Away From The Spotlight: Southwell and Market Rasen

By David Massey

Horse Racing

Mon November 24, 2025 · 1M ago

My week this week gets off to a quiet start, by which I mean a non-racing one.

After Haydock on Saturday, Mrs M and I headed to Preston for the weekend to stay with her sister, who luckily I get on well with, or these weekends would be long ones. To be fair, I haven’t seen her for a year, so this is overdue. The plan Sunday night is to head to the cash bingo in town, and if I’ve hit it big, this will be the last column I ever write for the Life. (Monday morning update - I will be continuing to write these columns for the Life, and enjoy doing so.)

I say non-betting, I will be having one bet, that in the Listed Mares Hurdle at Kempton where That’ll Do Moss and Dream On Baby head the market. Both have their chances, but at a bigger price I’m with Della Casa Lunga, second to the 144-rated Kateira in this race last year, the pair well clear, and following the same path as last year, namely warming up for this by finishing well beaten at Bangor first time up. I think she’ll beat at least one of the principals home and quite possibly both.

So to Tuesday, and a Southwell jumps fixture!

I mean, I could literally do the whole column this week on this card, but I’m not sure Dave Ord, our esteemed editor, would swallow that. Firstly, and most importantly, let’s play Guess The Southwell Soup. It was tomato last Thursday and tomato and basil on the Friday (you know the rules by now), so Leek & Potato has been installed as the early Tuesday favourite, with a magical transformation to Winter Vegetable (basically, add an onion in) for the Wednesday fixture.

To the card, then. The opener at 12.40 looks just that, open, and I could be tempted to give Steady The Ship a try on his first start for Steph Cameron. Paddock will reveal how fit he is after six months off, but he used to enjoy his visits here when with Jonjo back in the day, and a win at Sandon (not to be confused with Sandown, which has a few more amenities - although you’re still more likely to see Eddie Redmayne at the former) in the spring still shows he knows how to get his head in front.

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In the 1:50, Jacques Cousteau is a good-looking individual for Mel Rowley and showed more than enough when a 9½ length fifth to easy recent Bangor winner Lud’or at Wetherby last year to think he’ll win a race or two, and the yard is starting to get going; he’s of interest, as is Ruler Legend in the lucky last at 3.35, one that now looks a very winnable affair after Harry Junior hasn’t been declared. There’s surely - surely - a race in Ruler Legend off his mark, and perhaps a step up to three miles might just be the ticket.

It’s Southwell again Wednesday but back in the sandpit, so I’ll be braving the A46 to head up to Market Rasen. Rasen’s one of those tracks I always enjoy once I get there, but I know I’ll detest the journey home. If you’re going back to the Midlands consider heading Worksop way once you get to Lincoln and pay the 40p toll at Dunham Bridge (I know, eight bob, how quaint) which is often a better way back, rather than face the Lincoln and Newark snarl-ups.

The opening novice hurdle at 12.20 might have a couple of entrants I’ve seen recently; Brixson looked plenty big enough on his reappearance at Wetherby and so his second there is a run full of merit, but arguably more interesting is the beautifully bred Kop Land, who looked very big on his reappearance at Chepstow last month and ran like it, never put in the race but passed a few stragglers late on. He does look a handicap project, but it’ll be interesting to see if he’s come on plenty for that run today.

There’s a whole host of horses I’ve an eye on in the handicap at 12.50; take your pick from Tees Comp’s Clive, Dreamweaver (one of the early pull-ups in the infamous Plumpton amateurs race last week) and Little Big Kev, who shaped encouragingly after wind surgery at Uttoxeter last time. He might be a bit of a bridle horse, but I’d be willing to give him another chance here as he might have needed the run regardless.

Kapamozov has to be of some interest in the handicap chase at 1.20. He’s having his first start for Laura Morgan, and it’s genuinely great to see Laura back among the winners after a relatively quiet season, by her own high standards, last year. She’s 4-11 with her runners since the start of September and for all Kapamazov is yet to get off the mark in 18 attempts, he’s gone close more than once and has the ability to win races. I’d say Laura will find the key to him sooner rather than later, and it might even be here.

We then get into the classier portion of the card, with a Pertemps Qualifier; always interesting to watch, always a nightmare to punt on. Lihyan my idea of the winner at this stage, and that’s followed by the Bud Booth, a cracking little Listed Mares Chase. Marsh Wren dotted up in this last year and will no doubt be fit and ready to go with this in mind, but it’s a tough race. Fun Fun Fun beat Paggane at Perth last year but Paganne is race-fit after winning at Carlisle and there shouldn't be a lot between the pair if they both rock up, and although Minniemum looks a bit outclassed, this is a race Henry Daly has won in the past with similar sorts and I was impressed with the way she ground it out at Ludlow. Could go well at a price, but Marsh Wren the one to beat.

Seasmoke can send me home happy (I hope) with victory in the 2.55; she’ll strip a lot fitter for that eye-catching run at Stratford last time and won over hurdles around here in 2024, so handles the track well. This looks less competitive than Stratford and she’s my idea of the best bet on the card, if she goes (also in at Uttoxeter on Thursday).

Thursday will see me heading South to my Airbnb I’ve booked for Newbury but seeing as it’s on the way, I might as well take in Uttoxeter, hadn’t I?

It’s a way away so trying to guess what might be running is tricky (expect small fields, looking at entries) but I might be up for giving Milan AC a go in the handicap hurdle at 1:30 - fences wasn't his thing last time, but he’ll have come on a bit for the run and reverting to smaller obstacles will help - and Paper Mill in the handicap chase that follows at 2.05.

I think he just needed the run at Southwell after the best part of six months off, but went off a well-backed 6/4 jolly that day and clearly better was expected. A multiple point-to-point winner, if Stuart Edmunds doesn’t get a win or two out of him I’ll be amazed.

Have a good week, and I’ll see you at Newbury, if not before.

Published at 0930 GMT on 24/11/25

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