Tuesday, 11th August 2026
In ATC today….
Clawing a bit back at Ascot….
…. you can’t please some people….
…. and perhaps you can you help me with this….
Oh…. and check out this week’s target races….
Read on….
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At Ascot on Saturday, I clawed back a few of the points lost at Goodwood the week before….
…. thanks to Crown Board coming out on top in the Shergar Cup Mile – watch it again here….
The downside is that he drifted out to 10s ahead of the off….
…. having been advised as a bet in this column on Friday morning at 17/2 & 8s….
Reading around the newspapers and websites on Saturday morning I must admit I was a little surprised not to find any mention of him anywhere….
…. because there was very little not to like about his two seasonal appearances heading into the race….
It’s at times like that when you wonder what it is everybody else knows that you don’t….
…. and the subsequent drift in the market only compounds those uncomfortable feelings of isolation and wrongness….
He emerged from stall 12 – the widest starting berth – having done a bit of sweating in the preliminaries….
…. he was plenty keen enough – taking a firm hold under first-time rider Mme Frida Valle Skar….
…. and he hit the front pretty early – and it’s never easy to win from the front at Ascot….
At that point I was plenty short of 100% confidence – and I don’t mind telling you….
…. but he did it easy in the end – setting the early fractions, kicking on late, and looking fully deserving of this morning’s 7lb rise to 110 in the rankings….
I hope you were on….
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They say you can please some of the people some of the time….
…. but that you can’t please all of the people all of the time….
When it comes to producing a racing advisory service like ATC….
…. it turns out there are some people you can’t please any of the time….
In the wake of what was admittedly a frustrating losing week at Goodwood….
…. an email – short but sweet – lands in the box from a reader – GGM….
“Not even a winner in sight! I’m done with all these experts.”
Now, don’t get me wrong – I know Goodwood didn’t work out….
…. and I understand the disappointment – because when big meetings go wrong nobody is more disappointed than me….
And – whilst it doesn’t help me on any level – I accept that on occasions readers are going to have a go….
…. you pay your money and you’re entitled to do so whenever the mood takes you….
On top of that – I concede that GGM’s email is very much on the mild side….
…. certainly, it contains none of the dog’s abuse that some readers have seen fit to file on occasions….
But sometimes readers – even the very courteous ones offering very mild rebuke – do make you shake your head….
Everybody’s experience of a racing service is unique….
…. with your overall bottom line outcome depending entirely on exactly where you jump on the ride and where you choose to jump off again….
…. and when the individual’s membership experience leaves him in the red I can totally sympathise with any sense of disgruntlement….
That said….
…. GGM has been on and off the ATC service over the years – and I can’t speak for his accumulated experience….
…. but his latest run of membership – from October 23rd – has coincided with a sustained run of good form….
…. and if GGM had backed every horse selected 1pt e/w at advised prices (always easy to get) he’d be sitting on a profit of 177.38 points heading into Saturday afternoon’s races at Ascot….
Is it just me….
…. or do expectations sometimes outstrip what reality can deliver?
Answers on a postcard, please….
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Perhaps you can help me with a little research I’m conducting for future columns….
Like me, you might play the ITV 7 on Saturday & selected weekdays….
…. or the Racing Super Series with Coral – on Saturday or big race days….
When it comes to football you might play the Super 6 with Sky….
…. or the Livescore 6….
What I’m interested in are the details of any other prediction games you might play – for free or for small stakes….
…. focused on racing…. football…. golf…. or any other sport….
Any information you can provide would be gratefully received – and if you can provide links then so much the better….
I won’t say too much at this stage about what I’m up to – or why I’m taking an interest in ‘prediction’….
…. but any direction you can offer would be much appreciated….
Contact me: nick.pullen@spapublishinggroup.co.uk
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That’s all for today….
Check out this week’s target races….
Back tomorrow….
Stay tuned….
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