trescothick was my deputy. He just was. If I was out injured, he'd step in and that was that. No need to put it in stone as to what the hierarchy was.

I can see what the England Selectors like about Stuart Broad, though. They see him as a natural leader of men and think he's tactically astute. In T20 you need to think on your feet and always be one step ahead of the game. You need to make big decisions that somehow change the course of the match and Stuart looks like a man who isn't afraid to make them and then live by the consequences.

If there's one T20 captain you should be seeing as an inspiration it's MS Dhoni. He has two IPL titles and a T20 World Cup to his credit, not to mention his recent success in the 50-over World Cup. He sometimes does slightly odd things like opening with a part-time off-spinner or promoting a lower-middle order batsman up the order and of course these gambles don't always come off. But he gets most decisions right and that goes a long way to explaining why he's had so much success in the role.

Of course, it's not fair to compare Broad to someone of Dhoni's experience. He's done the job with India for an eternity and he's played just about every match over the course of four IPL campaigns. Despite being a World Cup winner with England, Broad hasn't actually played that much of the shortest format.

But the proof is in the pudding, as they say. If over the next couple of years England get good results, these debates about who was appointed as captain or vice-captain won't come up. But if the World Champions go on a poor run, they will inevitably surface and whether he likes it or not, Broad will be held accountable.

They're the World Champions but an inexperienced captain and the return of a fresh Lasith Malinga to the fore makes Sri Lanka the bet in this match, says Michael Vaughan....

Despite leading the County Championship Durham's Will Smith welcomes the thrill and danger of the T20, precisely because of those characteristics! Follow Will on Twitter here...

The first game was an Adelaide thriller that went down to the last ball. Next up is the rematch at the MCG. Andrew Hughes previews the Second Twenty20 International.

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Follow The Money: Raya to show star qualities

Follow the Money / Follow The Money / 23 February 2011 / Leave a Comment

Support has come in for Raya Star with the bookies and on Betfair

The FTM boys give us their usual two backs and a lay on an action-packed Wednesday afternoon.

Today's Follow The Money selections come from Doncaster and Ludlow.

We start at Doncaster in the 14:00 two mile novice hurdle which has seen very good support for Raya Star, moving in to [2.42] from [3.15]. This well regarded five year old won his bumper first time up nearly a year ago and followed that up with a good second under a penalty for that win on his return to the track in December. His hurdles bow at Fontwell last month did not go to plan with a fall two out. However, he looked the likely winner that day and no doubt his trainer will have had the selection intensively schooled since. He is certainly worth another chance and can take this on his way to bigger and better things.

Next we head to Ludlow's 14:10 maiden hurdle over two miles where Brunston has been weak in the market, moving from [1.99] out to [2.74]. A former smart handicapper on the flat, the selection was very well backed on his debut over hurdles last month but weakened into fourth late on. He is clearly open to improvement but did not look the most resolute on that hurdles bow and is now tried in blinkers. With a few viable alternatives in the line up, punters are looking elsewhere for the winner of this one.

Finally we go back to Doncaster for the 16:10 handicap hurdle over three miles in which Ackertac has been supported at long odds, now trading at [8.2] from [14.0]. A winner of two novice hurdles back at the start of this season, the selection then ran well to be fifth in a Listed handicap hurdle at Cheltenham. Next time out he was going well when brought down at the same venue before never getting competitive when last seen over an inadequate trip in the Lanzarote at Kempton. This return to three miles will suit and he looks fairly treated. There should be more to come and a much improved showing could well be on the cards today.

Recommended Bets

Back Raya Star @ [2.42] Doncaster 14:00
Lay Brunston @ [2.74] Ludlow 14:10
Back Ackertac @ [8.2] Doncaster 16:10

That's all for today. If you're on the move this information is recorded on 0870 90 80 181.

The FTM boys give us their usual two backs and a lay on an action-packed Wednesday afternoon....

We're off to Somerset for two of today's Follow The Money movers......

Today's Follow The Money comes from the meetings at Carlisle and Hereford respectively....

Betfair website