Neil Morrice Best Bets And Tips – Thursday 27 April 2023

BEVERLEY

Race 6 BIT OF A QUIRKE (Each Way)
Trainer: Mr M T Walford – Jockey: James Sullivan

Course specialist BIT OF A QUIRKE is respected on his return from an eight month absence. He doesn’t always come to hand early, but if getting the rub of the green is capable of taking this to make it a 7th career success here.

Race 7 No3 PAPA RICO (Nap)
Trainer: Sean Woods – Jockey: Ben Curtis

Respect is paid to top weight Cantora but I doubt she can give PAPA RICCO weight and a beating. The latter looked to have turned a corner when reappearing to score on handicap bow at Nottingham, showing him to be a better horse on grass than he was on the all-weather.

TAUNTON

Race 1 No1 FAME AND FUN
Trainer: Paul Nicholls – Jockey: Freddie Gingell

So convincing was FAME AND FUN in a recent triumph for the champion trainer that it would be folly to bet against him going back-to-back. The top weight was out on his own at Wincanton, and his welter burden is eased by the 7lb claim of Gingell who is good value for it.

Race 5 No1 LOUNGE LIZARD (Nap)
Trainer: Henry Daly – Jockey: Harry Cobden

LOUNGE LIZARD has dodged two good winning opportunity owing to unsuitable ground but there can be no excuses on that score for him here. He reacted well to the addition of blinkers to ease to a wide margin triumph at Catterick. That was just a third run over fences for the six-year-old who is fresh and fancied to follow-up.

PERTH

Race 2 No9 NINETOFIVE (Each Way)
Trainer: Sandy Thomson – Jockey: Ryan Mania

My eye is drawn to the unexposed NINETOFIVE on handicap debut. The selection is a regular earner with frame finishes in each of his three out8ngs over jumps, and while yet to win made a real fight of it with the more experienced Miss Lamb at Market Rasen. There should be more to come from him.

Race 3 No1 NICEANDEASY (Nap)
Trainer: Nick Alexander – Jockey: Bruce Lynn

Jumping issues that affected NICEANDEASY earlier in the season are hopefully behind him in a race where most of the runners are badly out of form. He signalled with a first earning run of the season last time that he’s ready to return to the level shown when he first switched to fences, and is well in on that evidence.

Race 5 No2 RIDERS ON THE STORM
Trainer: Richard Hobson – Jockey: Brian Hughes

The joker in the pack in this four-cornered affair is RIDERS ON THE STORM. He’s been out of sorts since upsetting Hitman in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree but is dangerous when things go his way, and that possibility is enhanced with Hughes back in the irons.

WARWICK

Race 1 No6 KANKIN
Trainer: Alex Hales – Jockey: Kielan Woods

Leg 1 of the maiden hurdle can fall to KANKIN, who with three seconds from four starts under Rules is the clear form pick. He couldn’t hold a candle to Gaelic Park at Warwick and to Crambo at Bangor but this is a more straightforward assignment.

Race 2 No5 SPAGO (Nap)
Trainer: Fergal O’Brien – Jockey: Paddy Brennan

SPAGO has a happy knack of troubling the judge, and after a couple of cracking runs in defeat is ready to open his account. He’s bumped into some doughty foes in Timeforatune at Taunton and El Rio at Ascot, and though this is competitive he meets nothing of that calibre here.

Race 4 No6 MACLAINE (Each Way)
Trainer: Oliver Sherwood – Jockey: Kevin Brogan

This is a wide open handicap hurdle but I shall be surprised if MACLAINE is not involved. He’s acquitted himself well for his trainer in a light campaign and comes here on the back of a most encouraging earning run at Exeter which was his first race since undergoing a breathing operation. The chestnut has no ground issues, is a good jumper and should reward each way support.

Race 6 No8 JUBILEE EXPRESS
Trainer: Sam Thomas – Jockey: Sam Twiston-Davies

With only five outings in his short career JUBILEE EXPRESS has plenty of scope for progression for a stable that’s been amongst the winners during the early spring. He’s grazed the woodwork on both outings in a select campaign, and while most of his form is in soft he ran well on the good to soft conditions he will experience this afternoon.