Round Six Racing League Preview 2023 - Southwell Meeting

The first selection of the afternoon is the Class 4 Nursery Handicap over 7f and Crimson Spirit takes the eye for team London & The South.

Seen three times to date the colt made his debut over 5.5f at Bath when needing the experience and the trip being too short, but slightly less than a month later on his second start at Nottingham over 6f he looked a much improved animal when not far back in fourth when obviously not fancied to run aswell as he did.

Stepped up to 7f at Epsom when last seen he got off the mark in good style by beating a nice horse in Get Jiggy With It, who holds some good form from Glorious Goodwood when finishing just behind Ornellaia and Classical Song who have both franked the form since.

The step up to 7f was the making of him and now making his handicap debut off a mark of 81 there could be more to come.

Moving onto the second event of the evening at Southwell and it sees the Class 4 Handicap over 7f and at a double figure price Shawaamekh for trainer Johnny Levins and team Ireland should outrun is odds.

Although nine years of age now the gelding seems to be well handicapped on his past exploits and also off the back of what he has done on his two runs this term.

Making his seasonal debut over a mile at Limerick in April off a mark of 75 when a narrow second of 16 giving over a stone away to the winner, he was last seen at Galway in August finishing second once more off a mark of 73 giving weight to the winner again.

He heads here off 1lb lower and at an each way price looked sure to run his race again dropping down the handicap.

Team Ireland have two good chances in the Class 4 Handicap over a mile with both Tosen Wish and Hat Toss hard to split and both currently each way prices.

The first is Tosen Wish for Adrian McGuinness who was backed off the boards when last seen in the Racing League at Newcastle two weeks ago.

Smashed into 3/1 fav he bumped into the well handicapped Helm Rock who has since franked the form at Kempton on the weekend beating the 91 rated Kathab.

Only up 1lb for that second placed effort last time out with Danny Sheehy taking off a valuable 3lb, he effectively races off a mark of 82 which sees him well in here.

With it very hard to split the two Irish runners in this race we are advising to split stakes on them both as you can also make a case for Hat Toss for David Loughnane.

Gelded and moved to this stable ahead of the season he started his campaign off a mark of 68 at Haydock over a mile and finished a short head second to the likeable Dancing In Paris.

Upped 6lb for that close seconds he then went to Wolves over 8.5f and ran another valiant race back in third not disgracing himself at all.

Off the same mark back at Sandown over a mile he got off the mark for the campaign in good fashion but then dropped to 7f when being backed into favourite and although not far behind the winners he never looked like winning the race back in fifth.

Last seen at Windsor during the Racing League he was a head second behind Team Ireland's Pjanoo who has since ran well in this format at Wolves last week.

Only 1lb higher for that second he makes big appeal.

It could be a good few races for Team Ireland as Nordic Passage goes in the Class 4 Handicap over 6f and hot off the back of his success in the Racing League at Newcastle, he should go close again.

Having seen his mark consistently drop down the handicap earlier on this term, he got back on track at Chepstow in August in the Racing League when a nose second to the talented Executive Decision over 6f.

Sent to the Curragh next time out off 3lb higher than his mark of 67 the time before, he had to settle for second behind a better handicapped stablemate by a nose.

Running to a good level he finally got back to winning ways at Newcastle when last seen, narrowly seeing off Razzam for Mick Appleby.

He has been raised 6lbs for that win but in the form he is currently in and showing last season he could run to this mark in decent events, he has to be feared especially becoming a stalwart in the 2023 Racing League.

Next up is the 2m 1/2f Class 3 Handicap and the horse that takes the eye is Blazeon Five for Roger Teal and Team Wales & The West.

Putting together a run of three wins towards the back end of the 2022 season all on the all weather and the final win coming off a mark of 73 at Southwell over 2f further, she went up the handicap and ran to a high level this term.

Starting this season off a mark of 80 when second at Kempton, she then went to Wolves over todays trip and off 1lb higher was a narrow second once more.

Off a mark of 82 she put up her third straight second at Kempton and then over the same C&D ran in a similar race when only just two lengths behind the winner off 1lb higher.

Moved back to the turf in May she got back to winning ways at Ascot over two miles in a better class of race but then sent to Goodwood off 2lbs higher put up her first bad run for a while when sixth at Goodwood.

Last seen back at Ascot when down 1lb she managed to see off the well handicapped Temporize for Syd Hosie by a head with the second since going to Glorious Goodwood and landing a valuable staying handicap to frank the form.

Off a mark of 87 and getting back to a course and distance she has already won over before, she makes big appeal having been saved for this event since July.

The penultimate race of the afternoon at Southwell sees the Class 3 Handicap over 5f and with Frankie Dettori taking the ride, Angle Land makes big appeal.

Ran frequently this term he started the season off in smart form off a mark of 72, putting up two wins at Southwell over C&D and Chelmsford and also two other good second over C&D which saw his mark rise to 81.

He struggles in two races on the turf after that but off the same mark at Goodwood after those runs he was a good second behind the talented Dream Composer.

Dropped 1lb for that run he got back to winning ways at Goodwood off a mark of 80 and then posted a good effort to finish sixth of 20 in the Class 2 Epsom Dash at the Derby meeting off a mark of 84.

Since then though he went off the boil putting up three poor performances at Haydock, Chelmsford and Yarmouth, but last time out back at his beloved Goodwood was a good second on soft ground.

Off the same mark of 80 here, getting back to a course and distance he acts well on and Dettori booked, he makes big appeal to go close.

The final race of the afternoon on Wednesday from Southwell is the feature Class 2 Handicap over 1m4f and Regal Empire is the right favourite.

A dual course winner at this track earlier on this year in Novice and Handicap company over a mile and 1m3f, he has been largely consistent all the way through the term.

Heading to Newmarket off the back of his handicap win over 1m3f at Southwell, he raced off 10lb higher off a mark of 88 and was a fair second to a well handicapped individual at the time in Like A Tiger.

Tried in the Listed Derby Trial at Lingfield when being outclassed and only beating one home, he got back to form when a better third in a good handicap at Newmarket over 1m2f.

Seen in the Racing League for the first time at Yarmouth back in July when chasing home likeable types Cumulonimbus and Eagle's Way when back in third by a length, he has since been seen once more.

Being stepped up to 1m4f for the first time in his career at the Shergar Cup meeting off a mark of 91, he saw off the talented Struth by a head in a good race.

Getting back to a course he handles well up 5lbs for that win he makes big appeal with the move to go upto 1m4f bringing improvement last time out and could bring more again.