Run For Your Life

Racing continues to be badly affected by the weather, but at least today's jumps fixture at Southwell has survived, and while conditions will be testing, it's a welcome relief to have turf action at this time of the year, and this particular pundit is counting his blessings.

The opening contest throws up a bet by dint of having a pair at the top of the market who are usually worth opposing, and that makes the market for the selection. Morestead is a monkey, to put it kindly, and few horses have tried harder to avoid victory that this fella did at Fontwell on Boxing Day. With the reluctant Sablazo trying to duck out and badly interfering with his main rival at the last, Morestead went from being tailed off to being left well clear, only to put the brakes on himself. That performance is enough to put anyone off this moody beast, and the booking of Tony McCoy will only fool a few.

Decent Lord appears the one to take advantage at first glance, having hinted at a revival on his first two starts over fences this season. He unseated at the first at Catterick last time, though, and doesn't convince as a natural jumper of fences, so may not be the ideal horse to back at short odds, especially with the Southwell fences having a reputation of being tricky. The one who really catches the eye is Cooldine Run, who has rather patchy form under Rules, but is a dual point winner. He has been running over hurdles this term, and very much caught the eye in a stronger event at Bangor last time, jumping and travelling better than most of his rivals before tiring from before the second last over the three-mile trip. Allowed to come home in his own time, he was much better than that forty-length defeat suggests, and will benefit from a marked drop in distance today. He's clearly no world beater, but meets dubious rivals here, and his ability to travel on the bridle for a long way will see him trade short in the run at the very least.  

It's also worth having an interest in the mares handicap hurdle at 13:25, as Nigel Twiston-Davies' Lady Fingers has the look of a handicap project having been campaigned over inadequate trips to date. The daughter of Kirkwall is out of a Primitive Rising mare, and the vast majority of that stallion's progeny want a trip in excess of three miles. After finishing mid-field in a trio of runs at the minimum trip, she's given a chance to see what she can do over a trip more in keeping with her pedigree, and looks certain to improve. Her trainer hasn't always played the handicap game, but the exploits of African Gold and Master Of The Sea last term show that he can be as shrewd as anyone in that regard.


Recommendations:

Both at Southwell

Back Cooldine Run @ [9.0] in the 12:25 (NAP)

Back Lady Fingers @ [7.0] in the 13:25 (NB)