Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for Friday’s racing coming your way from Newbury, Doncaster, Musselburgh, and Southwell on 28 November 2025.
NEWBURY
Race 2 No3 PALACIO (Nap)
Trainer: Sam Thomas – Jockey: Dylan Johnston
PALACIO jumped for fun when let loose on the lead to score on chase debut at Chepstow. From his revised mark the hooded seven-year-old should be just as much at home on this left-handed course with its long home straight. The race has cut up and it’s easy to see him getting onto an uncontested lead.
Race 4 CORAL JOHN FRANCOME NOVICES’ CHASE (Grade 2)
No4 NO QUESTIONS ASKED
Trainer: Ben Pauling – Jockey: Ben Jones
Pauling plundered this race 12 months ago with The Jukebox Man, and though not in that league NO QUESTIONS ASKED can serve up a repeat for the Naunton trainer. A three times scorer from six outings over hurdles last season, he downed an odds-on foe on chase debut at Ascot, when but for running down the final fence he would have come home unchallenged. He has his tail up for this clash with the much vaunted REGENT’S STROLL.
Race 6 CORAL LONG DISTANCE HURDLE (Grade 2)
No6 IMPOSE TOI
Trainer: Nicky Henderson – Jockey: Nico de Boinville
Henderson rarely leaves any Newbury meeting empty handed and he can take out this feature with the JP McManus-owned IMPOSE TOI. The selection fairly bolted up on his return in handicap company at Aintree where he showed improvement for the step up to three miles. He’s a lightly raced individual with room for abundant progression in the staying department, and can take the spoils at the expense of last season’s winner STRONG LEADER.
Race 7 No1 CLASSIC KING (Each Way)
Trainer: Emma Lavelle – Jockey: Rex Dingle
CLASSIC KING doesn’t always find as much off the bridle as it looks like he will, but he has profited from a return to hurdles from fences. He was returning from a second breathing operation when putting in an eye taking first run back at Cheltenham from which he will have benefitted. The longer his Jockey waits, the closer the top weight will be to victory in an interesting finale.
DONCASTER
Race 4 No2 MOON ROCKET (Nap)
Trainer: Kim Bailey – Jockey: Ciaran Gethings
Bailey is a fine exponent of the art of sending his novices hurdlers straight into the handicap arena when they switch to fences. MOON ROCKET appeals as a case in point, having finished second in two Graded races last season but then out of his depth in the three miles novices’ hurdle at the Aintree Grand National meeting. The cheek pieces he wore that day have been dispensed with.
Race 7 No7 SUMATRAN TIGER (Each Way)
Trainer: Richard Phillips – Jockey: Finn Lambert
SUMATRAN TIGER goes into the concluding handicap hurdle as the least exposed horse in the field. The former French-based mare has shown promise in all three starts for Phillips including when finding only one to beat her at Huntingdon last time.
MUSSELBURGH
Race 4 No5 LOWLANDS (Nap)
Trainer: Nicky Richards – Jockey: Danny McMenamin
Magnolia is forecast to go off very short in her bid to complete a hat-trick and LOWLANDS looks a value alternative. The six-year-old is having only a sixth career start today, and showed when second at Sedgefield three weeks ago that a breathing operation has had the desired effect.
Race 5 No8 MY PORTIA
Trainer: Laura Morgan – Jockey: Brian Hughes
Morgan does well with her runners here and MY PORTIA should make an impression off bottom weight at a track that should suit her bold style of running. She ran into a 33-1 roughie who left previous form some way behind on her latest start at Hereford and looks ready to go one better.
SOUTHWELL
Race 2 No1 APOLLO ONE
Trainer: Peter Charalambous – Jockey: Colin Keane
A low draw is an advantage in this Listed sprint in which APOLLO ONE breaks from the rail. He looked very unlucky not to score in Group 3 company at Ascot in early October and saw too much daylight early when fading out of contention at Doncaster. Today he needs to race handily but with cover, so that he saves energy for the finish. Keane is an interesting booking for him.
Race 4 No4 FRANTIC
Trainer: Ed Walker – Jockey: Kieran Shoemark
Frankel filly FRANTIC made a pleasing introduction when second in a 1200 metres novice at Leicester. She has greatly benefitted from that and should enjoy stretching out to seven furlongs for this first run on the all-weather.
Race 5 No3 CHAMPAGNE POWDER (Nap)
Trainer: Oliver Cole – Jockey: Kieran Shoemark
CHAMPAGNE POWDER has proved costly to follow so far, including when failing to menace on a venture to Compiegne and in a Listed race at Longchamp. However, he was not far out of the money when returning to home soil in a Class3 at Newbury last month. He still has questions to answer, but now in calmer waters and with blinkers added has to be taken seriously.
Race 6 No3 MY FERMOY
Trainer: Denis Coakley – Jockey: Billy Loughnane
Coakley saw his fortunes take a rise this year and in MY FERMOY the West Ilsley handler has strong claims to land this second division of the novice. The selection has troubled the judge in races on Polytrack and the Tapeta surface he encounters on a first visit to this course, and looks the one to beat.
Race 7 No1 TIRIAC
Trainer: Paul Midgley – Jockey: Barry McHugh
TIRIAC attracted plenty of support for his race here on Wednesday only to race far too keenly in the small field. He was a spent force in the final furlong, but connections may decide that as he didn’t take much out of himself it’s worth letting him loose again on what would be just a third career start on the all- weather.
