Betting Strategy / Robin Keck / 30 June 2009 / Leave a comment

Despite a turbulent week, Robin Keck is keeping faith with David Pipe. However, if anyone can provide a virtual overdraft, our man would like to hear from you...

Last week's column was a joy to write. This week, every word hurts my fingers to type and I feel like a young boy whose well intentioned effort to help with the school dinners has poisoned the entire school.

David Pipe had only one winner from 14 runners and my double stakes gamble failed miserably. I got particularly excited by the prospects of Raslan who was a perfect example of a horse that had been running inconsistently when the stable had been out of form and was a cracking bet at BSP [10.5] at Worcester last Wednesday. After travelling oh so sweetly the RP reported "his finishing effort did lack in conviction" which was a politer version than my immediate post race comments. Pipe's one precious winner, Dan Ryan, made all at Newton Abbott to win by 20 lengths and should still be followed. He has more to offer than that effort appears as he runs lazily and is a rare front-running in-running play as he keeps finding and out stays horses apparently travelling better. I still feel this stable is going well and will stay with them for a further week back at normal stakes.

To cap off a bad week even the sub zero Amanda Perrett had a winner and my cold list heroine sacked herself from my list. I'll be keeping a close eye on a reversal in her fortunes but am so far pretty sure that Classic Vintage's win at Salisbury was an aberration. Ian McInnes was always going to be a risk as he has a lot of big priced runners but despite a couple going close on occasion (notably H Harrison and Fiefdom) they drew a blank. He's sacked. Richard Ford must be on his holidays and only entered his horses to tease me.

So how do we repair the damage? Stuart Williams is one of the last trainers I'd usually follow as he runs a shrewd gambling stable and you're effectively betting against a market who know more than you about their horses well being. That said, after a few weeks in the doldrums the proverbial stable cat is winning races at decent prices and I'll follow them for a week. Ditto Willie Musson and Brian Meehan who are both going very well. On the cold list I'm adding Tom Tate whose season has stuttered recently.

Total Starting Bank = £250.00
Closing Bank after Week Four = £337.32
Week Four Result = - £154.20
Closing Bank = £183.12

I may need a virtual overdraft this week so if anyone can put me in touch with a kindly virtual bank manager that would be helpful.