Neil Morrice brings us all of his best bets and tips for Sunday’s racing coming your way from Huntingdon, Kelso, and Southwell.
HUNTINGDON
Race 2: No7 – ARTHUR’S REUBEN (Each Way)
Trainer: Sean Curran – Jockey: James Davies
There’s plenty to like about ARTHUR’S REUBEN coming back from a nine-month absence for a trainer that does well with new recruits and having his first outing following a second wind operation. He’s already shown a liking for these fences by scoring here and has several earning runs subsequently that put him right into the equation. Interestingly that previous win came on first run back after a first wind op.
Race 5: Fitzdares Club Loves The Peterborough Chase (Grade 2)
No6 – AL DANCER (Nap)
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies – Jockey: Sam Twiston-Davies
Huntingdon’s major race of the season can fall to AL DANCER, whose two efforts this season stamp him as one of the best operators at this two and a half-mile distance. The grey took the notable scalp of Master Tommytucker at Newton Abbot and that horse has scored twice subsequently. The selection then contested the PaddyPower Gold Cup and after cruising into contention coming down the hill came under a ride only to rally up the final hill to finish third to Coole Cody.
Nicky Henderson fields a twin attack on the prize, with TOP NOTCH of serious interest on his first start after wind surgery. The nine-year-old gamely landed the corresponding race 12 months ago and also picked up a Grade 2 hurdle at Aintree in a select campaign. Usually good when coming off a break, he makes greater appeal than stablemate MISTER FISHER, who pulled up in the Paddy Power and needs to bounce back. The joker in the pack is FANION D’ESTRUVAL whose trainer Venetia Williams always cashes in when the ground is testing. A triple scorer when under the wing of Guillaume Macaire in France, he’s run well in all three starts here, landing a novices’ handicap chase at Newbury, finishing just out of the money in a big novice chase at Kempton and chasing home Magic Saint on reappearance at Cheltenham last month.
The Paul Nicholls-trained DOLOS is respected after taking home a cheque in Rouge Vif’s race at Cheltenham, while GLEN FORSA might have needed his run at Exeter to blow away the cobwebs, and can’t be safely left out.
Prediction
1st AL DANCER
2nd Top Notch
3rd Fanion D’Estruval
4th Mister Fisher
5th Dolos
6th Glen Forsa
Race 6: No6 – ROWLAND WARD (Each Way)
Trainer: Stuart Edmunds – Jockey: Cieran Gethings
There are two or three in this handicap hurdle with room for progression off low racing mileages, amongst them ROWLAND WARD. A useful performer on the Flat, he’s been unlucky not to score more than once since going jumping and will be considerably sharper for his placed effort behind Wild Max here last month, a performance that puts him right in the picture against the likes of Glory And Honour, Friend Or Foe and Haafapiece.
KELSO
Race 3: No5 – CRAIGANBOY
Trainer: Nick Alexander – Jockey: R Day
Veteran CRAIGANBOY comes with risks attached, as he’s refused to race in two of his last five starts. That said, the eleven-year-old was on his best behaviour when running Ard Chris close at Carlisle and with a similar display can get his head back in front.
Race 4: No3 – BOURBON BEAUTY (Nap)
Trainer: Alex Hales – Jockey: Harry Bannister
While respect is afforded to top weight Wild Polly, BOURBON BEAUTY showed when upped to this trip that she’s on the cusp of a breakthrough win. She found only The Glancing Queen too strong on that occasion at Warwick and is now cherry ripe to collect.
Race 7: No10 – DUC DE GRISSAY (Each Way)
DUC DE GRISSAY enjoys plenty of cut in the ground and looks certain to encounter such conditions in a race where he will go off at a working man’s price. He shaped well to trouble the judge on reappearance at Sedgefield and can turn the tables on the winner Red Giant.
SOUTHWELL
Race 7: No6 – MR CARBONATOR (Nap)
Trainer: Phil Kirby – Jockey: Ben Curtis
Prolific scorer Grimesthorpe Castle sets the standard looking for a fourth win in his last five starts. He loves the Fibresand surface but could have to play second fiddle to MR CARBONATOR, who after a sequence of near-misses is ready to end a near two-year wait for a win.
