Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for Thursday’s racing coming your way from Wincanton, Fakenham, Southwell and Chelmsford City on 2 February 2023.
WINCANTON
Race 2 No1 CELTIC ART (Nap)
Trainer: Jeremy Scott – Jockey: Rex Dingle
Scott looks to have landed on his feet when purchasing CELTIC ART at the Horses In Training Sales. The six-year-old was Listed placed in France as a two-year-old and has proved a good servant to his new handler by winning twice on the all-weather. He appears to have taken to hurdling like a duck to water, and can follow-up his recent success here over the same trip.
Race 4 No1 CERTAINLY RED
Trainer: Lydia Richards – Jockey: Marc Goldstein
CERTAINLY RED is in the form of his life, as he will have to be in order to defy top weight in this long distance handicap chase. The chestnut flew up the final hill when scoring at Sandown last month and on this completely different track should prove hard to stop off his revised mark. Golden Sovereign and Southfield Harvest are others to include in exotics for what is a lively betting heat, and best race on the card.
FAKENHAM
Race 4 No6 SERGEANT WILSON (Nap)
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies – Jockey: Sam Twiston-Davies
This could be a perfect opportunity for SERGEANT WILSON to post a first success over jumps. A winner of his only bumper start at Taunton, he has frequently commanded respect in the betting, and should be forgiven his lack-lustre display when last seen at Market Rasen on Boxing Day. He’s been given plenty of time to get over that, and has been working well at home.
Race 6 No8 BASHERS REFLECTION
Trainer: Ben Case – Jockey: Jack Quinlan
The money was down when BASHERS REFLECTION left his previous form behind to score on handicap debut at Warwick. The chestnut buckled down gamely to repeal Samaritan, and as that was only his fourth ever start over jumps there should be more to come from him.
SOUTHWELL
Race 3 No5 JER BATT
Trainer: David Barron – Jockey: Jason Hart
Dragon Pulse gelding JER BATT could prove the answer to this on his first run in Britain. The chestnut troubled the judge in three of his five outings in Ireland, and now finds himself with a trainer who excels with sprinters.
Race 4 No1 COUP DE GOLD (Each Way)
Trainer: David Thompson – Jockey: David Allan
The diminutive dual purpose horse COUP DE GOLD has prospects of earning at a big double figure price in this Classified race. He’s competing towards the base of the class spectrum but showed with an earning run at Newcastle that he might nick a small race before returning to hurdling.
Race 5 No7 AZTEC EMPIRE (Nap)
Trainer: Andrew Balding – Jockey: William Carver
AZTEC EMPIRE came home under cruise control when opening his account in a Kempton novice and needs to be taken very seriously on this first handicap assignment. The Sea The Stars colt is still learning the rudiments of racing but looks to have a stack of ability that can assist him in thwarting Capital Theory and First Impression in this Class 3 contest.
Race 8 No6 THUNDER GAP
Trainer: Tom Tate – Jockey: Billy Garritty
A further step in trip could prove just what the doctor ordered for THUNDER GAP. He wasn’t beaten far when fourth to Crystal Guard at Newcastle and should find the step up to two miles an advantage that he can convert into a first career win.
CHELMSFORD CITY
Race 4 No8 MICK’S SPIRIT
Trainer: Conrad Allen – Jockey: Sean Levey
MICK’S SPIRIT scored with plenty in hand at Lingfield to halt a sequence of near misses. It should have acted as an adrenaline rush to the selection, who though penalised 5lb is still receiving weight from his opponents.
Race 5 No6 SAVANNAH SMILES
Trainer: Tom Ward – Jockey: David Probert
Southwell scorer Shine Honey Shine deserves respect as the only winner in this field but could find SAVANNAH SMILES a dangerous foe. The last-named filly meets her on better terms than for their end of last month clash, while she was having a first outing in six months and can improve sufficiently to turn the tables.
Race 6 No1 STORM CATCHER (Nap)
Trainer: Simon Pearce – Jockey: Jack Mitchell
STORM CATCHER came out of the wilderness to score on his first visit to this track before dead-heating in early January and is a horse that appears to have turned a corner. He’s shot up in the weights, but nevertheless has a fine chance of completing a hat-trick and remaining unbeaten here.
