A Day to remember

I am so, so glad I got one of my lay bets wrong today! I was facing a real guilty conflict this afternoon - on one side I was willing Frankie to win his first Derby, but on the other hand I was suggesting opposing Authorized if his price fell below 10/11 odds-on. I really wasn't going to relish the prospect of betting against one of my sporting heroes.

Thankfully the best you could lay the favourite throughout the day was evens, and I could watch the race unfold without pressure. I suggested Authorized as a potentially good value lay, as he was stepping up in distance, over a course that is notoriously difficult to handle. The uphill start, then sweeping down to Tattenham Corner, and the adverse camber in the finishing straight, have all been the undoing of many a fine horse running here at Epsom. I was prepared to bet against him below 10/11 on the off-chance he would have an 'off' day. But today he was superlative! And well done Frankie!

My other two lay bets were successfully overturned for 3 points profit. And I had a sorely welcome day backing winners too. Two winners at Worcester, including Commemoration Day at 12/1 contributed to a haul of more than 16 points profit.

At the end of a memorable Derby Day I had managed to shovel back just under 20 points of profit back into the loss-hole I've created this past week or so.