Saturday's Selection

Yesterday I was gutted with the run of Top Boy. I was really confident about his chances and a peak Top Boy would have beaten that opposition easily. However, that trademark burst of speed that has won him races in the past seems to have disappeared and he finished out of the money.

My Lucille on the other hand ran an absolute cracker. I hope some of you got the 50/1 that was available on her yesterday morning. Tim Easterby's horses are running well at the moment without winning, and I have decided to stick with him for today's selection.

Father Bertie goes in the 3.15 at Ripon, a class 3 8f handicap, and the good to soft ground is perfect for this 4yo son of Firebreak. He progressed at a rate of knots last season, winning 4 of his 11 starts and going from a rating of 72 up to 88. His last win came in a class 2 handicap at Redcar (8f good) off a mark of 86 on his penultimate run last season, by a nose, and the handicapper raised him to 88.

He wasn't so good on his final run last year off his revised mark, but that effort came over 10.5f at Doncaster, a trip that was always likely to stretch him. He reappeared with a run on the all weather at Wolves (8f) at the start of last month and he finished down the field in 9th, beaten just over 5L. Last time out at Doncaster (8f soft), again in a class 2, he ran well for an awfully long way before fading late on into 9th, beaten almost 8L.

On the evidence of those two efforts he doesn't look like a winner waiting to happen, but I think that he needs at least a couple of runs to blow the cobwebs off. He was well beaten on his first two runs last year before going close on his 3rd run and winning on his 4th. He is only 2lb above his last winning mark so he is not handicapped out of it, and Ripon is a tight track that can often play to the strengths of front runners. His draw in 6 should allow him to get to the front if he breaks well, and if he is allowed his own way out in front he could be hard to peg back. I think he is worthy of each way support at odds of 16/1 and hopefully he can be the horse that brings Tim Easterby's run of near misses to an end.

STEVOS' SELECTION: 3.15 RIPON-FATHER BERTIE E/W 16/1