Away from the Spotlight

Away From The Spotlight: Horses to follow this week including Hereford and Chepstow tips

By David Massey

Horse Racing

Mon January 26, 2026 · 2h ago

David Massey has packed his bags and is on his travels to Hereford and Chepstow at the start of a busy fortnight.

Hereford for starters

Well, it’s here. A year’s worth of planning has gone into the next two weeks, a fortnight that will see me take in half a dozen hotels, drive approximately 1200 miles all told, eat more Full Englishes than is good for me, and visit tracks as far apart as Exeter and Musselburgh. It’s very much Trackside On Tour, as Mrs M goes on holiday with her sister to Thailand for two weeks, leaving me to cope on my own. This, for the hunter-gatherer alpha-male that I am isn’t a problem, of course, I’ll just let my nose take me to the nearest buffet most of the time. I’m looking forward to catching up with friends I haven’t seen along the way and the ideal is I win enough to pay for the whole shebang.

And to that end, let’s try and find some winners.

I start the week at Hereford, a track I visited a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed, so let’s hope this time around is just as good. A 2pm start time means I’m not rushing about either! Sadly though, a lack of runners.

The opening novice hurdle could be quite a hot little contest, with plenty of the big stables represented. Draco Malfoy would look the one to beat, but Handin Mypockets showed a bit at Cheltenham first time up and should keep improving as he learns and goes up in trip. Early to be burning through twenty pound notes mind, so unless the paddock throws something up it’s probably a watching brief.

There’s a couple in the 2m handicap (15:00) that won’t mind conditions; Passing Kate is the more obvious of the pair, her full chasing record on ground described as soft/heavy by Timeform reading 1P1225, and she gets her chance to dominate a small field here. Keep an eye on Hors Jeu at the foot of the handicap though, his fourth to Throatlash on his reappearance at Wetherby looks all the better now, although an unseat at Lingfield last time points to him needing to pick his feet up a bit better. But going right-handed will suit, and although there’s clearly some risk involved, I’d not be surprised to see him do better.

Be interesting to see if Latin Verse takes up his engagement in the 15:30 as he’s a horse with plenty of ability and maybe the move to Olly Murphy could rekindle his seemingly lost interest. Well handicapped if so. A cracking hunter chase follows with the reappearance of the classy Stattler, and Gower Spirit really ought be winning the last, her form behind Jamaicaine franked by the winner again at Doncaster last week.

The New Lion and Ma Shantou won on Trials Day - recap all of the action from the Trackside Live Blog

Good thing in Wales

Onto Chepstow on Tuesday, and with plenty of rain around it’s likely to ride testing.

Lovely 0-100 handicap to kick off with at 13:00 and Luwdvig is clearly the one to beat under a penalty after a ready win at Lingfield last week, but I’ve an eye on Good For You, who went into the Trackside Horses to Follow after his sixth to The Blue Room here in November, a race that couldn’t be working out much better. It all went wrong at Exeter next time but it was better under a more patient ride at Wincanton last time, and having dropped 7lb for those two runs and also into an easier race here, I’m not giving up on him just yet.

The juvenile contest that follows won’t be touched until I’ve seen them in the flesh, so let’s move on to the handicap hurdle at 14:02. I’m having to give up on Walkadina after another weak finish at Ascot last time, but the return to Chepstow will suit High Tea after a fall at Ludlow last time (had every chance) and his C&D win has worked out well too, second home Analiese winning twice since and third A Perfect Day successful on next start at Lingfield. A strong fancy, with soft ground no bother.

The novice chase is a good little contest but I don’t think there’s a bet at this stage, but Daring To Dream has another go in the Mares Novice Hurdle that follows at 15:12 and again, she’ll be getting a few quid thrown at her. Regular column readers will know I made mention of her at a whopping price at Hereford a fortnight ago; of course she finished fourth at 80-1, spannering my each-way bet but I’m on the right lines with her, she has ability and maybe this time she can land me the each-way cash. Charisma Cat will be a strong favourite but after a defeat at cramped odds of 1-6 last time, her jumping again far from fluent, is she one for the mortgage?

They’re all going to be playing for places in the handicap chase at 15:47 if Fat Faced Columbo continues his progression. A winner at Taunton last time, he was being strongly challenged by Move With The Beat at the last but he came down, leaving Fat Faced Columbo to win by ten lengths. Move With The Beat then made no mistake at Ludlow last week, winning from a 6lb higher mark, and the 8lb the unexposed winner has been put up does not look enough. There must be a good chance softer ground will suit even better too, much as it has done for many of his close relatives. Could be very hard to beat, although the handicapper has given Bali Body a chance if he’s fit after another absence (and he can go well fresh).

Jagwar (left) caught the eye on Saturday - check out the Trackside Live Team's horses to follow here

Rain, Rain go away

The plan from here was to move onto Exeter and Wincanton but the rain has scuppered the former and I’ll not be heading to the South-West now, so heading back home after Chepstow looks most likely and then we’ll just hope Leicester goes ahead on Wednesday instead.

I hope Bobby’s Nelson goes in the opening novice hurdle at 13:50; he’ll not be a working man’s price but he’s a gorgeous looker that I have quite high hopes for, he should be winning this with ease. The 0-95 handicap that follows ought to be my bag but I can’t see what wins for the life of me; I know Rory was keen on Talap on the sister column Punting Pointers last time but he ran like a drain and needs to bounce back. The early booking of Sean Bowen for Liloo D’Ores catches the eye but the scoreboard stands at 0-22 now and she is hardly strong betting material. Might have to sit it out. Unheard of, for a 0-95, that.

River Run Free will be fancied to follow up last week’s easy win in the next at 14:50, but he’s not one I fully trust, and both Nine Nine Nine, second to him last week, and Scottish King, who I’m convinced has a chase win in him, have a chance here. No interest in the claiming hurdle that follows, and the last could be a tricky affair, with Mickey Bowen and Rebecca Curtis both having first-time starters in Western Zephyr and Slim Marvel up against some more established sorts. Difficult card!

Published at 10:10 GMT on 26/01/26

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