Today, there will be a mix of steeplechase and steeplechase races in Great Britain and Ireland, with seven meetings scheduled throughout the afternoon and evening. On to Bellewstown (1.35-5.15), Southwell (2.00-5.10), Salisbury (2.10-4.50) and Clonmel (2.15-5.25), Newcastle (4.00-8.10) and finally Warwick (1.23-4.35) (Chelmsford). 5:00-8:30). One we’ll be looking forward to on Thursday is the well-informed Ollie Murphy, whose chasing debut at Worcester last month suggested there could be more races to come.
Horse Racing Tips of the Day – Warwick, Salisbury, Southwell
Here are Jake Aldrich’s picks for Thursday: Scroll down to read the expert analysis behind it.
Slippers: Roccovango (Warwick, 2.55) @ SP (with BetMGM)
Next best bet: Small Fry (Salisbury, 4.50) @ SP BetMGM
More: Up In The Air (Southwell, 4.10) @ SP with BetMGMExact
odds may change at time of publication.
Horse Racing Tips: Warwick, 2.55
We head to the Midlands for the first chase race on the card, a limited handicap with a small but select field. The strong Skelton stable has improved Asta La Pasta’s profile well and he could make a name for himself here. He has won three of his six starts over hurdles and should have been booming on debut but missed the final round. That could have changed things. With that in mind, we present ROCCOVANGO, which stands for Murphy’s Shape Yard. This eight-year-old boy has shown that he likes big obstacles. Ran over the same distance at Worcester 22 days ago on a grade 4 handicap and ran well and jumped a good round. Although he suffered some losses when he was before, he has lined up and there will be more to come.
The handicap made him six pounds heavier for the feat, but it may not be enough to stop him competing again. Murphy has four winners from 10 runners in the last 14 days and jockey Sean Bowen is doing his horses well with three wins from four races. Among the seven strong contenders, several have questions to answer after failing to show their love for the chase in the past. The Okovango horse, on the other hand, can use his racing stamina and jumping experience here to get the job done.
Horse Racing Tips: Salisbury, 4.50
The final race in Wiltshire looks like the perfect opportunity for SMALL FRY to dethrone his rivals and claim his third consecutive win. This three-year-old for Gary Moore and Joshua Moore has won three of his last four handicap starts and should be taken seriously here as he has been confirmed to be at the peak of his abilities. He first showed off his relaxed style in Chester on this trip 12 days ago. Because he was always in a good position and finished the race quickly, he managed to win by more than a length and a half, showing that he had untapped reserves. The handicap lifted him by £6 for a slightly better race. However, because it is a light racing species and is well related to similar species, it is still a winner.
Horse Racing Tips: Southwell, 4.10
IN THE AIR has been a disappointment since Adam West joined last January. He gave up five runs and showed his previous form with Gary Moore. He finished second to Jpr One in the Taunton Hurdle last March and then showed his ability by winning at Fontwell. The horse now joins the strong stable of Nicky Henderson, who will impress, especially with the booking of Nico de Boinville. The trainer has a 31% win rate here in Nottinghamshire so it’s always worth checking out if he’s sent here. In The Air received a score of 120 for obstacles. Now six years old and with a fall score of 106, he is a much better horse than this and will be hard to beat when he is willing to drop that class and comfortable weight.
