Tote Placepot Tips for Monday's Racing at Southwell

Leg 1 Selections: SEARJEANT PAINTER 

Ben Pauling’s SEARJEANT PAINTER jumped nicely on his chase debut when third at Worcester last month and should strip fitter here, as that was his first outing in seven months. The assessor has reduced his mark by four-pounds and he’s back on the same mark as when winning over hurdles at Stratford last year. Off bottom-weight, he looks sure to go well here. 

Leg 2 Selections: CAPTAIN IVAN, ZOFFALEE, SALLEY GARDENS

Most likely just the three runners here with Floating Rock a likely non runner and there’s a fair chance CAPTAIN IVAN, who’s finished runner-up on all three starts for the yard, will get an uncontested lead. He’s on the same mark as when second here a fortnight ago and a reproduction of that effort could be enough to see him go one better under Adam Wedge. 

ZOFFALEE is yet to taste victory in this sphere but ran a good race when second here last month and has a chance off only a two pounds higher mark. SALLEY GARDENS is generally consistent and while his latest showing was quite flat, he could pose a serious threat if jumping well on his chase debut here. Moreover, he’s three-from-five under these conditions too.

Leg 3 Selections: TOMONA

A lot of the newcomers are very well-bred but it’s hard to see Fergal O’Brien’s TOMONA out of the frame. She shaped well on debut in a slowly-run bumper at Newton Abbot when fourth, where she came from well off the pace to be nearest the finish. That experience will have done her the world of good and I think she should be a lot closer to Forever A Dove in the betting here. 

This is an easier assignment and her trainer normally gets horses to improve second-time-out which I can see happening with this mare here. Paddy Brennan takes over in the saddle this time and, with plenty of improvement to come, she should be more than good enough to at least get herself into the picture in the closing stages on leg three. 

Leg 4 Selections: QUID PRO QUO 

In leg four, it’s hard to see past QUID PRO QUO, who’s won three of his four starts and beat a very smart Flat performer when last spotted in this sphere under a penalty to make it two-from-two since going over hurdles. He’s got to give a lot of weight to his rivals here, but he does look like he’ll develop into a smart horse for the Skelton team and has to be the choice here in a bid to extend his unbeaten record. 

Tardee should ensure the favourite doesn’t have it all his own way though, who scored twice last summer, and has gone close in both starts this year. He is suited to small-field events and is likely to go from the front here. That should play into the hands of the favourite, however, who’s a strong-traveller and is rated sixteen pounds higher. His class should provide decisive in the outcome here. 

Leg 5 Selections: LEMON T, MATCHMAKING 

LEMON T hasn’t won since taking a similar grade event over course-and-distance but that was off a five-pounds higher mark and didn’t shape too badly when fifth back here two weeks ago in first-time blinkers, despite causing a bit of drama before the race. He has also gone well twice here on other occasions off much higher marks in class four events and will appreciate the ease in grade. If he can reproduce the form he shown here last year, he could outrun his odds off what is a career-low mark. 

MATCHMAKING should be a pretty solid option for the placepot purposes here. Caroline Bailey has done wonders with this horse this year, who’s won his last two races and may well be up to completing the hat-trick. He comfortably won over course-and-distance back in April and won easier then the margin indicated last time. He has gone up another four-pounds but should remain competitive under Sean Bowen against a field that is littered with out of sort participants. 

Leg 6 Selections: ADDOSH

Stuart Edmunds’ ADDOSH is a smart filly and having won a second class two event back in September, she took two heavy falls and unseat in Listed/Grade events in her next three starts when still in contention in each of them. That said, she bounced back to take a second hurdles success when taking a juvenile event at Huntingdon in March and has reached the frame twice since. 

She gets into this race off the same mark despite conceding weight and the form of her latest third was boosted when the winner, Hurricane Ali, landed a tougher contest at Aintree next time. That piece of form is the best on offer by some margin and I think she should be a clear favourite for this race. Usually held-up, she’s likely to be played late and that should be more than enough to see her get into the top two places for the leg six.