Neil Morrice Best Bets and Tips – Saturday 23 October 2021

CHELTENHAM

Race 1 No12 TIMBERMAN (Each Way)
Trainer: Fergal O’Brien – Jockey: Fergus Gregory

With his stable amongst the winners, TIMBERMAN looks a rattling bet to take out a chunk of a very competitive opener, which is restricted to conditional riders. A dual scorer in novice hurdles at Doncaster and Market Rasen, he has bags of natural talent and might have got into this off a good mark. Important to the hooded gelding’s chance is that he consents to settle.

Race 3 No2 I LIKE TO MOVE IT (Nap)
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies – Jockey: Sam Twiston-Davies

Four runner conditions hurdles are always going to become tactical, but I LIKE TO MOVE IT can live up to his name and down market rival Tritonic in a fascinating match-up. The selection trotted up on hurdling debut at Worcester after a bountiful career in bumpers, and looks like he will prove even better in this new discipline.

Race 6 No1 DOES HE KNOW
Trainer: Kim Bailey – Jockey: David Bass

Locally-trained DOES HE KNOW made the perfect start to his chasing career when scoring at Chepstow earlier in the month. The hooded six-year-old jumped well and is surely poised for further successes after being ambitiously campaigned over hurdles.

NEWBURY

Race 3 Virgin Bet St Simon Stakes (Group 3)
No3 MAX VEGA
Trainer: Ralph Beckett – Jockey: Rob Hornby

A race that commemorates one of the greatest horses of all time can fall to MAX VEGA, who can end a drought stretching back exactly two years. The Lope De Vega gelding has pot hunted in a select campaign this year, but this is the first time he’s raced on his favoured soft ground. Furthermore, when finishing third to runaway scorer Nayef Road in a Listed race at Newmarket last time he gave every indication that he’s ready to win again.

Race 4 No4 FLASH BETTY (Each Way)
Trainer: Mick Channon – Jockey: Silvestre De Sousa

FLASH BETTY has raced 16 times this year winning on three occasions, and has been a fun horse for her connections. Considering she has run in sellers and claimers, this tilt at the Listed Radley Stakes would appear over ambitious, but there is reason to believe she can defy her 66-1 forecast price and pick up some black type. She’s in very good form after a recent Redcar win, and might not be disgraced, as she will handle the ground when some of her foes might not.

Race 6 No3 BAROQUE STAR (Nap)
Trainer: Mick Channon – Jockey: James Doyle

Lope De Vega filly BAROQUE STAR shaped encouragingly on her Nottingham introduction when a 40-1 roughie. She had a leg in every county but has learned a lot from the experience, and will be more streetwise.

DONCASTER

Race 5 VERTEM FUTURITY TROPHY STAKES (Group 1)
No5 LUXEMBOURG (Nap)
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien – Jockey: Ryan Moore

O’Brien can notch a tenth win in this trial for next year’s Classics with the unbeaten LUXEMBOURG carded to go off a red hot favourite. The son of Camelot, who numbered this contest amongst his triumphs, has looked the real deal in both starts at Killarney and the Curragh, and especially so when taking out the Group 2 Beresford Stakes by a wide margin last time. Another dominating display by the colt should see him enter winter quarters as clear favourite for the 2022 2,000 Guineas and Derby.

Race 8 No10 THRAVE (Each Way)
Trainer: Mike Appleby – Jockey: Erika Parkinson

THRAVE took a while to settle in with his trainer, but from looking a shadow of his former self he’s bloomed in recent months. He should get a strong pace off which to do his best work at the business end, as was the case when he finished third in the Legends Race here in September.

CHELMSFORD CITY

Race 6 No8 PERCY’S PRINCE (Nap)
Trainer: Amanda Perrett – Jockey: Rab Havlin

PERCY’S PRINCE has good form over this course and distance, and after a deserved breakthrough success at Kempton looks in a good place to make it back-to-back victories.

Race 7 No2 BLUENOSE BELLE
Trainer: Marco Botti – Jockey: Neil Callan

BLUENOSE BELLE has to carry a 5lb penalty for her Newcastle success in the spring, but could be the one to make life difficult for paper favourite Emblem Empire. Her stable’s recent runners have been a very good form, and she has bags of potential.

Place Accumulator Perm (Races 2-8)

4, 8, 6 x 5, 7, 2 x 2, 3, 4 x 1, 2 x 8 x 2, 1 x 9, 4

R216