Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for Wednesday’s racing coming your way from Lingfield, Haydock, Ludlow and Kempton on 6 December 2023.
LINGFIELD PARK
Race 4 No6 PRIVATE GETAWAY (Each Way)
Trainer: Marco Botti – Jockey: Harry Davies
Ten Sovereigns filly PRIVATE GETAWAY has changed stables since troubling the judge as a 33-1 roughie at Kempton in September. If showing normal progression from that encouraging effort she can again finish in the money, and at a working man’s price.
Race 8 No9 MOORGATE (Each Way)
Trainer: Pat Murphy – Jockey: Harry Davies
MOORGATE is performing well for his veteran handler and can advertise his liking for this course, where he gained a first career success most gamely last month. The drop back to five furlongs shouldn’t bother him, especially if he makes the best use of his draw on the fence.
HAYDOCK PARK
Race 2 No2 LUMP SUM (Nap)
Trainer: Sam Thomas – Jockey: Sam Twiston-Davies
LUMP SUM hails from a stable that houses a batch of potentially smart novices. Backed as if defeat was out of the question, he made no mistake to open his account over jumps at the first time of asking at Ffos Las. He faces stern opposition from Spirits Bay who in his own right is also a horse to follow, but it will be disappointing if the Nap can’t live up to his high billing on the way to even better things.
Race 4 No1 THE KING OF RYHOPE
Trainer: Dan Skelton – Jockey: Ciaran Gethings
THE KING OF RYHOPE made a smooth transition to fences at Chepstow at the end of October, when that Halloween success aptly occurred in the colours of Spectre Racing. He’s a good jumper who will go in the ground, and with few miles on his racing clock should have more to give for the Skeltons.
Race 6 No3 GOOD BOY BOBBY
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies – Jockey: Sam Twiston-Davies
GOOD BOY BOBBY was given a very positive ride when scoring at Sandown last month to show how much he’s in his comfort zone in veterans’ chases. Sound jumping is his forte, and with his tail up he has a great chance of completing a fine hat-trick.
LUDLOW
Race 1 No1 REGAL RENAISSANCE
Trainer: Henry Daly – Jockey: Alice Stevens
Runners from Daly’s stables just a few miles from this track should always be afforded a second look and REGAL RENAISSANCE gives the trainer a good chance of starting the day with a winner. The mare has made the short journey here on seven of the ten times she’s raced and put together a record that reads 4416124. It augurs well for another bold display under a jockey who guided her to both those career successes.
Race 2 No7 UNCLE ARTHUR
Trainer: Fergal O’Brien – Jockey: Daire Davis
In a weak race UNCLE ARTHUR is given a chance to make up for an underwhelming display at Taunton last month. The five-year-old did not go unbacked, and on this fourth start for his trainer needs to show what he’s capable of in what could be the last chance saloon.
Race 7 No1 JIM DE SARTI (Nap)
Trainer: Nicky Henderson – Jockey: Nico de Boinville
As Henderson’s only runner of the day even more respect is paid to JIM DE SARTI who is napped. The four-year-old carries a penalty even though his last time out success happened in France, but in the colours of the Million In Mind Partnership this soft-ground lover needs to be supported.
KEMPTON PARK
Race 4 No9 MINA RASHID (Nap)
Trainer: Andrew Balding – Jockey: Richard Kingscote
Godolphin’s Kalidasa wins this hands down on pedigree alone, but the son of Frankel faces a stern opponent in MINA RASHID who is carded to start more than double his price. The Nap showed promise when easy to back on his Nottingham debut in soft ground in the autumn and has worked well on an all-weather surface at home. He needs to overcome an outer draw, but is a danger to all if doing so.
Race 8 No12 ZORAN (Each Way)
Trainer: Emma Lavelle – Jockey: Hayley Turner
If there was to be a minor upset in this stayers’ handicap it could emanate from ZORAN, whose jumps-biased trainer does well with horses of his ilk. The six-year-old numbers Hugo Palmer and Paul Nicholls as his previous trainers but seemed better than ever when earning on all but one of his hurdle and chase starts for Lavelle through the summer. He was a 50-1 shot when narrowly denied on a first all-weather outing for her at this course last month and is weighted to turn the tables on the winner, Duke Of Oxford.
Race 9 No4 GENTLE WHINNY (Each Way)
Trainer: Denis Coakley – Jockey: Kieran Shoemark
One who might have a better chance than her price suggests is GENTLE WHINNY. The daughter of Churchill hasn’t gone forward since opening her account on a final start at Windsor last back end but has been selectively campaigned. She could easily have more to give on only a second career start on the Polytrack.
