Goodwood Day 3

I felt a little tender first thing on Thursday, but more relaxed and more upbeat.

It was a pretty busy day on Thursday, but I hadn't backed horses in every race, with nothing in the Richmond, the fillies handicap, or in the fillies maiden. I was only backing in the Galway Hurdle in Ireland so it was a pretty limited number of races, which meant it was most likely to be feast or famine.

The day started great, as despite running as green as grass, You're Hired edged home at 9/1. This one was tipped by Ben Linfoot and Roger Bush, and was just the kind of start I crave on a festival day. A good winner in the first race, eases the pressure, although sometimes it can turn out to be the only one of the day. I was hoping that this was to be the start of a great day, and ignite my Goodwood festival.

It was a good start, and things were about to get even better. Big Orange was a game winner for me in the Goodwood Cup at an early 4/1,one picked by myself. I know I said that I wouldn't back my own, but things are different at the big festivals, and I couldn't see this one being out of the places.

The utter highlight came in the nursery at 4.55, I'd already had a tip from Horse Trader for Bear Valley at 8/1, and had been suggested by Paul Jones to have a little on the Mark Johnson Tricast. Fortunately I invested £30 on 6 x £5 combination tricasts, each way money won when Hidden Cyclone just failed to win the Galway Hurdle (For Bet Alchemist at a monster 33/1).The rest is history, as the tricast was amazingly landed with a 4 figure return, and pretty comfortably really as the 3 were well clear. It just shows how fine the margins are between victory and defeat, as I was so close, to not putting the bet on.

For good measure, I even had the winner of the last, Laughton at 9/1, who was tipped by Ben Linfoot and Northern Monkey.

It had been a very special punting day, one which I won't forget for a very long time.