David Massey is looking forward to a jam-packed week which could produce attractive betting opportunities at the likes of Hereford, Market Rasen and Wincanton.
One to Shorten in the market?
Well, wasn’t that a boring week.
As expected, the weather basically did for my scheduling last week and my only outing was to Southwell on the Tuesday night. There weren’t many there, as you’d expect, and a quick head count by the time the last came around at half past eight totalled about 25. I was hoping Warwick might make the cut Saturday, but once the clerk of the course had used the word “optimistic” on the Wednesday I knew it was cursed. I’d ban that word, if I was in charge. Just the facts, ma’am, as Joe Friday might have said.
But the flip side of this is that, with warmer weather on the way from Sunday, we’re going to get some bigger fields next week. My new plan is Hereford on Monday, which wasn’t originally on the Trackside roster but it is now, and look at my reward. Seven lovely races with double-figure fields, including two novice hurdles and a bumper. Throw in two 0-100s and a 0-95 handicap and basically this is day one of the Cheltenham Festival, for me. What a card! Let’s get stuck in...
A handicap chase opens up the card and the two that catch the eye are Tongaknoxie, going chasing for the Hobbs and White team after just a handful of starts over hurdles - some definite promise early on - and Just A Bit, who returns after a long absence for Mel Rowley, but ran well on his only chase start to date. The handicapper has given him a real chance if fit, so the paddock will reveal plenty there. I could make a case for top weight Born At Midnight too, dropping in grade, let’s see what the markets says.
I don’t see a bet in the first division of the maiden hurdle at 13.30 but keep an eye on Emma Bishop’s Glancing Back, who needs this for a mark; I suspect she’ll be heading over fences sooner rather than later, which could see her improve, as so many of the family do for the switch.
The second division looks the weaker of the two and maybe I’ll throw a few quid each-way at Daring To Dream, who has shaped a bit better than her finishing position suggests a couple of times now. I’d want 50s, but I suspect I’ll get that. Lyric was useful on the Flat for the Gosdens, rated in the high-80s, but if that isn’t a spring handicap project for Jonjo I’ll eat my hat.
A 0-95 contest at 15:00 sees the home-bred Briery Butterfly holding a solid chance; she’ll appreciate a step up in trip as she continues to learn, and Henry Daly had a winner at the rearranged Ffos Las fixture last week. Bollin Thou dotted up at Uttoxeter but this looks tougher from 7lb higher, and Shorten Sassy is more interesting. She attracted plenty of money here last time, going off 4/1 joint favourite, but got outpaced before staying on again. Maybe she just needed that run, and if she jumps better here, she’d have to be on the shortlist.
There’s one or two in-form sorts in the 15:30 that will fancy their chances, but the unexposed Noble Grace, making her handicap debut after showing a bit of promise at Southwell and Warwick, and she’s very fairly treated on her one run in a Cheltenham bumper. I’ve also eyes on Time Was, one of two rare runners for Phil Kirby on the card (the other, Smart Bucks, runs in the previous race) and Lady Fortune, having her first start for McPherson and Killahena after leaving Max Comley. She’s been off a while, but is lightly raced and could improve for the switch to new surroundings.
Big chance north of the border
Ayr on Tuesday has 30mm of rain heading their way before racing, and it’ll be very testing, having only just got the frost out of the ground; that leads me to Shoeshine Boy in the 13:48, a faller last time but in good form previously, and is proven in heavy ground here. Maura Jeanne is also a winner in soft ground here too, and it wasn’t a disaster in better company at Haydock last time, so she’s worth a second look too.
Most are fully exposed in the handicap chase at 14:48 but not Big Zouk, making his chase debut here for Nicky Richards. He beat Followcato, a handicap winner off 113 for Ben Pauling at Exeter the other day, in a point-to-point in 2024 and whilst Big Zouk hasn’t set the world alight in four starts since then, a mark of just 96 today looks begging to be taken advantage of. He should be match fit after a couple of runs this season and has a big chance if he goes. Could be one of the bets of the week.
Newbury on Wednesday is too classier a meeting for this column, really, but I will mention a couple that are on the tracker. Matiwo could go in the juvenile hurdle at 13.35, he’s a horse I like a lot on looks and was still in front at Cheltenham last time when he took a bad fall. It was a long way out at Cheltenham so there’s no saying where he’d finished, but I’m sure he’s capable of better.
Top Target (14:05) was in the tracker after his Wetherby reappearance in November and although he looked like he was getting the worst of it against Silver Thorn at Doncaster when he came down at the last, that form has been franked again since, the winner going in again at Exeter on Friday. He’s been upped 3lb for that but still looks like he’s more to offer, and Newbury should suit him well.
On the lookout for improving Owl
The other of the bigger bets of the week (hopefully) goes at Wincanton on Thursday, in the 2m4f handicap hurdle at 14:27. I was at Uttoxeter for Baron Noir’s win there last month; there was nothing wrong with the winner, he’s a grand sort, but I preferred the second, Bobby’s Nelson. So I was pleased to see him win at Ffos Las on Thursday and Baron Noir go in again at Kempton at the weekend, making the form looks solid. And the only other one I wanted from that Uttoxeter race was Purple Owl, who finished a well-beaten third, but he looked a good sort in the paddock and he makes his handicap debut from a mark of 108 here. He should appreciate a step up in trip, and I like his chance.
And finally we get to a really good card at Market Rasen on Friday. (No Winter Millions for me - family engagement Saturday.)
Maybe we’ll finally get to see Celine Man in the 12:18 after three no-shows. Or maybe we won’t, who knows? I’d love to see the bold-jumping Mahons Glory win the Veterans' Handicap at 14:05; it’s the wrong way around for him, really, but he was a good second here in September and is 4lb lower here. Just turning 10 means he’s now qualified for these Veterans races, but this is only his 11th start over fences.
Then we’ve the Listed Alan Swinbank Mares' bumper, and whilst patience is running thin with Icare Colombe, he might get another chance in the 15:10. Our Bobby Dazzler wins the last and the inevitable traffic jams around Lincoln might not be so bad on the way back!
Have a great week.
Published at 09:00 GMT on 12/01/26
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