Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for Wednesday’s racing coming your way from Newcastle, Catterick Ridge and Kempton Park on 25 January 2023.
NEWCASTLE
Race 4 No4 CRYSTAL DELIGHT (Nap)
Trainer: William Jarvis – Jockey: Kieran Shoemark
CRYSTAL DELIGHT made an auspicious start to his career with this trainer when breaking his maiden by a wide margin at Lingfield. The New Approach colt is looking like a shrewd purchase from the Horses In Training Sale and can bring Zealot’s winning sequence to an end on his handicap debut.
Race 5 No4 DINGLE (Each Way)
Trainer: Julie Camacho – Jockey: Graham Lee
A change of scenery appears to have benefitted DINGLE judging from his second to Zealot on debut for Julie Camacho at Southwell. Almost exactly a year to the day that he posted his last career win, the gelding is in a good place to stage a repeat and go one better.
Race 7 No9 WICCAN
Trainer: Hugo Palmer – Jockey: Billy Loughnane
Zoustar filly WICCAN failed to repeat her smart home form when a beaten favourite on debut, then was well beaten here and at Southwell. But she raised her game on a first handicap outing when third to Tennessee Dream at Wolverhampton and that form has been boosted by the winner.
CATTERICK BRIDGE
Race 1 No6 HITMAM FRED
Trainer: Rose Dobbin – Jockey: Caolin Quinn
HITMAN FRED has proved a winner machine for connections in spite of spending a large chunk of 2021 on the side-lines. He’s prevailed on five of his last eight starts over fences, latterly recording a game success over Lord Rock at Ayr. A couple of his foes loom as obvious dangers, but the weight he receives from Sam’s Adventure and Midnight Moss make him the one to be on.
Race 2 No1 SUPREME GIFT
Trainer: Henry Daly – Jockey: Miss A Stevens
SUPREME GIFT needs close inspection as his trainer’s only runner at the meeting and should prove hard to beat. He cosily delivered under his amateur pilot at Huntingdon and should be equally as effective going left-handed on a sharp track.
Race 3 No8 RELKADAM (Nap)
Trainer: Tim Easterby – Jockey: Mr W Easterby
This is best left to course specialist RELKADAM who is the best bet of the day. The nine-year-old has been given a chance by the handicapper following three heavy defeats, but he raised his game to chase home Tom Creen as a 25-1 roughie at Sedgefield last time. That tells me he’s a winner waiting to happen returned to his favourite venue, and if he’s anything near his paper price of 8-1 it should be ‘happy days’.
Race 5 No1 GIT MAKER
Trainer: Jamie Snowden – Jockey: Gavin Sheehan
GIT MAKER’s forcing tactics should lend themselves favourably to this tight track just as was the case when he jumped his rivals silly here on New Year’s Day. Backed as if defeat was out of the question, he was always in control and now has a great chance of making this a fifth success over hurdles and fences since joining his trainer from Ireland.
KEMPTON PARK
Race 2 No2 DESERT COP (Each Way)
Trainer: Andrew Balding – Jockey: William Cox
DESERT COP was clueless on debut at Southwell, yet stayed on to finish around six lengths off her stablemate Berkshire Phantom and will be more streetwise for a race dominated by Harry Magnus. The selection will go off at a big double-figure price but is a beautifully-bred individual that can earn.
Race 5 No1 DARK TROOPER (Nap)
Trainer: Ed Walker – Jockey: Tom Marquand
Three-year-old only handicaps can provide funny results, but it’s hard to see DARK TROOPER not making an impact after scoring on all-weather debut at Southwell. The gelding relished stepping up to seven furlongs and has one of the best jockeys in the country doing the steering in his attempt to follow-up.
Race 7 No4 ANISOPTERA
Trainer: Brett Johnson – Jockey: Harry Burns
There are a couple of recent winners in the filed for the nightcap, but the one that takes the eye is ANISOPTERA. The six-year-old mare gained two of her three career successes here and signalled with a near miss at Lingfield earlier in the month that she’s primed to get back into the groove.
