Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for Sunday’s racing coming your way from Chepstow and Exeter on 9 February 2025.
CHEPSTOW
Race 2 No13 SHADE OF WINTER (Nap)
Trainer: Evan Williams – Jockey: Adam Wedge
Williams usually brings his best novices to this track and SHADE OF WINTER is certainly in that number. He maintained his record of earning in every start under Rules so far when second over two miles here and will almost certainly benefit from a step up in trip for this clash with Captain Bellamy.
Race 3 No2 FELICIE DU MAQUIS (Each Way)
Trainer: Clive Boultbee-Brooks – Jockey: Richard Patrick
The joker in the pack for this mares’ handicap hurdle is FELICIE DU MAQUIS who is making her first outing in well over a year. Before that enforced absence she was the winner of both novice hurdles she contested as well as earning on her only start over fences. Chasing could be on her agenda later in the season, but at a big price here she is worth chancing.
Race 4 No6 ASTRONOMIC VIEW
Trainer: Sue Gardner – Jockey: Sean Houlihan
Bottomless ground is pretty well an essential ingredient for ASTRONOMIC VIEW to be seen at his best. He was a faller on chase debut at Exeter last month but might be worth supporting to bounce back with a different jockey in his saddle for the first time in his 17-race career.
Race 6 No15 RICHARDSON (Each Way)
Trainer: Ben Clarke – Jockey: Lee Edwards
RICHARDSON earned in each of his four starts last season and competes on this first outing in almost 300 days from a tempting mark off which he can again get involved, though his fitness has to be taken on trust.
EXETER
Race 3 No1 ALEXEI
Trainer: Joe Tizzard – Jockey: Brendan Powell
How good the unbeaten ALEXEI is will be revealed in this Listed novices’ hurdle in which he clashes with Regent’s Stroll. The selection has been most impressive in two visits to Taunton to have connections mulling over a tilt at the Supreme Novices’ at Cheltenham, though to go there he probably needs to win well today.
Race 4 No2 DASHEL DRASHER
Trainer: Jeremy Scott – Jockey: Rex Dingle
While not quite the force of old, DASHEL DRASHER figures to be a competitive force in veterans’ chases starting with this strongly patronised affair. The 12-year-old has been given a nice gap since his latest start, will enjoy the conditions and should give Does He Know and Copperhead plenty to think about.
Race 5 No2 PUSH THE BUTTON (Nap)
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies – Jockey: Sam Twiston-Davies
PUSH THE BUTTON ran very flat at Haydock only to be found to be sick, and the grey bounced back to go within a head of scoring at Windsor when wearing first time cheek pieces. There’s not much of the grey and he’s in a very competitive race, but equally he has an engine that can propel him into the money against the likes of STRACKAN and LOSSIEMOUTH.
