Southwell free racing tips: Betting options aplenty in wide-open handicap sprint
There’s a glut of all-weather racing to enjoy across two meetings on Thursday evening, and this seven-furlong sprint promises to be one of the most competitive handicaps on Southwell’s nine-race card.
18:15 Southwell: Boost Your Acca at BetMGM Handicap (7 furlongs)
A much better-value option than the lightly-raced market leaders is the other three-year-old, Run Boy Run, who is already well-proven in this sort of race and who comes out of a very handy stall 3, which will be ideal for his prominent racing style.
Saffie Osborne rode another of today’s contenders, Noodle Mission, to win a handicap over this course and distance at the end of August, but she switches today to partner Run Boy Run, on whom she won a Class 3 handicap over this distance at Newmarket in August.
Run Boy Run then returned to land another Class 3 handicap over that same trip later in the month before then running 3third of 13 in the Class 2 bet365 Handicap at Ascot last month.
Best Bet: Run Boy Run each-way in the 18:15 at Southwell
He hasn’t raced on the all-weather since he won a six-furlong maiden at Newcastle in March, beating Grandlad, who is now rated 87.
Given that Run Boy Run also conceded 2lbs, he looks attractively treated back on this surface off 85 (2lbs lower than the runner-up to whom he conceded 2lbs).
Seven furlongs has clearly emerged as his optimum distance and he has proven himself in Class 2 company in recent weeks, so he looks an attractive bet down at this level on a surface on which he won his only start (against a very decent rival).
Of the others, Silver Samurai will very likely run well following his third of 12 in a higher-graded Class 2 handicap over this course and distance a couple of weeks ago.
The seven-year-old, who was 10lbs higher than this at the start of last season, is surprisingly yet to score in this sphere, but he has placed in eight of his 10 all-weather runs and finished fourth in the other two.
His latest Class 2 placed run came on his first try here, and he would have finished closer had he not been forced to wait for a run, so he looks a lively contender off a pound lower in this lesser grade.
Next Best Bet: Silver Samurai each-way in the 18:15 at Southwell
- Preview and tips provided Steve Jones, who runs CD Systems Daily Bargain on Tipstrr