Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for Saturday’s racing coming your way from Sandown Park, Hereford, AYR, Wolverhampton, and Chelmsford City on 8 March 2025.
SANDOWN PARK
Race 2 No5 GEORGE’S LAD (Each Way)
Trainer: Emma Lavelle – Jockey: Liam Harrison
GEORGE’S LAD impressed when opening his jumping account at Doncaster, and although fully entitled to do so the form has been boosted by the subsequent success of the horse he beat, while his trainer is operating at a more than 30% strike- rate. Ben Pauling won this EBF Final 12 months ago and has strong claims again with the JP McManus-owned MEETMEBYTHESEA whilst top weight THE KEMBLE BREWERY can also get involved. At longer odds KEPLER’S LAW is also worth inclusion.
Prediction: 1st GEORGE’S LAD, 2nd Meetmebythesea, 3rd Kepler’s Law, 4 th The Kemble Brewery
Race 3 No10 SPIRITS BAY (Each Way)
Trainer: Nigel Twiston- Davies – Jockey: Sam Twiston-Davies
The featured Imperial Cup gives SPIRITS BAY the chance of showing what he can do for an ownership managed by former trainer Jim Old. He’s run well in each of his three starts this season and strips a relatively fresh horse after chasing home Constitution Hill in a Graded race at the last-named course at the end of January. The hurly burly of this ultra competitive race should suit his style of racing, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he starts favourite. LUMP SUM brings a class edge to the table off top weight, having run a blinder when chasing home Joyeuse in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury. He could also rock up in the County, and has to go into all exotic permutations along with AFADIL, whose trainer Paul Nicholls has welcomed the drying conditions. One that could go well at a huge price is BIG GINGE, a stablemate of my selection. He his his idiosyncrasies and is inexperienced, but he definitely possesses an engine.
Prediction: 1st SPIRITS BAY, 2nd Lump Sum, 3rd Afadil, 4th Big Ginge
Race 5 No5 DREAMING BLUE (Nap)
Trainer: Anthony Honeyball – Jockey: Rex Dingle
Of the six acceptors for this three miles handicap chase DREAMING BLUE looks the best equipped to take the spoils. While he is a wonderfully consistent operator who is the winner of three of his last six outings, the others go to post with questions to answer. Furthermore his trainer is amongst the winners, whilst the form of his defeat by O’Connell here last month has worked out.
Race 7 No8 MINT GOLD (Each Way)
Trainer: Lucinda Russell – Jockey: Jack Power
MINT GOLD is the sole northern-trained contender in an open finale and carded to start as the outsider in the nine horse field. That in itself could prove to be an insult to him, as he ran better than the bare facts indicate when claiming a minor cheque at Musselburgh last time and seems to have been overlooked
HEREFORD
Race 6 No1 GREATNESS AWAITS (Nap)
Trainer: Alistair Ralph – Jockey: Murray Dodd
GREATNESS AWAITS did us a good turn with his triumph last week and brings the best credentials to the table as he tries to strike while the iron’s hot. His burden is reduced by the 7lb claim of his conditional rider, and apart from Time Interval and For You Buzz the other runners are out of form.
Race 7 No1 BROADWAY HONEY
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies – Jockey: Finn Lambert
BROADWAY HONEY is an unknown quantity but has shown sufficient promise at home to suggest she can get into the shake-up in the colours of her trainer.
AYR
Race 5 No5 ARTIC ROW (Nap)
Trainer: Nick Alexander – Jockey: Henry Brooke
A three times winner over fences here, ARTIC ROW can take the spoils if things go his way. Normally a good jumper, he’s prone to suffer from the odd silly error, but his overall win to run record is good while he’s getting plenty of weight from his opponents.
Race 7 No9 WANDERINGINTHEDARK
Trainer: Nicky Richards – Jockey: Danny McMenamin
Richards has a good strike-rate with his debutants in bumpers and there is a good word for WANDERINGINTHEDARK which in itself encourages a close watch on the betting market for this Soldier Of Fortune gelding.
WOLVERHAMPTON
Race 2 No4 WILLEM TWEE (Each Way)
Trainer: James Fanshawe – Jockey: Daniel Muscutt
While WILLEM TWEE hasn’t quite managed to reach the heights hoped for him as a springer it will be interesting to see how he gets on in this first outing over 1400 metres since his first two career starts back in 2022. He could represent some value against paper favourite JABAARA, though that filly has much to recommend her and will be hard to beat.
Race 5 No10 CARGIN BHUI
Trainer: David Barron – Jockey: Callum Rodriguez
After a handful of near misses the door can deservedly open for CARGIN BHUI in this sprint handicap. The bottom weight has drawn the rail, but with blinkers added for the first time he can soon obtain a handy stalking position.
CHELMSFORD CITY
Race 2 No3 PANTILE WARRIOR (Nap)
Trainer: John Gosden – Jockey; Kieran Shoemark
PANTILE WARRIOR ran into some smart foes when playing second fiddle in each of his last three outings as a juvenile. It’s doubtful he will meet anything of their ilk in this first run back, and having worked well on a similar surface at home he should make no mistake.
Race 7 No5 HEERATHETRACK
Trainer: Mark Usher – Jockey: Tyler Heard
As a regular earner here, HEERATHETRACK looks sure to go well with cheek pieces retained. He’s troubled the judge in both 2025 outings and has more going for him than most, breaking from a plum draw for this race around just over a lap of the track.
