Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for Wednesday’s racing coming your way from Lingfield Park, Catterick Bridge, and Kempton Park on 22 January 2025.
LINGFIELD PARK
Race 1 No8 MEADREAM (Each Way)
Trainer: Marcus Tregoning – Jockey: Miss Alice Tregoning
From the rail, MEADREAM holds valid claims for a frame finish following very good efforts in his last two runs on the all-weather. Under the same jockey, who is the daughter of his trainer, he scored at Chelmsford in the autumn and then failed by just a short head to follow up at the same course before Christmas. Having had plenty of time to recover from those races he’s fresh and fancied for today’s task.
Race 2 No2 MISTER MCGREGOR
Trainer: Andrew Balding – Jockey: Hayley Turner
MISTER MCGREGOR ended last season with a couple of near misses and can play the experience card to good effect in this novice around almost a lap of the track. He had Turner on board for those improved performances, and might not need any more progression to get off the mark.
Race 5 No10 CHARLATAN (Nap)
Trainer: David Simcock – Jockey: Taryn Langley
CHARLATAN reeled in a prolific winner at Southwell only to find a return to the same track three days later a bridge too far. He nevertheless ran well in chasing home Calcutta Dream, and off bottom weight can now advertise his liking for Lingfield, where he formed part of a fine hat-trick of successes at this time last year.
CATTERICK BRIDGE
Race 1 No. SKYHILL
Trainer: Ann Hamilton – Jockey: Charlie Maggs
Veteran SKYHILL turned back the clock when returned to forcing tactics at Kelso last time. He’s a dual winner at this track, and if adopting similar tactics and grabbing an uncontested lead, should prove hard to catch.
Race 4 No7 KAZONTHERAZZ (Each Way)
Trainer: Martin Keighley – Jockey: Sean Bowen
At a double-figure price, it might be worth siding with KAZONTHERAZZ. The Kayf Tara mare has been generally out of sorts, but a much better effort to trouble the judge at Ludlow last time suggests she’s on the way back.
Race 6 No2 SEA LEGEND (Nap)
Trainer: Donald McCain Jnr – Jockey: Brian Hughes
One that could be worth waiting for as the best bet on this card is SEA LEGEND. A winner for James Fanshawe last spring, he’s suffered from breathing issues, but after corrective surgery and on only a second outing over hurdles chased home the impressive Wise Eagle at Musselburgh. He now engages in a handicap for the first time, and though high in the weights might well outclass his field.
KEMPTON PARK
Race 2 No. CHOURMO (Each Way)
Trainer: Mark Gillard – Jockey: John Egan
CHOURMO made Brighton his happy hunting ground last season where he won three times. Also successful at Newmarket at the back end, this is only the second run on sand for him in the past year, but he’s worth considering, even though an experiment to go hurdling with him proved fruitless.
Race 3 No3 CHEMICAL
Trainer: Andrew Balding – Jockey: Jason Watson
CHEMICAL showed the reactive side to his character when setting off way too fast for his own good and running out of puff at Wolverhampton. He’d been strongly supported for that novice but is now pulled back to the 1400 metres distance, and can show he actually benefitted from that first run since the autumn.
Race 5 No5 MASTER TECHNICIAN (Nap)
Trainer: Rod Millman – Jockey: Lewis Edmunds
MASTER TECHNICIAN finds himself in a race that any of the five acceptors can win, but having impressively opened his all-weather account on Polytrack at Lingfield can back it up in this tougher race. The money that went his way on his only visit here went west, but that was before he went to Lingfield, and his confidence levels are back on a high.
