Sandown & Canterbury Today

Both Sandown and Canterbury post Dead 4 tracks and the weather is set to be dry and warm in both locations so we ought to be dealing with Good 3 tracks providing the early morning posts are accurate.
I don't think I've seen a more challenging card to punt on than the one at Sandown today. I'll be concentrating firmly on the "lay" side of the book there today and at Canterbury too which is not quite are difficult to unravel but nothing appeals as a bet. I will be taking one on big time though at Canterbury though but with Betfair markets undeveloped at this stage I'll be hanging on to my opinion until I've got matched on Betfair.
One of the problems advising potential "lays" is the lack of action in Betfair markets except on Saturdays and big race days.On the normal days you are obliged to hold off until you've got set yourself and often once you are and the price heads north the info is not really of much use to anyone else after it's price has drifted 15/20%.
These really open and difficult cards are a product of the rating system. As Australian handicappers begin to use the system more aggressively ( they are slowly beginning to ) it will become harder and harder to unravel the form. This is the case with a lots of the UK handicaps where the rating system is used very aggressively by the handicappers.Horses are raised 10/12 points for an easy win and conversely dropped down the ratings very quickly if they run two or three poor races. The very erudite and entertaining James Willoughby who acts as a pundit on Racing UK coined the term "equine bingo" to describe many races . Bookies love cards like this and obviously punters don't.There is strong evidence coming out of the UK that it's starting to become a big turn off for punters and and they are starting to give racing the elbow.
When Sunday racing,all weather racing and the ratings system came into place I was very strongly approving of all and a strong advocate for all three. Sometimes things are best left alone but unfortunately once the thing is up and running it's too late. Now I'm against all these three abominations but having been all for them 25 years ago I'm stuck with them.
There's a quote from somewhere maybe it's biblical that goes "by careful for what you want for you will surely get it".

Updates/Lays via Twitter throughout the afternoon