Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for Monday’s racing coming your way from Kempton Park and Ludlow on 27 November 2023.
KEMPTON PARK
Race 2 No6 SECRET SQUIRREL
Trainer: Hughie Morrison – Jockey: David Bass
Morrison usually houses at least one decent jumper in his Summerdown stables and his main arrow to success this winter is SECRET SQUIRREL. The chestnut was a tidy winner of both bumper outings last season and is ready for this first outing since April under a jockey who was in the saddle for that Fontwell triumph.
Race 4 No1 DESTROYTHEEVIDENCE
Trainer: Kim Bailey – Jockey: David Bass
DESTROYTHEEVIDENCE moves into the handicap hurdle arena carrying a welter burden, but this winner of two of his last three starts is the only one in the field with room for notable improvement. He will need to find it, but in first time cheek pieces was a wide-margin scorer over this course and distance, and ran into a foe that has bolstered the form when beaten by Butch at Southwell.
Race 6 No1 THELASTHIGHKING (Nap)
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies – Jockey: Jordan Nailor
From a stable in generally good form, THELASTHIGHKING can take the spoils in an interesting two-and-a-half-mile handicap chase. Having ended last season with back-to-back chasing successes at Wincanton and Southwell, he looked unfortunate not to complete the hat-trick when returning at this course in the autumn. He made a big move to go from last two first within the space of two fences in the straight, only to lose his concentration on the run-in and get caught. There should be more to come from the chestnut from his revised mark, as he gets on very well with his jockey.
LUDLOW
Race 1 No7 GENTLEMAN JACQUES
Trainer: Charlie Longsdon – Jockey: Paul O’Brien
GENTLEMAN JACQUES shaped promisingly when taking away a minor cheque on his jumps debut at Hereford in the race won by Magic Seven. That experience should serve him well in an open race, in which he can have the measure of paper favourite The Famous Five.
Race 2 No2 BREAKING COVER (Each Way)
Trainer: Anthony Honeyball – Jockey: Sam Twiston-Davies
BREAKING COVER is a name to conjure with switching to handicaps in the colours of Harry Redknapp. A future chaser, he is lightly raced over hurdles and put in a career-best when chasing home Panjari at Taunton. This isn’t the most competitive of races, and I shall be disappointed if he doesn’t go very close.
Race 4 No10 FANTOMAS
Trainer: Martin Keighley – Jockey: San Twiston-Davies
FANTOMAS hails from the ‘bread and butter’ section of the horsepower at Grange Farm, but makes abundant appeal racing from the base of the handicap in this long-distance handicap hurdle. The selection ran his best race for a while when second to Haveyougotmymoney on his seasonal return at Southwell, and that’s the best form on offer.
Race 5 No6 LIME DROP (Nap)
Trainer: Henry Daly – Jockey: Richard Patrick
Locally trained LIME DROP wasn’t able to build on a bountiful 2021/22 campaign but ran well in a competitive handicap hurdle at Newbury and again when finishing second on her chase debut at this course in the spring. In a tight-knit affair, the chestnut can build on that effort and thwart You Say Nothing.
Race 6 No1 MINNIEMUM (Each Way)
Trainer: Henry Daly – Jockey: Alice Stevens
Diminutive mare MINNIEMUM will have her burden eased by the 5lb claim of her competent rider. With the benefit of a recent outing under her belt and competing at her local course she can post a first career triumph.
