Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for Sunday's racing coming your way from Fontwell Park and Hereford on 26 February 2023.
FONTWELL PARK
Race 3 BetGoodwin National Spirit Hurdle (Grade 2)
No4 SCEAU ROYAL
Trainer: Alan King – Jockey: Daryl Jacob
Fontwell’s best race of the season can see veteran SCEAU ROYAL turning back the clock and taking the spoils at the main expense of Goshen. This figure-of-eight course can neither be said to be right or left-handed, but the only time Goshen ran here he was a wide-margin scorer. That was back in the November of 2019 whilst Sceau Royal makes a belated first visit to the track on the back of a Grade 1 triumph over fences at Leopardstown. He’s frequently shown he can cut it in graded races over hurdles, and just needs to show he stays the near two-and-a-half-mile trip.
Race 5 No8 KANSAS DU BERLAIS (Nap)
Trainer: Gary Moore – Jockey: Jamie Moore
As the youngest participant in this novices’ hurdle KANSAS DU BERLAIS receives 19lbs from penalised General Medrano and looks a good betting proposition to open his account over jumps for top local connections. He found only Kayf Legend his master on a first outing after a breathing op at Lingfield and is one to take seriously that should prove very hard to beat.
Race 7 No5 SPITALFIELD
Trainer: Jonjo O’Neill – Jockey: Jonjo O’Neill Jr
SPITALFIELD can use his past experience of racing around this track to help open his account under Rules. On debut for his trainer the former Irish-based gelding finished second to Duhallow Tommy in a field of 14, and probably doesn’t face a rival of that class, though both Goodwin and Seaside Legend also bring decent form to the table.
HEREFORD
Race 3 No2 JOBESGREEN LAD
Trainer: Tom George – Jockey: Jonathan Burke
There’s been much to like about the way JOBESGREEN LAD has converted on his last two starts. The eight-year-old has taken his form to a new level, and is a worthy favourite to complete a hat-trick in this two-and-a-quarter mile handicap chase.
Race 6 No3 MOLE COURT
Trainer: Ben Pauling – Jockey: Kevin Brogan
MOLE COURT ran a seasonal best when second in a handicap hurdle at Warwick last time. The six-year-old has few miles on his racing clock, and granted further progression can go one better as one of the best bets on a card badly affected by drying ground.
Race 7 No2 DASHER (Nap)
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies – Jockey: Jordan Nailor
Running in the colours of his trainer, DASHER is taken to endorse the promise of his good run in defeat on debut at Market Rasen on Boxing Day. The Soldier Of Fortune gelding went well in his winding up gallop for this, and hails from a yard with an abundance of talent in the bumper division.
