The penultimate meeting of this season’s Racing League takes place on Thursday at Southwell. GG tipster Joe Napier has gone through the card to pick out his best bets among some competitive contests.
5.45 Southwell – Racing League Race 36 Handicap
The return to Southwell ensures that the Rebecca Menzies-trained KING CHAOS becomes of significant interest once again, and his profile is deeply intriguing given has run over trips between 7f and 2m½f this year alone.
The four-year-old has a stayers’ pedigree but for being by Kingman. Nevertheless, he clearly possesses stamina, winning a novice event over 1m3f here by five lengths back in December on his second run for Menzies. He has found life significantly tougher this season, with his handicap mark dropping a stone from a rating of 81 to 67.
However, since the start of June, his form over trips ranging from 1m1f-1m3f has been 5645, with only his runs over 7f and 1m in July seeing beat fewer than half of his rivals. The 1m4f trip could easily enable to refind something nearer to his best form, which off his massively reduced mark, makes him of serious interest at the only venue he’s won at.
6.45 Southwell – Racing League Race 38 Handicap
Once again her backers will have to hope for some luck in running which has been painfully missing on numerous occasions since her last success, but until ORMOLULU has a clear run off this mark over 7f, she is worth siding with.
Gemma Tutty’s charge has twice run into traffic usually reserved for rush hour at York this summer, ultimately coming home on the bridle but full of running. Similar poor luck had occurred here over course and distance in March when fourth of seven off this rating, but again suggested she could be ahead of the handicapper.
Despite some promising, eyecatching efforts on turf of late, her record is actually far superior on the all-weather overall. This race could finally provide the day connections’ luck changes.
7.15 Southwell – Racing League Race 39 Handicap
While the consistent Artisan Dancer is respected in an easier race than he was second in at York, a record of one win in his last 20 starts does not inspire confidence at short prices. A similar type in terms of near misses is SHERADANN, but he is available at an each-way price and is on a more tempting mark to boot.
The selection won three times when trained by Francis-Henri Graffard in France but is yet to win 11 races for Ian Williams. However, that may partly owe to the fact that seven of those 11 races have been on turf, on which he has distinctly struggled for Williams bar one outlier at Goodwood, whereas in four races on the all-weather, his form figures read 3273.
The seventh came after a 151-day break, so he probably needed the run. Otherwise, his form on artificial surfaces is extremely solid and he races here off the same mark from which he was third in the Northumberland Vase in a 19-runner field two months ago. He blew out at Goodwood last time, but that is what currently juices up his price, and he should run far better here.
7.45 Southwell – Racing League Race 40 Handicap
The rise in class could catch him out but it is striking that in two course and distance starts, OCEAN ODYSSEY is unbeaten, with his combined winning margins being just shy of 11 lengths.
Those are substantial margins for races over 1m regardless of the quality of the opposition. Both have been on stable debuts, as he won by six lengths for the Moores in April, then 4¾ lengths for James Owen earlier this month. The handicapper has not missed him, raising him 12lb, but the manner of success was worthy of that.
He has since finished last of seven at Musselburgh under just a 5lb penalty, but he has only beaten three horses in his last four starts on turf. He clearly excels more on the all-weather, with a particular preference for Southwell, which could well continue even in this decent contest.
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