Filling the boots of Mr Calvin this month will be no easy task, I assure you, and while our methods may differ, we can both agree that looking away from the head of the market unless something is offering stand-out value is the only way to ante-post success.
When penning any ante-post column, my first port of call is always the weather. However, turning into ITV's Jon Mitchell is another tough ask - even he recently put down his brolly in favour of retirement.
This weeks weather looks straightforward with a mainly dry outlook, and the early rain this week at Haydock should not be enough to affect the going on Saturday, so I am working on the basis that soft will likely be out of the question.
Shergar Cup is not for everyone.
The Shergar Cup dominates proceedings this Saturday, with seven of the ten races shown on ITV. Haydock has two free-to-air races, including the Group 3 Rose Of Lancaster Stakes, while Newmarket's Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes is the feature at HQ.
The Shergar Cup rarely draws in those serious punters, but the quality of the card has increased year on year, and it gets no complaints from me this time around.
Still, from a betting perspective, the Shergar Cup is made even more complicated from an ante-post viewpoint by the lack of jockey bookings until declaration time.
With a typical racing week, we could easily guess that Tom Marquand or Cieren Fallon would ride the lightly raced and fast-improving Amanzoe in the opening curtain-raiser, for example - two more than capable jockeys for this not-so straightforward ride.
Still, the market is unlikely to miss an unexposed improving William Haggas horse when priced up. Haggas has had five runners in this event since 2018, and he had none in 2021, so it's risky business all-round and I swiftly moved on to race two.
Four Saturday entries mean I have to hold fire on a sizeable punt!

There's no prices at the time of writing for the 13:35 at Ascot, but it did excite me when I saw Bashosh entered, although Roger Varian had given the well-handicapped runner four entries on Saturday.
Those include here in the 15:35 for which he is a 9.08/1 chance as well as Redcar and Newmarket, so it's best I have no clue where he is going - and Roger failed to reply to my email! Still, I will give you the low-down on why he gets me all sweaty.
He has had a short break but was better than the bare result on his seasonal return at Chelmsford when doing too much too soon, travelling five wide around the bend only to fade away to a subsequent winner in Karibana.
That race is working out well, and I have been itching to see him return to turf for the first time since attempting to give 13 pounds to the now 106 rated Sea La Rosa at Redcar.
He was unsuited by the slow pace in that small field contest. Sea La Rosa is now rated 23 pounds higher and a recent Goodwood Group 2 winner. Filling out that three-runner race was Forza Orza in receipt of 15 pounds and is now 13 pounds higher in the handicap.
He has been gelded, and I'd be damned if there's not a tonne more to come from him off of this handicap rating of 89.
A good few of these in the 13:35 are making quick turnarounds should they line up. Eight of the 26 entries return to the track within 12 days, so this race could cut up significantly, but no matter where he goes he will be of interest.
Super Superjack is firmly on the radar, again!

The 14:45 Shergar Cup was mentioned by trainer Milton Harris for his improving stayer Super Superjack after his comfortable win here back in May. His recent Goodwood performance, when tipped up by a good host of people, including myself and Tony Calvin, saw him continuously denied a clear run.
That unlucky second is unlikely to deter the trainer from having a crack at this eight days on.
He looks like a winner in waiting if turned out quickly.
Harris has a 28% (2-7) strike rate when turning horses out within eight days on Saturday over trips of 12f-22f. He is unlikely to be missed by the market, but his tricky nature means I want to know jockey bookings before parting with my hard-earned cash, and we are unlikely to lose any value with this selection.
What's the bet? - yes, I am getting there...
Berkshire Breeze is well ahead of the handicapper
The 16:30 at Ascot will likely see Berkshire Breeze 4.03/1 take his chance and if he does he is worth flaggin up. The drop in trip is probably no positive, but he is ahead of the handicapper with his recent form well advertised.
He wasn't given the best ride when runner-up to Bague D'or here over 1m6f 28 days ago and despite the second entry looming at Lingfield, I'd be highly surprised should he not rock up here and give Hayley Turner - who is highly likely to be riding here- another crack with him.
The Lingfield race is a Maiden contest, and the small matter of £32,000 should swing Andrew Balding in favour of racing here.
Bague D'or touched Berkshire Breeze off by a head when the selection was continuously denied a clear run, and his stamina was probably stretched in the closing stages.
Still, Bague D'or ran a scorcher at Goodwood when finding only Trawlerman too good and Inverness, who filled the third spot behind the selection, finished strongly down in trip behind the useful Secret State at the same meeting.
That was a career-best performance from Berkshire Breeze, and he now looks on a steep upward curve. Still, the market has this one well found at the head of affairs and despite his untapped potential over staying trips, I have to reluctantly pass at this time.
Sportsbook is quite rightly taking no chances with Haggas favourite
Haydock's 15:00 Group 3 Rose Of Lancaster Stakes has had an average field size of 6.8 in the last ten years, and with 14 runners entered this time around, it looks likely we will see another small field contest.
The Betfair odds compilers have taken no chances installing impressive Newbury winner Grocer Jack in at the 2.47/5 favourite. That contest recorded a fast time figure, and the favourite get's no complaints from me.

