Neil Morrice brings you all of his best bets and tips for Sunday’s racing coming your way from Musselburgh, Southwell and Leopardstown.
MUSSELBURGH
Race 1 No7 ON A PROMISE (Nap)
Trainer: Keith Dalgleish – Jockey: Craig Nichol
The Dalgleish stable looks to have a couple of bright chances on this second day of the ‘Trials’ fixture, starting with ON A PROMISE. The grey is easily the most interesting runner in the opener, having smoothly delivered on debut for his trainer over course and distance before Christmas. His record tells you he’s endured problems along the way, but with a career record of four from ten he’s probably got a lot more to offer.
Race 2 No2 FELDSPAR (Each Way)
Trainer: Keith Dalgleish – Jockey: Craig Nichol
This trial for the Triumph Hurdle can fall to FELSPAR. He’s up against some high-profile foes including horses from the Nicholls and Skelton stables, while Fiveandtwenty is defending a two-race unbeaten record for Donald McCain. This all makes Feldspar a bigger price than he should be, as when chasing home the latter here on New Year’s Day he was very green and stayed on without knowing he’d been in a race. Should the eight runners all take their chance he appeals as a sporting each-way bet to cause an upset.
SOUTHWELL
Race 7 No4 BARRINGTON (Nap)
Trainer: Mike Appleby – Jockey: Alistair Rawlinson
BARRINGTON was rated good enough to run at Royal Ascot but has generally failed to live up to his initial promise. The now seven-year-old is, however, giving signals that a first win for more than two and a half years is in the offing. He’s troubled the judge on each of his last two outings since being refitted with blinkers, and can take this at the main expense of Qaaraat.
LEOPARDSTOWN
Race 3 Chantelle Pharma Novice Hurdle (Grade 1)
No1 APPRECIATE IT (Nap)
Trainer: Willie Mullins – Jockey: Paul Townend
The most exciting novice either side of the Irish Sea, APPRECIATE IT can deliver as a short-priced favourite and solidify his claims for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. The Nap has 15 foes to contend with but has so much class that as much a threat to him as the opposition is the possibility of them causing him traffic issues during the race. With a clean trip this should be win number 3 from as many starts this season for the seven-year-old.
Race 6 Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup (Grade 1)
No1 DELTA WORK
Trainer: Gordon Elliott – Jockey: Jack Kennedy
The day’s highlight has cut up but will still have a bearing on the betting for what is one of the most open Cheltenham Gold Cups in recent years. If there’s a Gold Cup winner in the field then DELTA WORK is probably the one. He will be preferred in the betting by Minella Indo and Kemboy but remains a horse that hasn’t completely enjoyed the rub of the green in the Grade 1 staying chase arena. He was an unbeaten novice over fences before finishing third to Topofthegame in the RSA Chase, and although beating Kemboy in this race 12 months ago was just out of the money behind Al Boum Photo in the Gold Cup. And in the big chase at this course over Christmas, he was just moving into contention when unshipping Sean Flanagan. Minella Indo will take out a good amount of the betting handle on the contest even though he suffered quite a heavy fall in the Savills Chase that he might remember. And so Kemboy looks a more logical threat to the selection, as he’s the more likely of the pair to run his race.
Prediction: 1st DELTA WORK, 2nd Kemboy, 3rd Minella Indo
Race 7 No7 OFF YOU GO (Each Way)
Trainer: Charles Byrnes – Jockey: Mark Walsh
OFF YOU GO can come out best of the seven that legendary owner JP McManus fields in this handicap chase. For a horse by Presenting the eight-year-old handles soft or even heavy ground particularly well, and can make this a belated first win over fences. In fact, his last success happened in a handicap hurdle at this meeting two years ago, since when he’s frustrated his followers. That said, trends are there to be broken and he has the look of a well-treated horse.
