Neil Morrice gives us his tips for Thursday's British racing meetings from Pontefract, Ayr, Yarmouth, Chelmsford City and Newcastle on 15/09/2022.
PONTEFRACT – 15/09/2022
Race 1 No10 ROUND THE ISLAND (Each Way)
Trainer: Simon Whitaker – Jockey: Mark Winn
Everything points to ROUND THE ISLAND adding to his superb record at this venue. The nine-year-old is a seven times winner here, loves to get his toe into the ground and can now post a first triumph at the course since moving from Richard Whitaker to his son Simon.
Race 3 No5 QUANTUM IMPACT
Trainer: Ralph Beckett – Jockey: Hector Crouch
By Invincible Spirit out of a Galileo mare, QUANTUM IMPACT has very strong claims to open his account in this second division of the novice. He’s earned on turf and sand and should be fully primed to make it third time lucky.
Race 6 No13 DEREHAM (Each Way)
Trainer: John Berry – Jockey: Gina Mangan
With Mangan riding out of her skin, bottom-weight DEREHAM needs respecting in his quest to make this a third win in just five outings this year. The Sir Percy gelding was in winning form when last seen at Newmarket back in June and has shown before that he goes well after a freshening break. He is also a course winner here.
Race 7 No5 FIRTH OF CLYDE (Nap)
Trainer: Paul Cole – Jockey: Paul Hanagan
FIRTH OF CLYDE takes an experience edge into battle in this maiden, and though returning from almost a year off is fit and ready to end a frustrating run of near-misses. Turned over when odds-on for his final two starts in 2021, he has done well physically and mentally in the close season and should make no mistake.
Race 8 No12 GIVE IT SOME TEDDY (Each Way)
Trainer: Tim Easterby – Jockey: Franny Norton
Though not at his best at Newcastle three weeks ago, GIVE IT SOME TEDDY gets the valued assistance of Franny Norton for the first time and can bounce back. He looked unlucky not to deliver on his previous start at Redcar, and is overdue posting what would be a first success of the season.
AYR – 15/09/2022
Race 1 No4 CHUZZLEWIT (Nap)
Trainer: Kevin Ryan – Jockey: Kevin Stott
Showcasing colt CHUZZLEWIT attracted support to start joint-favourite on his debut at Redcar but was too green to do the gamble justice. To indicate the high regard in which he’s held, he then tackled the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York and was predictably outclassed, finishing more than ten lengths off the winner Noble Style. Today’s task represents a substantial class drop, and with a similar type scoring from this yard on Monday he’s ready to follow suit.
Race 4 No14 FIRST IMPRESSION (Each Way)
Trainer: John Auinn – Jockey: Jason Hart
Getting weight from his opponents and running into a bit of form, FIRST IMPRESSION should go well on the easing ground that he prefers. He troubled the judge in a Class4 at York last week, and though this is a much stronger race he’s respected to get into the money at a fancy price.
YARMOUTH – 15/09/2022
Race 1 No9 HI HO SILVER (Each Way)
Trainer: Chris Wall – Jockey: Kaiya Fraser
Veteran HI HO SILVER raised his game to do his best work at the finish in Elsaab’s race at this course at which he is a standing dish. A dual scorer at the seaside venue, he is having a seventh consecutive outing there and an incredible 18th in his last 21 outings. His trainer should now have the grey fully primed to deliver.
Race 2 No4 GLENFINNAN (Nap)
Trainer: Andrew Balding – Jockey: Ryan Moore
GLENFINNAN belied his 33-1 starting price to make Desert Order pull out all the stops in the Convivial Maiden at York where he was strong all the way to the line. As the most experienced candidate for this maiden over a suitably longer trip he is going to be hard to beat, and rates the best bet on the card.
Race 4 No6 PHOENIX GLOW (Each Way)
Trainer: Mick Channon – Jockey: Charles Bishop
PHOENIX GLOW will start as a roughie for this novice after managing to beat only one home on debut at Goodwood. She was in truth clueless for that introduction, but may have learned sufficient from it to run into the money and reward speculative each way support.
Race 8 No4 MAOKAI
Trainer: Roger Charlton – Jockey: Trevor Whelan
Beckhampton handler Charlton saddles some interesting runners far and wide, and amongst them is MAOKAI. The lightly-raced gelding looked to have massively turned a corner when scoring on handicap debut at Chepstow and is of considerable interest returning off his revised mark. His trainer has posted an impressive near 30 per cent strike-rate in the last fortnight.
CHELMSFORD CITY – 15/09/2022
Race 1 No6 ON REFLECTION (Nap)
Trainer: James Tate – Jockey: Harry Davies
A lightly-raced son of emerging sire El Kabeir, ON REFLECTION takes the eye for his in-form yard on handicap debut with the top apprentice on board. The grey went down by just over a length to the useful Heartbreak Lass at Lingfield, and has previous experience of this circuit as well as the best draw on the rail.
Race 4 No3 BYEFORNOW
Trainer: Kevin Philippart De Foy – Jockey: Benoit De La Sayette
Charm Spirit filly BYEFORNOW has earned on both starts De La Sayette’s been in the irons and is not going to be troubled by a return to the minimum trip, after weakening in the closing stages of her latest outing at Wolverhampton.
NEWCASTLE – 15/09/2022
Race 4 No4 OUT FROM UNDER (Nap)
Trainer: Roger Charlton – Jockey: Frankie Dettori
Dettori is a crowd puller to Gosforth Park on this last night of Racing League racing. On the Dubawi colt OUT FROM UNDER the Italian will be hard to beat, as his mount has been strong in the market for each of his five outings this year, winning twice. Importantly, he looked better than ever when switched to the all-weather last time.
Race 5 No8 KITBAG (Each Way)
Trainer: Mick Channon – Jockey: Daniel Muscutt
Muscutt has a good book of rides but perhaps his best chance lies with KITBAG. The Territories gelding faced smart opposition when third to Sakheer at Haydock and was a clear-cut scorer at Lingfield before that. He is giving off positive signals at home that he has a big earning chance on this first handicap assignment.
Race 6 No3 TOMMY DE VITO (Each Way)
Trainer: Charles Hills – Jockey: Nicola Currie
TOMMY DE VITO is rerouted here after the reshuffle of fixtures following the passing of The Queen last Thursday. He’s on the same Tapeta surface as would have been the case at Southwell, and fresh from a decisive strike on turf at Windsor which came after a short break. He showed an appreciation for Gosforth Park by finishing second on debut in a novice and then opening his account by a wide margin in another, and this is his first visit to the course since.
