Get all of the latest UK racing tips for Thursday’s racing coming your way from Ludlow, Newcastle, Taunton and Chelmsford on 2 March 2023.
LUDLOW
Race 2: LA RENOMMEE 7/2
LA RENOMMEE certainly has enough latent ability to break her chasing duck in this novice’s handicap chase. A winner over hurdles in France, the daughter of Doctor Dino has failed to add to her tally since joining Dr Richard Newland, but has been placed on several occasions. She has found only one too good in her last two starts at Wetherby and Carlisle, beaten a-length-and-a-quarter and two-and-a-quarter-lengths respectively, and it could be argued she may have won both but for making a couple of significant jumping mistakes. If she can iron out that side of her game, she is better than her rating of 112.
Race 4: HIDDEN HEROICS 13/8
HIDDEN HEROICS appears well-placed to maintain his unbeaten record over fences in the Forbra Gold Cup. A useful hurdler last season without setting the world alight, Dan Skelton’s charge has already made up into an even better horse over the larger obstacles after just two starts. Admittedly the form of both races is open to question, with three finishers coming home at long intervals on his chasing debut at Exeter in November, while only one rival chased him home at Cheltenham the following month. However, Hidden Heroics could do no more than win by 23 and 45 lengths respectively and on both occasions, he was particularly impressive in the jumping department, despite a tendency to edge right. With that in mind, the return to a right-handed track should suit the six-year-old and it will be interesting to see how he fares from a revised mark of 137 in Shropshire.
NEWCASTLE
Race 2: BUXTED TOO 9/4
BUXTED TOO looks set to continue his fantastic start to 2023 in the second at Newcastle this afternoon. The Ian Williams-trained five-year-old has rattled off four successive victories since the turn of the year, including two over this course and distance. There was no sign of the handicapper catching up with him when bolting up by three and a half lengths on his latest visit and a 5lb penalty is unlikely to be enough to prevent him from going in again.
TAUNTON
Race 2: MATTERHORN 4/7
MATTERHORN is given another chance to prove his worth in this novices’ hurdle at Taunton. Third in a Listed event at Auteuil a couple of years ago, the five-year-old was unsurprisingly prominent in the market on his British debut for Paul Nicholls at Sandown in the autumn, but floundered in the mud and was ultimately pulled up. The fitting of a tongue-tie that day suggested his wind may not be entirely clear and he has indeed undergone surgery since. He has been given plenty of time to recover from his Sandown exertions and with a sounder surface seen a positive, Matterhorn must be respected at a track his trainer rarely leaves without a winner.
Race 6: ANNIE K 9/4
The Ditcheat handler could also find the target with ANNIE K in the concluding race at Taunton on Thursday evening. Nicholls and leading bloodstock agent Tom Malone went to £170,000 to secure her services at the Goffs UK Tingle Creek sale in December off the back of a thoroughly impressive point-to-point victory in Ireland the previous month. Starting off at a fairly lowly level, connections will be hoping for an immediate return on their substantial investment and she must have every chance.
CHELMSFORD
Race 4: HELLO ZABEEL 9/4
All-weather fare also comes from Chelmsford, where punters are advised to put their faith in HELLO ZABEEL in this handicap test. The gelded son of Frankel is two from two on artificial surfaces since leaving Kevin Ryan to join Charlie Fellowes and he can defy a 3lb rise for a recent win at Lingfield to make it a hat-trick.
