1st June 2016

Hi ,

It’s less than two weeks to the European Football Championships in France and Roy Hodgson has picked 18 year old Marcus Rashford to be part of his Squad. A bold move but the correct one as the youngster has skill and maturity that many senior players lack.

I feel our squad is packed with many good players going forward with the likes of Kane, Vardy and Rooney along with young Rashford however I believe our defence looks rather vulnerable especially the back four with Cahill and Smalling prone to silly mistakes.

Lets hope we have a good tournament but I can see us even struggling to beat Wales who have the best British player to have played in the Premiership in the last ten years in the shape of Gareth Bale who has the ability to take teams apart single handed.

All eyes will be on Epsom later this week for the Oaks and Derby Classics so lets hope the weather stays fair for two days great racing. One has to say this years Derby does not look up to the standard of some of recent years and I would not discount a turn up.

The great race was first run in 1780 when the winner was Diomed. The most winning jockey of the race is of course the nine times winner Lester Piggott. The fastest time recorded was by Workforce in 2010. The easiest and longest winning distance was 10 lengths recorded by Shergar in 1981.

This year the race looks wide open and I’m going to put up an outsider as Howies Hottie in Humphrey Bogart. The colt won the Lingfield Derby trial to cut down a decent field inside the final furlong and before that he ran the very classy filly So Mi Dar very close over 10 furlongs of the Epsom track.

The colt is a street fighter with a good finishing kick and if he is anywhere near the leaders inside the final furlong they will know they have been in a race. The price is generally 25/1 but it seems with a big field the bookies are only paying out on the first three places so shop around as nearer the day one of the firms might try a concession and offer 4 places.

HOT HANDICAPPERS

FLAT

Secret Witness trainer R.Harris - The old timer ran well last week and looks ready to win again.

Phoenix Beat trainer Gay Kellerway - The horse is on a favourable rating at present.

Marcano trainer R.Millman - A ready winner at Bath this under achiever is finally getting his act together.

Harry Bosch trainer Julia Fielden - Went off far too fast at Brighton and is better than that. Look out for him as with a more restrained ride he can go close in the future.

Back next Wednesday be lucky.

Howard Davis-Shaw.

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