Dear All

I haven't commented on the current whip furore preferring to keep my counsel principally because my love of this great game doesn't mean I know one jot about the physiology of the thoroughbred! So how much physical damage a stroke of the whip does to a horse's skin I really don't know.

At the moment the high-profile bans imposed on racing gods such as Ruby and AP have raised the profile of the issue even further. These leading exponents of horsemanship cannot surely be expected, in the heat of battle, to count the aggregation of strikes in the final furlong when riding furiously for their lives.

It is a farcical situation and must be resolved. Either, those who judge must use their honed judgement, rather than numerical measurement, to determine if unnecessary brutality has been used in lifting a horse to even greater effort or perhaps the authorities need to take the momentous decision of banning the whip altogether!

Enough said!

There are four outstanding minds currently plying their trade online and helping people like you and me make informed decisions.

Nick Pullen whose copy is published by Oxfordshire Press under the brand names of Racing Angles and Horse Racing Focus. Nick's copy is expertly crafted, incisive, well-researched; extolling the virtue of value and most of all packed with winning opportunities. This is quality stuff!
Nick's raison d'etre is profiling; identifying a shortlist of potential race winners based upon his highest-rated top 30 performances in the race...
Yes it's a subscription service but you will pay for the fee many times over; I guarantee it!

Gavin Priestley is the brains behind Festival Trends and Trainer Track Stats (TTS) through his blog Nag-Nag-Nag
Gavin's stuff defies belief. So much hard work number crunching and historical fact goes into creating a mindblowing array of race trend analysis. There is a modicum of profiling also plus Gavin's own Nag Ratings.
The TTS is based upon profitable trainer performance at each of the jump racing tracks; for a small fee you can receive the qualifiers daily. I strongly recommend Gavin's work; plenty of free copy also...

Richard Stoddart and his chums are Bet Catalyst Totally different approach - prepare for long losing runs but when you win you will win big. Catalyst is constantly seeking out the holy grail of the 50/1 winner and doesn't shirk a challenge. It is much more of a pure tipping site; there is no fancy analysis but the beauty is in its simplicity!
If you want some guy telling you to have a 4-point win bet on a horse which, upon further inspection, is trading just over even money then forget Catalyst. It's not for you. I have nailed my colours to the Catalyst mast. Can't wait for the new website and a tad more diversity but this site is a winner with me...

Finally, Ben Aitken on his Narrowing The Field site and his is from the Gavin Priestley school of hard work. Painstaking research goes into his dosage profiling; trends recording, pedigree analysis etc. covering all of the principal races He also identifies profitable angles showing trainers' competency in getting their horses back on the track after a 90-day or more absence.
Subscription service but good value; my own view is that Ben has a deeper knowledge of the jumps game so now is the time to get on board. You will make money. Like Gavin, there are many articles published free of charge.

Tomorrow - six to keep onside

The first a novice to follow from the McCain yard
The second a fancy for the Paddy Power
The third a Ballydoyle inmate to keep the flames burning through the long, winter evenings...
The fourth an early Hennessy selection
The fifth a staying chaser primed for 2012 Festival glory perhaps
The sixth - much darker; still a maiden but immense promise from last weekend's Wincanton fixture...

Happy punting!

Rm(Mark)