Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips coming your way for Thursday’s racing coming your way from Leicester, Catterick and Newcastle on 28 December 2023.
LEICESTER
Race 2 No4 SAINT DAVY
Trainer: Jonjo O’Neill – Jockey: Jonjo O’Neill Jr
This looks a good opportunity for SAINT DAVY to start making up for lost time. The six-year-old returns from an enforced absence having won a point in Ireland and a bumper and novice hurdle over here, before being outclassed at Aintree in the spring. He’s been well tutored for the switch to fences.
Race 4 No5 ABINGWORTH
Trainer: Gary Moore – Jockey: David Noonan
Taunton winner ABINGWORTH cuts back on the distance ladder but can maintain his progression to make this a second success from four earning runs this season. He’s operating off a 5lb higher mark, but has his tail up for a trainer amongst the winners, and can follow up.
Race 5 No4 TUNE IN A BOX (Nap)
Trainer: Tom Lacey – Jockey: Stan Sheppard
Lacey is another trainer enjoying a purple patch and he could hold the key to this handicap hurdle with TUNE IN A BOX. The grey was a wide-margin winner of his first run in a handicap at Newcastle last month to leave his previous form over jumps a fair way behind. He’s lightly raced with more room for progression than any of his four opponents.
CATTERICK BRIDGE
Race 2 No6 NEW ORDER (Nap)
Trainer: Charlie Longsdon – Jockey: Lily Pinchin
NEW ORDER can edge out Stay If You Want To in a maiden hurdle that shouldn’t take much winning. The selection won a point when trained in Ireland, and put in an eye-taking first run under Rules when second in a novice hurdle at Lingfield. It’s not difficult to see him progressing sufficiently to open his account.
Race 4 No14 STRONG BELLE (Each Way)
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies – Jockey: Jordan Nailor
STRONG BELLE is a speculative suggestion for this mares’ novices’ hurdle as she needs to put behind her an underwhelming run at Ludlow. Her previous earning effort at Huntingdon was much more like it, and if back to that level she can enter calculations at a working mans’ price.
Race 6 No1 PLAYTOGETAWAY
Trainer: Jonjo O’Neill – Jockey: Richie McLernon
Hat-trick seeker PLAYTOGETAWAY was in good form when last seen winning in the spring and summer. He needs to prove his fitness returning from a six month absence, but has shown he’s good when fresh in the past, and looks a different horse to when he joined his trainer after one point outing in Ireland.
NEWCASTLE
Race 1 No1 TYPICAL WOMAN (Each Way)
Trainer: Ian Williams – Jockey: Kieran O’Neill
There’s not much winning form on offer in the opener, but TYPICAL WOMAN appeals as a horse that is overdue. The Nathaniel filly has earned on several occasions since her Haydock triumph in the summer, and signalled with a solid effort at this level at Wolverhampton that she can come good soon, and interestingly this is her first ever visit to Gosforth Park.
Race 4 No3 AUGUST (Nap)
Trainer: Mick Appleby – Jockey: Alistair Rawlinson
AUGUST can successfully play the experience card in this weak novice. He’s improved from race to race this season and was strong in the market when second on debut for his trainer at Southwell. His trainer is a master at getting the best out of horses purchased at the Horses In Training Sale, and he can prove a case in point by showing those losses to be merely lent.
Race 7 No2 MAGIC FLUKE (Each Way)
Trainer: Marco Botti – Jockey: Marco Ghiani
MAGIC FLUKE has got his act together since joining his current trainer and being switched to handicaps. He boasts a nursery success at the bottom level as well as a close second in a Class5 in as many visits to this course. As this is only the sixth race of his career he should have more to offer.
