Communist Racing Tips

'Why Farringdon?' was the question asked of me by a fellow racegoer at Plumpton yesterday. The answer can be found in Jeremy Corbyn's favourite newspaper.

It may no longer be funded by the KGB but the Morning Star still preaches class war and can be bought every day for £1 from the Co-Op. This represents excellent value for money, not for the news or the reports of the meetings of the Southern and Eastern trades council, but for the racing tips provided by Farringdon on the back page of the paper.*
The communist racing tipster has always had a place in my heart since he napped Beech Road to win the Champion Hurdle in 1989. I had seen Beech Road win unexpectedly at Fontwell a month earlier, turning over the locally trained Champion Hurdle prospect Vagador. It was an impressive performance but I had not believed the form. In a superb piece of judgement Farringdon had got it right. Beech Road romped home (see it on youtube) at Cheltenham priced 50/1, clinching the hurdle championship and Farringdon another Sporting Life naps competition. 
Ever since then I have followed Farringdon's tips over the jumps (he seems to have a better record in the winter), chalking up every successful nap as a blow for (or maybe against?) capitalism.
I have already reviewed Plumpton on here but I need no excuse to visit my favourite local track. This time I joined the regulars who catch the direct coach service from the back of Brighton station to the course.
The weather forecast predicted fog. This prompted a rerun of the almost certainly apocryphal stories of various old lag jockeys in the novice chases taking advantage of the zero visibility to swerve all the tricky fences in the back straight, and only jumping the obstacles still visible to the stewards in front of the stands.
Actually the sun came out and it must have been the most glorious November day ever seen at Plumpton. Men wearing shorts (standards are slipping - only postmen should wear shorts anywhere other than the beech) were buzzed by wasps, and the horses received cooling wash downs from buckets of water after each race. 
Punters were not convinced by the description 'in form' (yes really, 3 winners form his last 6 runners) for Paddy Butler as his horse in the second race went off at 50/1. Normal service was indeed resumed as poor old Generous June received what the commentator quaintly and euphemistically called 'reminders' (i.e. a hit from the whip) after the second and finished tailed off.
My betting went rather well as it happens. I did not think the race won by the Paddy Butler (that man again) trained Killabraher Cross at the last meeting was up to much. This allowed me to put a line through him and Dancing Dik (the horse he beat), and therefore back the third favourite Ball Hopper. It was great to see this Devon trained veteran, in the words of the Racing post reporter, 'cruising to the front round the final bend and pull further and further clear.'
I wisely avoided the last which looked and was impossible. Conditional jockeys with a mixture of weight concessions, and 5 9/2 co-favourites in a field of only 9. The winner was one of those co-favourites and had no form. Obviously he was fancied a bit but only won because one of the other co-favorites dodged out when coming to take the lead at the last.
The icing on the cake punting wise was provided by Smad Place at the away meeting at Kempton. The classy Smad Place was available at a generous 6/4 and duly obliged - and yes he was napped by Farringdon that morning.
See previous post for Plumpton review score.
Punting success - profit!


*I have been asked to request that you pay for the paper, and do not pop into Smiths and look at Farringdon's double while pretending to browse.