His Newbury victory lacked any depth in opposition before the off, and he did get an uncontested lead - something he may not get here, but he was very authoritative in victory.
He did finish ahead of Passion And Glory in Saudi earlier this year and was unlucky to finish behind Harrovian, who benefitted from his racing position in the same race. It's hard to see either of those come out on top this time.
The Mark and Charlie Johnston duo, Rose Of Kildare and Maries Diamond, as well as habitual front runner Peter The Great, will offer pace pressure should they show up, which could light up the free-going Haggas runner, but he is not as one-dimensional as this ante-post punter would like and again, we could have a small field.
Anmaat 5.04/1 is fairly priced and has to be of interest outside of handicap company for the first time, but he has it all to prove. He is another that has made the running previously but was beaten outside of that reappearance run last term by the above-mentioned Bashosh of all horses.
Still, he has been an improved model since then. I just wonder how much preparation went into his reappearance run to score in the valuable John Smiths Handicap?
If going by the weight of support in the market - then a good deal. This could be an afterthought, while Intellogent 7.06/1 who chased him home at York, simply may not be good enough at this level while acknowledging his excellent run in the aforementioned John Smiths Cup and the strong pace likely to suit.
Irish raider Helvic Dream is interesting, but he looks stuck between a rock and a hard place, and this is no easy pickings.
The market has this spot on, and I am not in the business of playing for second place.
Seasett makes plenty of appeal at double-figure odds
At Haydock in the 14:25 Urmston Handicap, there are 11 horses that either have entries before Saturday's race or on Saturday. One of those with this sole entry is the favourite Electrical Storm 3.55/2, who had little excuse not to do the job at Sandown last time and may prove vulnerable to something better handicapped.
That better-handicapped horse could come in the form of Seasett 13.012/1, for who this race is his sole engagement at the weekend. He returns after a short break after disappointing at Epsom.
He failed to handle the undulating track there and had little chance from the rear of the field, so it is best to excuse that effort.
His best performances have come on flat tracks, including here at Haydock when chasing home the useful Raadobarg, now rated 107 on heavy ground last May.
Still, he has proven himself ground versatile since then, including on his penultimate start at York when doing excellently well from a wide birth in stall 19.
He had to travel five/six wide for the duration of that hot York contest, and that performance has been significantly underestimated by the market now in calmer waters.
He offers good value here at double-figure odds and is the play at the ante-post prices but hold fire at less than 9.08/1.
No Bet in the Sweet Solera Stakes
Those at big odds make very little appeal in the 15:40 Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket. I like a two-year-old that has gone a good clip for races this late in the season, and the one that appeals most at this stage is Olivia Maralda 3.55/2, who is a very fair price but too short to tarnish this column with with.
She is not one I think will be a market shortener before the off, so I won't bore you with the ins and outs, and we may revisit this contest on Saturday.
Little Big Bear the one to beat in Group 1 Phoenix Stakes

The final place to search for any value is the 16:15 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh, where 11 of the 30 entries are housed in the Aidan O'Brien stable, while a further four are from sons Donnacha and Joseph.
All three winners from Royal Ascot could clash here. Albany winner Meditate, Windsor Castle winner Little Big Bear and the Coventry winner Bradsell could settle the debate on the best two-year-old race at the Royal meeting.
Betfair Ambassador Ryan Moore will no doubt have a tough decision on his hands and his thoughts ahead of the weekend, which can be exclusively read on Betting. Betfair, will make for an intriguing read.
Without the help of Mr Moore at this stage, it isn't easy to pen down who is more likely to run with a few sure to be held back for the Gimcrack at York the following week.
That's a race Richard Hannon likes to take a strong hand in, which could mean the defection of Persian Force, who has taken a similar route to Mehmas, which involved coming across the Irish Sea for the National Stakes in September.
Every contest winner in the last ten years has not been out until at least September - some have been put away for the following season - so it's one or the other if history is anything to go by.
Aidan O'Brien hasn't always thrown his best horses at this contest in recent years, but he has a strong hand this time around, and the Gimcrack at York is not a race he has been strongly represented in for a few years now.
Perhaps Little Big Bear will be the yards first string here, with Meditate having a Group 2 Lowther entry at York on the 18th of August, for which she is 4.03/1 with the Sportsbook.
He hit the line strongly on his latest assignment and came off well on the speed figures from the wrong side of the track at the Royal meeting. There's plenty more to come.