Big priced fancy loses out in photo in Japan

Currently feeling rather unenthusiastic about the blog, not sure if its the time of year but am posting alot on the Betdaq forum anyhow so you tend to be repeating alot of the stuff.
Looking back over the week, Ballymac Ruso won the Cotswold 480 greyhound final at Monmore though with a non runner the 11/4 morning price I took was depleted somewhat.
Elsewhere Midway Skipper could only manage third in the Coventry St Leger having checked up at the final bend, as I half expected on the day Swift Ninja came out and made all although there was a valiant effort from the previous years winner Barnfield Brooke who only lost out in a photo after a strong late surge.
In the Nottingham National Sprint, Boherbradda Mac finished lame and out of the money unfortunately after meeting trouble again though Boherduff Monti did qualify for the semi final in second place to give my 11/2 voucher an extended run at least for the time being!
Droopys Quinta who I backed at around 12/1 for the Wimbledon Oaks ante post has made the final with an inside berth but with challengers for the early lead the new favourite is wide runner Dangerous Lady who might have an uncontested journey around the outside hence the change in prices.
The Golden Jacket event drew a blank at Galway however as all my charges went west in the semi finals though as only the final is televised (on Sunday) cant tell you any more than that.
And in tonight's Ted Hegarty Marathon at Harolds Cross I lost Navan Blue who finished a disappointing fourth in her semi final (though cant comment on the run as lost the pictures unfortunately) but Hello Hippy, taken at 10/1 ante post, was a convincing winner of her semi final.
Flying Winner is the one they all have to beat and recorded the fastest time for the second week running, though if Hippy can get out of the blocks and away from the other runners a bit quicker than he has been doing, still feel there is some improvement in him and doesn't have that much to make up on the clock from tonights times.
In last week's Japan Cup Dirt, after studying all the form I was frantically searching for somewhere to place a bet and eventually did so, and was oh so close to landing a big priced winner with Meisho Tokon who lost out by a head after coming with a strong late run only to be pipped by the rejuvenated Kane Hekili who was a previous winner of this very race coming back from injury after a single prep run. At least the each way part of the bet was landed at a tasty 13/2 even at a fifth of the odds!!
Need to be catching up with the domestic form pronto now, I know I keep saying it but really want to be in the swing of things for the New Year so will give the big Sha Tin meeting a miss as there is likely to be alot of diverse international form on show for that one, though usually like to side with the locals in many of these type of events.
My Mosconi Cup bet on Europe was a fair sized one for me at 6/5 and they currently lead 5-3 after the first two days. Tony Drago in his home country has made a few errors to hand the visitors a couple of their points, and although his potting was excellent in his singles match with Earl Strickland, he kept going in off from the break off which is usually costly at this level.
The USA do look to be cueing better than they were last year, so alot depends if Drago can conjure up some of last years brilliance again and also how rookie Mark Gray comes through the remainder of the match.
In the UK Championship snooker which starts tomorrow, I'm backing Ali Carter 33/1, Judd Trump 40/1 and Stephen Maguire 9/1 in the outrights, the first couple each way, but it seems no one is really showing day in day out consistency at the current moment in time. Suppose you could say Trump is on a great run but most of it has been at a slightly lower qualifying level.
Ronnie looks to have a good draw so should go close but the odds of 5/2 look rather tight overall so would rather look elsewhere even though it may well be folly to do so.
Have chanced my arm on a couple of accumulators and a few of the shorter priced favourites to beat the handicap so trying to put some fun back into the betting after a bit of a shaky patch where I havent really been deriving much enjoyment from it. Alot of those bets were on the qualifying matches and not sure I will persist with those after this year, for one I need more time for studying other sporting markets and with only a couple of books pricing up the percentage is often against you. The other way of looking at it is that there may be more chance of a rick or two, though I think that diminishes as the season goes on.
Suppose it might be a case of keeping my eye out for the odd bet but perhaps not going in on some of the more marginal plays which I could easily have gotten wrong.
Hopefully have pinpointed a couple of things that will get my match betting back on track anyhow as have probably had my worst year yet on that front, though landing the big Walden outright has compensated for that of course.
Before I go dont forget its 1% commission on all in running UK and Irish horse racing on the Daq!! (until the end of March at least)
Anyway onwards and upwards, looking forward to seeing my favourite band Kid Creole and The Coconuts not to mention another rare treat Belinda Carlisle in concert this week in London, but until then will have to get studying!!
Oh and we managed to win again at snooker 3-2 this time against another decent side so we continue to surprise at least for the time being, though we are up against last years champions on their own table this next week.
See you soon
Rick