The Timeform Jury Review: A tough week but the bank remains healthy with 2010 upon us

Timeform Jury / Timeform / 31 December 2009 / Leave a comment

Kempton's Christmas fixtures were tough for the Timeform Jury

Timeform's Jamie Lynch gives the verdict on the last week's Jury Selections

"The less said about the whole of Kempton’s two-day fixture the better. Showcase meetings like Kempton is where the action is but not necessarily where the value is, and the Jury has traditionally done best focusing on the day-to-day racing, unearthing opportunities under the radar."

In the cliché-ridden world of football analysis, international breaks are said to be influential on each club team, coming at either just the right or just the worst time, depending on what form they are in prior to the interruption. It's easy to scoff at such generalisations; that is until it happened to the Jury.

On the back of a winning roll leading up to the festive break, the Jury suffered something of a Christmas hangover, at least for a few days, frustratingly way off the mark, but thankfully by Tuesday and Wednesday we had got our collective eye back in.

The less said about Boxing Day the better. In fact, the less said about the whole of Kempton's two-day fixture the better. Showcase meetings like Kempton is where the action is but not necessarily where the value is, and the Jury has traditionally done best focusing on the day-to-day racing, unearthing opportunities under the radar. Nevertheless, it's still easy to get lulled in, as we found to our cost. Clova Island, Nikos Extra, Crack Away Jack and Right Stuff all performed way below expectations.

So it was back to the drawing board on Monday at Wolverhampton, and one bet we all agreed looked particularly tasty, namely Fusaichi Flyer, clear top rated in a maiden, against what we thought was a 'dodgy' favourite. As it turned out, Capricornus wasn't dodgy at all, and he made all while Fusaichi Flyer floundered, not himself on the day.
Not panic stations just yet, but an uncomfortable sequence all the same.

Though failing to hit the bullseye on Tuesday, we did pepper it, and two seconds from two recommendations showed we were at least back in the right ballpark. Southwell is probably one of our favourites, being something of a specialist track, and Outrageous Request, who took the surface like the proverbial duck to water a fortnight earlier, stood out at the morning prices in the staying handicap, compelling a 'two-pointer' at 11/2, and he duly went off at 11/4, only for Clear Reef to find unexpected improvement. Five minutes later, and our belief that Sublimity could confirm placings with odds-on Solwhit from the Fighting Fifth looked set to be rewarded as he loomed upsides turning in. Leopardstown is a relatively short straight, though not short enough for Sublimity to outspeed Solwhit, not on softish ground anyway.

Latching on to up-and-coming trainers can be a profitable strategy, and we were on to Alan Fleming from an early stage, successfully advising Ultimate Limit, a horse who goes very well when fresh, on his reappearance last season. Same scenario this time around, returning from an absence (at Taunton on Wednesday), and the same result. Two points at 7/2, restoring cash in the coffers and confidence among us Jurists. We gave one point back at Kempton in the evening due to misplaced faith in Ardmaddy's stamina and indeed resolution, but, without consolation, we were right about Court Princess being a false favourite in that race.

More downs than ups then for the latest week, but little damage done, and plenty to look forward to as the Jury gets back into full stride. No New Year resolutions, other than more of the same, as if 2010 goes as well as 2009 did then everyone's a winner.

A full list of proofed bets can be viewed here