Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for Sunday’s racing coming your way from Plumpton, Ludlow and Hamilton Park on 14 May 2023.
PLUMPTON
Race 4 No4 SYSTEMIC (Each Way)
Trainer: Gary Moore – Jockey: Tom Cannon
SYSTEMIC can prove the pick of three runners for the Moore stable in this handicap hurdle. It’s exactly a year since he was last seen on the track, but importantly he won here and finished second on his last two outings over jumps and is only just starting to live up to his early promise.
Race 5 No5 QUEENS ROCK (Nap)
Trainer: Nicky Henderson – Jockey: Jack Hogan
QUEENS ROCK has been all dressed up with nowhere to go for several weeks, with her connections very choosey about where to run her. The Shirocco mare bolted up on her latest start at Doncaster back in February and is a lightly-raced individual who can show with another triumph here that she has a lot more to offer.
Race 6 No5 CALL OF THE LOON
Trainer: Christian Williams – Jockey: Jack Tudor
It could pay to give veteran CALL OF THE LOON a chance to bounce back from his Fontwell defeat of last September now that he’s enjoyed a break. It was only a second start for Williams, for whom he was previously a ready winner at Stratford. And even though he’s 12 years old, the selection has very little mileage on his racing clock, and on paper seems as good as ever.
LUDLOW
Race 1 No2 SILVER SHEEN
Trainer: Fergal O’Brien – Jockey: Paddy Brennan
In a race that’s sure to become tactical SILVER SHEEN can stage a minor upset. He’s carded to go off the outsider of the three runners but comes back from a wind operation in only a second chase outing under Rules. That’s enough reason to believe he can take care of business against Shearer and Jeffery’s Cross.
Race 5 No4 LIME DROP (Each Way)
Trainer: Henry Daly – Jockey: Stan Sheppard
LIME DROP underwhelmed over hurdles at Exeter and Cheltenham to tell her trainer it was time to send her back over fences. A five-time hurdles winner last season, she has the size and scope to do well in this new discipline and looks worth chancing.
Race 6 No8 DIAMOND ROSE (Each Way)
Trainer: J Smith – Jockey: Finn Lambert
Lambert’s riding has been largely impressive and importantly he was aboard DIAMOND ROSE when she finished fourth at 100-1 on her return from a five-month absence at Warwick. It showed she’s retained a speck of her old ability, and makes her an interesting roughie for this weakly contested affair.
HAMILTON PARK
Race 2 No6 MOUNTAIN WARRIOR
Trainer: Ed Bethell – Jockey: Callum Rodriguez
This stable is firing in the winners and from a good draw MOUNTAIN WARRIOR can add to its laurels. He has less miles on the clock than any of the others and was a well-backed winner of a Southwell novice when returning to action last month. He looks fairly treated for this first venture into a handicap.
Race 7 No7 AQWAAM (Nap)
Trainer: Ian Williams – Jockey: Ben Curtis
AQWAAM side-stepped a trip to Chester to wait for this and he should prove a bet worth waiting for. The grey signalled he’s on the cusp of a return to winning ways when chasing home Matchless at Doncaster. It was his second run back, and should have put the cutting edge on him.
