Tuesday Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

The bookmakers have Lucky One as favourite for this race but he looks very opposable on his chasing debut and is readily taken on with the Jennie Candish trained NERO ROCK (best priced at 7/4) who has run 12 times over fences. The experienced seven-year-old has been consistent since joining Candish from the Mouse Morris stable with form figures of 222U1. That victory came here over 2m3f when an easy 16 length winner a week ago and he should hold leading claims under a 7lb penalty.

Lucky One has been beaten 80, 32, 43 and 12 ½ lengths on his four starts for Dan Skelton since joining from Paul Nicholls so he faces huge question marks on his chasing debut. Therefore, I feel the market is underestimating the chances of Nero Rock and I expect him to prove hard to beat.

The Laura Morgan stable continue to be in good form recently with three winners from her previous six runners including two winners yesterday at Southwell. She runs the six-year-old mare WHERES MAUD GONE (best priced at 11/8) who won her first two bumper starts before finishing a close 5th in the Grade 2 mares’ bumper at Aintree. She finished 5th in a listed bumper at Cheltenham in November before struggling in a listed race on her hurdling debut at Taunton in December.

Wheres Maud Gone returns now from a 131 day break in a less competitive race and she should prove hard to beat on her second start over hurdles.

The Heather Main trained ENGLISH SPIRIT (best priced at 15/8) has been in running consistently well recently with form figures of 43432 and he should run well in this race with Silvestre De Sousa taking over for the first time. The four-year-old was only beaten a nose over this course and distance 41 days ago off a mark of 59 and gets to run here off only a 1lb higher mark.

Inexperienced amateur Henry Main rode English Spirit last time so Silvestre De Sousa is definitely a jockey upgrade and I expect him to be positively ridden from Stall 2 in this race.