Mail Sport’s racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Saturday’s meetings at Southwell, Chelmsford City, Chepstow, Kempton and Newcastle.
Mail Sport’s racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Saturday’s meetings
Southwell
Robin Goodfellow
2.45 Clarendon House
3.20 Military Order
3.55 Pearl Abbey
4.30 Andaleep
5.05 Palace Boy
5.35 Star Studied
6.05 Mr Swivell
6.35 Cusack
Gimcrack
2.45 Clarendon House
3.20 Lord North
3.55 Jenni
4.30 Barenboim
5.05 Spartan Army
5.35 Memories Maker
6.05 Mr Swivell
6.35 Eagle Day
Newcastle
Robin Goodfellow
2.45 Clarendon House
3.20 Military Order
3.55 Pearl Abbey
4.30 Andaleep
5.05 Palace Boy
5.35 Star Studied
6.05 Mr Swivell
6.35 Cusack
Gimcrack
2.45 Clarendon House
3.20 Lord North
3.55 Jenni
4.30 Barenboim
5.05 Spartan Army
5.35 Memories Maker
6.05 Mr Swivell
6.35 Eagle Day
Chelmsford City
Robin Goodfellow
5.20 Jungle Mac
5.50 Back Tomorrow
6.20 Daytona Lady
6.50 Night Of Desire
7.20 Ultramarine
7.50 H Key Lails
8.20 Tilsworth Ony Ta
Gimcrack
5.20 Jungle Mac
5.50 Profit Given
6.20 Clipsham La Habana
6.50 Night Of Desire
7.20 Ultramarine
7.50 Reverberation
8.20 Boom Boom Pow
Chepstow
Robin Goodfellow
1.23 Idefix De Ciergues
1.58 Zambezi Fix
2.33 Midnight Ginger
3.08 Thanksforthehelp
3.43 Mount Tempest
4.18 Twilight Glory
4.53 Midnight Venture
Gimcrack
1.23 Dasher
1.58 Zambezi Fix
2.33 Good Friday Fairy
3.08 Monmiral
3.43 Mount Tempest
4.18 Twilight Glory
4.53 Leech
Kempton
Robin Goodfellow
1.15 No Ordinary Joe
1.50 Kalif Du Berlais
2.27 Blow Your Wad (nb)
3.00 Panjari
3.37 Tweed Skirt
4.10 Pepe Le Moko
4.45 Roman Roy
Gimcrack
1.15 Get A Tonic
1.50 Kalif Du Berlais (nap)
2.27 Tahmuras
3.00 Fiercely Proud (nb)
3.37 Bowtogreatness
4.10 Grandads Cottage
4.45 Mythical Moon
Databank – Your guide to the afternoon’s action
JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
JAMES BOWEN has made the most of the opportunities handed to him since the turn of the year and has a clutch of good opportunities at Chepstow in IDEFIX DE CIERGUES (1.23), THOR DE CERISY (2.33) and WALKING ON AIR (3.08).
TRAINER TO FOLLOW
ANDREW BALDING has had six winners from his past 20 runners and of the rest only four have finished outside the first four. He has interesting runners at Southwell in CELLO (4.30) and Winter Derby contender EYDON, who debuts for his stable on his first run since finishing fourth in the 2022 2000 Guineas.
BIG DAY FOR
Trainer Brian Ellison, who likes nothing better than to win a big race in his native Newcastle. He heads there with ANGLERS CRAG (Newcastle, 2.08), who challenges for the feature Eider Chase. He has won all three races since he joined the Ellison stable this season.
WATCH OUT FOR
LORD NORTH (Southwell, 3.20)
After a second place in 2022, the eight-year-old won last year’s Winter Derby when it was still run at Lingfield. John and Thady Gosden are again using the race as a stepping stone to the valuable Dubai Turf which he has won three times.
HORSES FOR COURSES
FLEGMATIK (Kempton, 3.37) has run at the track six times, winning on three occasions. He also finished third once and finished second in his target today, the Coral Trophy Handicap Chase, last season.
TRAINER TARGET
PAUL NICHOLLS has won the Coral Pendil Novices’ Chase six times in the past 10 years, which include the last three stagings. He runs Grade One-winning novice hurdler TAHMURAS (Haydock, 3.15).
PERFECT PARTNERS
SHANE GRAY has ridden five winners from seven rides for Kevin Coleman to show a £1 level stake profit of +£30.50. He rides the trainer’s BENAVENTE (Southwell, 6.35).
BEST RACE FOR FAVOURITES
Seven favourites have won the 1.23 at Chepstow — the Pertemps Network Maiden Hurdle — in the past 10 years.
TOP PRIZEMONEY EARNERS
KEMPTON: 3.37 CAP DU NORD — £296,288
NEWCASTLE: 1.38 CORNERSTONE LAD — £156,878
SOUTHWELL: 3.20 LORD NORTH — £6,279,248
ROBIN GOODFELLOW – Best Bets
By Steve Ryder
The Eider Chase (2.08 Newcastle) over a stamina sapping 4m1½f on heavy ground will suit FLOWER OF SCOTLAND (NAP) better than the majority of this field and she should prove hard to beat for the in-form Sandy Thomson stable.
The mare won the Borders National over 4m½f by six lengths on soft ground last season before finishing third in the Edinburgh National over another marathon trip. She can be forgiven her reappearance run over a trip too short and will relish this stamina test.
Later at Kempton, in the Pendil Novices’ Chase (2.27), BLOW YOUR WAD (NB) should hold strong claims of gaining a Grade Two success for Tom Lacey. The six-year-old has won both of his two starts at Kempton including when beating Outlaw Peter over this distance on Boxing Day.
Connections now fit the gelding with first-time cheekpieces following a below-par effort at Cheltenham last time and he is expected to reverse form with Le Patron from earlier this season.
THE WIZARD OF ODDS
By Chris Baker
1.15 KEMPTON
LARGY POET has improved with each of his three races under rules, culminating in a 12-length victory at Exeter last month. This will be tougher but he has lots of potential. — 6-1
2.27 KEMPTON
Trainer Paul Nicholls has a fine record in this race and he saddles TAHMURAS, who was a Grade One winner over hurdles and has won one of his three chase starts. — 3-1
3.37 KEMPTON
Third behind Stage Star on his reappearance, IL RIDOTO (nap) was then beaten by just a short head before a good third-place finish at Cheltenham when favourite last time out. — 7-1
ODDS COURTESY OF BETFAIR
