Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for Friday’s racing coming your way from Sandown Park, Sedgefield, Exeter and Newcastle on 2 December 2022.
SANDOWN PARK
Race 1 No5 STEP BACK
Trainer: Mark Bradstock – Jockey: Miss Lily Bradstock
From a stable that introduced an exciting novice hurdler this week, STEP BACK can roll back the years and successfully concede weight to his foes. The 2018 Bet365 Gold Cup winner loves this track and although drawing a black from just four starts last season still has the powers to dominate.
Race 2 No1 NON STOP
Trainer: Joe Tizzard – Jockey: Harry Cobden
This is not normally a yard you associate juvenile hurdlers with, but NON STOP looks like he could prove an exception to the rule. He knuckled down to secure victory on his debut over jumps at Warwick after scoring on the all-weather at Lingfield and has a good chance to defy a penalty.
Race 4 No5 MAXIMILIAN (Nap)
Trainer: Donald McCain Jnr – Jockey: Brian Hughes
While any one of the six acceptors can win this featured Grade 2 hurdle, MAXIMILIAN’s claims are hard to surpass, granted the way he sauntered home under a penalty at Bangor to make it a point win, two bumper successes and two hurdles triumphs in as many starts. As his point doesn’t really count, he can claim a nap hand of wins by staving off the challenges of Man At Work and Henri The Second.
Race 6 No5 GALAHAD THREEPWOOD (Each Way)
Trainer: Ben Pauling – Jockey: Kielan Woods
On Flat form Raymond Tusk stands out in this novices’ handicap hurdle but having failed to reach the heights expected of him in a first season over jumps he’s worth taking on with GALAHAD THREEPWOOD. The latter also didn’t look a natural for the winter game last season but fared better in successive visits to Cheltenham in the autumn, especially when just out of the money in his first handicap at the ‘Paddy Power’ fixture. The hooded gelding is now sufficiently battle-hardened to put his best foot forward.
SEDGEFIELD
Race 3 No8 HILDENLY (Each Way)
Trainer: Tim Easterby – Jockey: Nathan Moscrop
HILDENLY catches the eye in this handicap hurdle on a first jumps run in almost a year, but only a couple of weeks since his last outing on the all-weather, on which he was a regular earner through the autumn. He’s completely unexposed over hurdles and has to be worth a market check.
Race 6 No7 ASHJAN (Each Way)
Trainer: Susan Forster – Jockey: Lorcan Murtagh
ASHJAN turned a corner in a big way last winter and spring, winning three handicap chases from the turn of the year through to mid-April. Placed in each of his other three starts in that period, he might have more to give, and if ready for this first run in almost 200 days prove dangerous getting weight from the rest of the field under a top conditional who can also claim off him.
EXETER
Race 3 No1 BLENKINSOP
Trainer: Henry Daly – Jockey: Nigh Nugent
BLENKINSOP seeks a quick-fire hat-trick under a 7lb penalty for his commanding success at Southwell and should achieve it. Unbeaten since being switched to handicaps, he has scope for further progression and can parry the threat of Horn Cape, who blew up on his reappearance at Kempton, and if straighter can get into the shake-up.
Race 4 No7 KING OF LOMBARDY
Trainer: Joe Tizzard – Jockey: Brendan Powell
The doubly penalised Lallygag and dual bumper scorer Grey Dawning represent top connections and are likely to take out a big chunk of the handle on this novices’ hurdle. That should make KING OF LOMBARDY a value option in his quest to turn the tables on the former from their running at this track last month, when Lallygag was fitter than my selection. King Of Lombardy also enjoys a swing in the weights that should bring him close together with his foe.
Race 5 No3 SHAKEM UP’ARRY (Nap)
Trainer: Ben Pauling – Jockey: Luca Morgan
For a horse that likes to be competitive or to dominate, SHAKEM UP’ARRY got himself further back than ideal in the Red Rum handicap Chase at Aintree but stayed on powerfully in the Aintree straight to finish third to The Last Day. He now has The only jockey to have won on him over fences back in the saddle, and having been ready to run for a while the eight-year-old can successfully return to the fray as the best bet on this card.
NEWCASTLE
Race 2 No9 FIRST OF MAY
Trainer: James Fanshawe – Jockey: Daniel Muscutt
With the combination of her sex allowance and the fact that her main rival carries a 7lb penalty, FIRST OF MAY gets 12lb from Project Black and in theory should take care of business for a stable to be respected with its juvenile runners here. The daughter of Maydon was green and enjoyed a largely educational introduction at Leicester, and has worked well, on an all-weather surface at Newmarket.
Race 3 No4 MACHO MANIA
Trainer: Hugo Palmer – Jockey: PJ McDonald
MACHO MANIA shaped promisingly when beaten threequarters of a length by Maharajas Express on his Kempton introduction. The Camacho gelding has learned plenty from it and should progress sufficiently to outpoint De Bruyne.
Race 6 No1 ART POWER (Nap)
Trainer: Tim Easterby – Jockey: David Allan
Aside from his success in a Group 3 in Ireland, ART POWER hadn’t quite cut the mustard this season, taking stock of the fact he’s competed at the highest level. The grey ran too freely in the Champions Sprint at Ascot before finishing third in a Listed race at Doncaster, though the heavy ground might have subdued him on that occasion. This is the first time in 17 outings that he’s run outside Group or Listed company, and theoretically he should outclass his opponents.
