A few races today of interest but as for betting I had to wait until 8:20 Kempton & 8:40 Wolverhampton. There wasn't too much to think about with Backtrade. I went for a decent straight win at 3/1 and hoped it would be backed to half those odds pre-race or in-running. It was certainly well backed considering William Hill had it priced 4/1 early this morning. I laid my bet before the start. Fortune done front running but it seemed a half-hearted effort. Not sure if Backtrade didn't go round the bend or whether his jockey decided to take him a fraction wide. I got the feeling he was confident of a win and perhaps worried they may tire in the final furlong if pressing forward.I would have much rather seen him press on and go clear. After coasting, push came to shove and he couldn't handle the finish of Hans Adielsson's Compton Target, who looked a decent type, physically, compared to Balding's two-year-old. Backtrade touched 1/4 in-running so there was plenty of chances for punters to cover themselves if taking that option. A little disappointed with the ride in ways although you can't blame connections for probably insisting they didn't go a stride to fast.
The 8:40 Wolverhampton turned out to be an eventful race for me. After taking a closer look at the race later in the day I thought Ed McMahon's Chelsea Mick had a similar form line to the favourite, Rockme Cockney. I watched the juvenile on debut at Haydock and thought he looked a nice individual - not the biggest but compact and had a fluent running action. This son of Hawk Wing showed up well until the furlong pole on debut and this experience and drop back in distance looked ideal. In a very restricted auction race he was certainly worth a second look and the odds were good. I had a win and place bet at 13/1 on Betfair. I missed the biggest odds (drifted to 18/1) and then quite well backed late on. Chelsea Mick travelled well at the head of the field and put in a sterling performance. However, John Hill's representative, Travelling, ran on with real purpose and I had a horrible feeling it would catch my selection in the dying strides. It did. However, all wasn't lost. As a little insurance policy I put the potential win bet up in-running at 1.1. The laptop in my office had frozen just before the start of the race, so I had no idea whether the bet had been laid or not. Rushing to my second laptop in the other room - always have two open just in case something crazy happens - I opened the page to see - to my joy and no doubt some poor souls horror - that it had been laid in-running. So a second was pretty much as good as a win.
