Our chief tipster Andrew Mount is away again on Friday, so it’s GG editor Steve Chambers that has been handed tipping duties for racing on Friday 5th January.
It’s pretty low-key stuff, but there’s a winner in every race, so he heads to Southwell’s all-weather card for his best bets.
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Posted: 4.57pm January 4th (Odds correct at time of writing)
11:02 Southwell – DAAFY (1pt win – 7/2 bet365)
Derek Shaw’s DAAFY makes a quick return to the track having finished a creditable runner-up at Southwell seven days ago and the seven-year-old looks more than capable of knocking on the door again in the opening race of the day, which takes place at 11:02 on Friday morning at Southwell.
Most of Daafy’s runs have come at Southwell over the last couple of seasons and while he’s been on a pretty long losing run, he did taste success at the track back in March 2022 off a mark of 58. He lines up here off 55, which was the figure he ran off when second here a week ago, so he looks to have the potential to finally return to the winner’s enclosure.
In a mediocre contest it could be wise to stick with some of those runners that have been in decent form of late and the veteran Fieldsman and Liv Lucky were first and second last time out, so have to be considered. However, it’s Daafy that can land the first contest of the day and help kick us off with a winner.
1:12 Southwell – VALSAD (1pt win – 9/1 William Hill)
A winner at Southwell during the Racing League back in mid-September, VALSAD will return to the scene of his biggest career win on Friday looks capable of defying top weight in the 1:12 race and is the second selection.
Jamie Osborne’s charge stormed to a three-quarters-of-a-length victory in that aforementioned Racing League contest off a mark of 87 and he’s only 3lbs higher for this contest. Unable to land a blow at Newbury next time out, Valsad then disappointed at Newcastle in a Class 2 event, but this Class 3 contest at Southwell looks a little easier on paper.
Haku and Nolton Cross are two runners here that head into the event in decent form, but the drop in class could be the vital cog for Valsad, who has been dropped 1lb by the handicapper for that Newcastle run and having been given a couple of months off the track he could well return with a win here.
1:47 Southwell – RICH HARRY (1pt win – 7/4 bet365)
RICH HARRY will make a notable step up in trip for the 1:47 contest on Friday afternoon, but that could be the making of the Alice Haynes-trained three-year-old, who can down his four rivals in the 1m 3f 23y contest.
Last seen finishing a staying-on third at Wolverhampton over 1m 142y, Rich Harry found himself with a huge amount of work to do from the outset, as he was shuffled to the back of the field during the early stages and he was unable to make any inroads on the leaders until the turn for home.
He stayed on well passing a host of tiring horses that day to suggest that the step up in trip should bring on some notable improvement and off the same mark of 70 he looks like he could finally record a first at the eighth time of asking.
Steve Chambers’ Best Bets
11:02 Southwell – DAAFY (1pt win – 7/2 bet365)
1:12 Southwell – VALSAD (1pt win – 9/1 William Hill)
1:47 Southwell – RICH HARRY (1pt win – 7/4 bet365)
Steve Chambers’ tips for Friday 5th January 2024.
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