Best bets for the day from Steve Ryder and Oddschecker Unlimited tipsters, as well as key races to follow.
13:35 Leopardstown
There is jumps racing at Newcastle, Southwell and Leopardstown on Monday 3rd March while Wolverhampton stages an all-weather meeting this evening.
Today’s Best Bets from Steve Ryder
On the day that Jack Kennedy returns from another leg break, his presence aboard QUALIMITA (best priced at 6/5) can hopefully mean that she gets off the mark at the at the fifth attempt over hurdles. An impressive 30 length winner of a PTP, she was pitched straight into a listed Mares Bumper when 3rd behind the high class Only By Night.
Qualimita was beaten at a short price on her debut at Navan but has since finished two high class mares in Baby Kate and Sixandahalf before finishing a close 3rd at the Dublin Racing Festival on her handicap debut off a mark of 117. She still holds an entry for the Grade 2 Mares’ Novice Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival and she can hopefully use this as a confidence booster.
16:00 Newcastle
THE GRAFTER (best priced at 4/1) has finished 2nd in all his three handicap runs but looks the one to beat off the same mark in this race. The Sam England trained six-year-old has raced keenly on all three of those occasions so if he has learnt to settle then that will help his chances.
The Grafter had a wind operation before his last run and often the second run after this surgery is the time you see the most benefit so the fact he runs off the same mark in this race for a 1 ¾ length defeat looks significant.
19:30 Wolverhampton
The Michael Attwater trained NORDIC GLORY (best priced at 11/4) ran well to finish 3rd over this course and distance last time from Stall 10 and he should prove hard to beat off a 1lb lower mark from a better draw. That race was a 0-55 handicap so this 0-50 handicap Classified Stakes race represents a drop in grade.
A record of 6-53 means Nordic Glory hasn’t got the best strike rate but with William Carson back on board, he can hopefully get back to winning ways.
