Pimlico and Maryland Jockey Club TV racing analyst Kali Francois has launched an incredibly detailed and in-depth handicapping show on Learnhorseracing.com and their “Learn Horse Racing” YouTube Channel.
Month: May 2022
Horton Planning First Royal Ascot Raid
James Horton, who made a dazzling start to his training career with a treble at Redcar on Easter Monday, is now focusing his attention on saddling his first runners at Royal Ascot.
A former assistant to Sir Michael Stoute in Newmarket, Horton is now training at John and Jess Dance's Manor House Farm stables in Middleham. He plans to run Sunday's York sprint winner Asjad (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) at the Royal meeting as well as the G2 July S. third Sam Maximus (GB) (Showcasing {GB}).
“The Wokingham is the plan next,” said Horton of 4-year-old Asjad, who was bought from Shadwell at the Tattersalls Horses-in-Training Sale and has won two of his three starts since joining his stable.
“I think Ascot will suit him, I think he wants a level track. I probably shouldn't have run him at Newmarket, he hated the track and I probably brought him back a bit quick after Redcar. So he'll have a nice bit of time now between York and the Wokingham and that will be plan A.”
The G1 Commonwealth Cup is on the cards for Sam Maximus, who has made just one start for Horton, finishing third in the Listed Carnarvon S. on May 14 at Newbury after being group-placed at two for Tom Dascombe.
“He was only just up to a race when we ran him, he kind of needed a race to bring him forwards,” said Horton, who has now saddled seven winners from his 25 runners to date.
“I thought he ran really well and he just got tired in the last half-furlong, he had a real good blow and I think he should step forward from that.
“He's in the Commonwealth Cup and the two that finished in front of him at Newbury will probably run in it. They were match-fit and we went there half expecting to blow up, so I'd like to think he could get closer to them with another effort and the plan is to run him at Ascot and go from there.”
He added, “The programme for 3-year-old sprinters kind of maps itself out. We'll then see if he can mix it with the best sprinters or maybe have to go back and find a little Listed race somewhere.”
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Philippa Winter Appointed Mayor Of Newmarket
At a meeting of Newmarket Town Council on Monday evening, one of the most popular members of Newmarket's racing community, Philippa Winter, became Mayor of the town, a position which she will hold for the next 12 months.
Philippa Winter's late husband John was one of Newmarket's most successful and respected trainers from the late 1960s and through the '70s and '80s. Based in Highfield in Newmarket's Bury Road, John Winter, younger brother of the National Hunt legend Fred and son of the former leading jockey and trainer Fred Winter Snr, trained for several of the sport's leading owners and prepared some very successful horses including Realm (GB) (Princely Gift {GB}), Double-U-Jay (GB) (Major Portion {GB}) and the top-class full-brothers Balidar (GB) (Will Somers {GB}) and Balliol (GB).
Philippa Winter has been one of Newmarket's most active Town Councillors in recent years, most notably as the Chair of the Community Services Committee, in which role she has done a lot of work to improve the appearance of the town. The vote to appoint her as the town's Mayor was unanimous and reflects the respect which she has earned from her colleagues. She succeeds the outgoing Mayor Michael Jefferys, who will now serve as her deputy.
She is the latest of several figures from within the racing community to serve as the town's Mayor in recent years, following both Rachel Hood (wife of multiple champion trainer John Gosden) and John Berry, whose roles within the sport include both trainer and occasional TDN columnist. Another recent Newmarket Mayor with strong connections to the sport has been popular local businessman Andy Drummond who, through his company Lettergold, has been a long-standing and loyal race-sponsor at Newmarket.
Philippa Winter stands as an independent on Newmarket Town Council, a body on which the majority of the Councillors are independents.
The post Philippa Winter Appointed Mayor Of Newmarket appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
Poker Strategies
The game of Poker has taken the world by storm in recent years. Although it has always been an exciting card game, lately it has gained mounting popularity and has shown us through tournaments such as “The World Series of Poker” that even an average Joe, who has been playing the game for a relatively short amount of time, can walk away a millionaire. The way to win is to devise your own way of playing the game by building from a variety of tried and true Poker strategies available for you to learn.
The most important trick for a beginning Poker player to learn is how to “read” the other players. Unless you have an absolutely stellar hand that you are certain will win, then the strategy of reading your opposing players, to help determine what you should do with your own hand, is essential. You should begin by taking a few hands to observe your fellow players. Try to uncover if there are any habits your opponents have that coincide with a good hand or a bluff. Most great players try to conceal anything that could give away their hand, however, there may be very small, almost unnoticeable, things they are unaware of.
Another good way to try and determine what your opponent may have is by his verbal skills. He may try to distract you from your own hand by carrying on a meaningless conversation or taunting you when he is trying to bluff, be almost silent when he has a great hand, or over-acting like he has a outstanding hand when he actually has nothing. After a few hands, you may be able to decipher any patterns that your opposing players may have.
As you try to read your fellow Poker players keep in mind that they are probably trying to read you as well. Therefore, it is a good idea to try and not develop any noticeable patterns of your own. When playing with close friends, ask if there is anything you may do and are unaware of that could possibly give away your hand. Sometimes even something as little as an eyelid flutter can give devoted and observant opponents the advantage.
If trying to read your opponents doesn’t work out in the beginning, don’t get discouraged! The more you practice reading other players, the easier it will get. With each game of Poker that you play, you will be able to hone all of your skills and strategies until you are a true Poker master and, eventually, you may be ready to enter into the “World Series of Poker” yourself.
