Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for Monday’s racing coming your way from Fontwell Park, Hereford and Wolverhampton on 16 January 2023.
FONTWELL PARK
Race 3 No7 KENNY GEORGE (Each Way)
Trainer: Sheena West – Jockey: Marc Goldstein
The ultra-consistent KENNY GEORGE can experience a change of luck at a track where he gained his only career success. Since that November 2019 triumph he’s posted figures of 22P32 at this figure-of-eight course and it was only in a photo that he was denied by Blue Shark on Boxing Day.
Race 6 No4 C’EST QUELQU’UN (Each Way)
Trainer: Sean Curran – Jockey: James Davies
A market check is advised about C’EST QUELQU’UN in this three-mile handicap chase. It’s true he was beaten a distance on his chase debut at Lingfield, but he will have learned from that, and can return to the higher form levels he showed over fences as a novice in France.
HEREFORD
Race 4 No2 COCONUT SPLASH
Trainer: Evan Williams – Jockey: Adam Wedge
From a stable amongst the winners, COCONUT SPLASH can down paper favourite City Chief in this novices’ limited handicap chase. The selection put in a rare underwhelming run when pulled up at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, but that was in a big field when there was little margin for error. In this three-cornered contest he can post an overdue first win over fences.
Race 5 No4 SUPASUNRISE
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies – Jockey: Finn Lambert
Huntingdon scorer SUPASUNRISE has improved from race to race this season and is worth backing to follow-up that Boxing Day triumph from his revised mark. A success for the gelding could rest on his ability to operate as well on this slower ground.
Race 6 No2 MINNIEMUM (Each Way)
Trainer: Henry Daly – Jockey: Tom O’Brien
MINNIEMUM is a diminutive relative of the top-class Mighty Man and well named. It’s taken her a while to learn about the rudiments of racing, but having failed to benefit from racing over a longer trip she’s now back to two miles and can take a step forward on a first run in a handicap.
Race 7 No7 BALLYCAMUS (Nap)
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies – Jockey: Jordan Nailor
This stable has been quiet with its runners of late, but in BALLYCAMUS it can reassert. The six-year-old has been supported on both starts this season, latterly weakening in the closing stages of a very competitive heat at Ludlow. A winner of his final start as a novice, he’s ridden by a conditional that is good value for his claim and rates one of the best bets of the day.
WOLVERHAMPTON
Race 6 No3 HIT MAC (Nap)
Trainer: George Boughey – Jockey: Kevin Stott
Nine-race maiden HIT MAC has figures of 2322-22 which paints a worrying story, but that frustrating sequence can end now that his trainer adds first-time blinkers to the gelding. He’s started favourite for those two starts in 2023 but should recoup the losses.
Race 7 No9 JOHNNY BOOM
Trainer: Shaun Lycett – Jockey: Clifford Lee
JOHNNY BOOM swooped to conquer from a difficult draw here earlier in the month and from his revised mark has a good chance of completing a hat-trick. The five-year-old is again drawn wide, but has the right main in the plate to overcome that problem.
