Tuesday, 22nd June 2026
In ATC today….
We had a decent week at Royal Ascot….
…. we backed a couple of winners….
…. and we made a few quid….
Oh…. and I’d rather play my game than go about it the way Johnny & Harry do….
Read on….
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I think it’s fair to say that we had a decent week at Royal Ascot….
…. long-time friend of this column JB tells me it was ‘the best Royal Ascot ever’….
That’s not for me to say. But what I can tell you is this – I’ve had plenty worse….
It’s always satisfying to put up winners….
…. doubly so when you’re picking them out of 30-runner fields at the toughest meeting going and at prices with plenty of meat on the bone….
…. in this case at 14s with Mezcala in the Buckingham Palace….
…. and at 20s with Green Carrera in the Sandringham….
And it was particularly rewarding to watch the money come in significant quantity for those horses after we’d had first go at the big prices….
…. Mezcala was sent off the 9/2 joint favourite in the Buckingham Palace….
…. whilst Green Carrera was backed down to 8s by the time the stalls opened for the Sandringham….
When the formula works….
… take on the shorties + get on at a value price + get the win….
…. it takes some beating….
Reader BM gets it….
“You're a genius sir... I've had all the best prices on every horse you've given....”
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Plenty of readers were particularly happy with Blue RC’s showing in the Royal Hunt Cup on Wednesday….
…. finishing 2/28 and beaten just a length having been advised at 50s (sent off at 28s)….
I think it might have been better still had Hector Crouch been a bit more decisive from the start….
…. I thought he was a little slow away from the stalls and then he was in two minds – first joining the back of the middle group….
…. before having second thoughts and coming back over to join the back of the stands-side group….
It may seem churlish to make the comment – but he lost ground and was later getting into his momentum than other runners….
…. and these things matter at the death – the length that was lost was the length he was beaten….
I shouldn’t be crabbing a 50/1 placer but the winner – Rogue Diplomat – was the last horse I scratched….
…. and I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed on Wednesday evening….
…. I’m never satisfied….
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I was very much disappointed with Cherry Baker in the Palace of Holyroodhouse….
…. and with Ten Pounds in the Wokingham….
I was absolutely convinced I was on ‘live’ ones with those but neither horse ran anything like expected….
I guess you can’t win them all….
…. but I have such high (and ultimately unrealistic) expectations of myself that I almost feel like I should….
Anyway – I hope you were able to make a few quid out of the job last week….
…. like SL did….
“I re-joined your service for the Ascot Festival. I decided to invest £10 each way on 12 singles and £5 each way on doubles and trebles. My outlay was £350, my returns £850, profit £500. Thanks for the information, £20 well spent.”
…. if you backed all mine 1pt e/w at advised prices you ended the week 49 points in profit – and I’ll take that as an outcome….
And – if you didn’t back my picks, I hope you did well with your own….
You can read all the feedback received from readers (many thanks to all who took the trouble) here….
…. and if you have a moment to share your own experience of the Royal meeting – and of the ATC service – please get in touch direct….
…. you can email me at: nick.pullen@spapublishinggroup.co.uk
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Of course, we don’t always win….
…. the handicaps are tough betting puzzles to crack consistently….
…. and losing sequences are an inevitable and unavoidable part of the game….
Betting in a dozen big handicaps across the week it was possible for me to lose a total of 24 points (12 selections backed 1pt e/w)….
…. that’s the extent of my jeopardy and – if it all went as wrong as possible – it would represent a complete and utter disaster….
…. and I can assure you that I’d be very despondent about it….
But not half as despondent as Harry Findlay and Johnny Dineen must have been on Tuesday night….
Both these big beasts of the betting jungle….
…. larger than life front-and-center big-bet characters feted and adored by the podcasterati….
…. men who stand for it massive and make the game pay (so we’re told)….
…. men never short of an opinion to broadcast far and wide….
…. they both went into last week woofing about Notable Speech being the banker of the meeting in Tuesday’s Queen Anne….
Here’s Harry Findlay heading into proceedings – with the horse up at 6/4….
“I think it’s a certainty…. no negatives at all…. my biggest bet of the year [on the horses]….”
Johnny Dineen was equally convinced and singing much the same song….
“I don't really see any dangers…. if he does what he does normally he will win…. he’s one of the best bets of the meeting.”
Both men are renowned for jumping on with lumpy bets….
…. so imagine how they felt when Notable Speech failed to make the frame sent off at 9/4….
Dineen was rewriting history later in the week – ahead of Scandinavia’s Gold Cup assignment….
“Scandinavia was the one horse I really fancied coming here and I still fancy him…. I considered backing him at 6-4 two weeks ago. I do think he'll get the trip and I think he'll win….”
If he did end up backing the 4yo then he probably made a few quid back on his Notable Speech losses….
…. but what a way to play the game – going in big on short-priced horses in small field Group races that everybody and his dog fancies….
…. giving yourself little or no margin for error….
…. often taking a big step backwards for every stride you take forward….
…. and then acting like you never fancied a horse in the first place – even after everybody’s heard you barking it up….
I suppose it’s good for the old confidence levels when nobody ever pulls you up on these discrepancies between what you say happened and what did happen….
…. and you’re splashed across the newspaper and half-a-dozen websites like King of the Mountain….
…. and every egg sucker with a webcam and an Internet connection wants to broadcast your precious words of punting wisdom to the quivering masses whose lives are sponsored by Pot Noodle….
But – all things considered – I reckon I’d rather do what I do and bet the prices in the big-field handicaps….
…. because when it’s good the returns are very good….
…. and – if or when it all goes wrong – I don’t mind being carried out on my shield having made a proper fight of it….
Rather that than be doing big chunks of money on short-priced starters that finish nowhere….
…. Johnny…. Harry…. you’re welcome to that game, lads….
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That’s all for today….
Back tomorrow….
Meantime – contact me at – nick.pullen@spapublishinggroup.co.uk
Stay tuned….
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