Racing
Southwell Place 6 preview | 18th July
17.35 – Sky Sports Racing 415 Handicap Chase – 3m
FRATERCULUS placed multiple times over hurdles and has taken well to the larger obstacles, placing in four of his six starts, including a close-up second when last spotted. From only a 3Ib higher mark, he could go one better.
CALLISTO’S KING should improve from his chase debut fourth and could get competitive, while EIGHTYTWO TEAM is down to a career-low mark and has a chance off a tiny weight on the back of a good third at Worcester.
Tips: Fraterculus, Callisto’s King, Eightytwo Team
18.05 – Vickers.Bet App Handicap Chase – 2m4f
This race is littered with inconsistent types with the exception of MARTALMIX’JAC who chased home the 117-rated Dream In The Park at Stratford back in October off a 10Ib higher mark and improved significantly from his chase debut fifth to take third back at Stratford when last seen. He should be extremely competitive from a 1Ib lower mark.
FOX’S SOCKS returned a solid third over track and trip two starts ago and makes most appeal of the rest.
Tips: Martalmix’jac, Fox’s Socks
18.35 – Connie White Memorial Handicap Chase – 3m
GO ON CHEZ is a very decent yardstick, who was unbeaten in his first five starts over fences and has only finished out of the frame once in all completed chase starts. He won very easily over course-and-distance two starts back by 11 lengths and was just denied by a neck in a much stronger race at Aintree last-time-out. The winner has since placed in the Summer Cup off a mark of 145, so the form has substance and this seven-year-old remains well-treated off 127. He is the one to beat with some of the best form in the race.
The Peter Bowen-trained LANDOFSMILES also has a good strike-rate under rules and is also lower in the handicap than when placing in the Summer Cup two years ago. He won a good race at Uttoxeter two starts ago and is a solid alternative to the former. I will be surprised if one of these can’t show their class and take this small-field event.
Tips: Go On Chez, Landofsmiles
19.10 – eventmasters.co.uk Open Maiden NH Flat Race – 1m7f
A lot of guesswork involved for this race in particular but trainer Gary Hanmer holds an excellent 21% strike-rate at this course and the market could prove informative for his debutant WEXFORD PARK.
Brian Hughes does well at this course and he rides the Rae Guest-trained ONE COLOUR, who shaped well on her debut at Huntingdon when midfield and could play a leading role with that experience under her belt.
Of the remainder, I’ll also cover Harry Cobden’s mount POTTERS BISHOP, who, similar to the former, shaped well on debut at Huntingdon when midfield. Matt Crawley’s charge could be thereabouts.
Tips: Wexford Park, One Colour, Potters Bishop
19.40 – Vickers.Bet App Novices’ Hurdle – 1m7f
Amy Murphy enjoyed great success over the weekend, winning the John Smith’s Cup, and she has an exciting hurdler in the form of YOUNG MERLIN. He is quite late to hurdles given he’s seven but he was a pretty classy horse on the Flat, when trained in France and in the UK, and beat an odds-on favourite over course-and-distance on his hurdles debut just over three weeks ago. There was a lot to like about his jumping technique and after travelling well, he quickened clear to score by nearly four lengths. Open to further progress, he’s taken to make it two-from-two in this sphere.
Tips: Young Merlin
20.10 – Summer Golf At Southwell Mares’ Handicap Hurdle – 3m
SHE’S ALL IN GOLD won well on her hurdles debut at Stratford two years ago and since then, she’s done pretty well over hurdles and returned a good second when last spotted. She’s only two pounds higher for this contest and should again be competitive.
Kim Bailey’s FAERIE CUTLASS has raised her game since going handicapping and after scraping home at Worcester, she backed that up with a decent second place over a shorter trip here last time. Moreover, she is David Bass’s only ride on the card as well.
Tips: She’s All In Gold, Faerie Cutlass
