Zarzyni for Southwell success
ON a landmark day for Southwell, Zarzyni has every chance in the #betyourway At Betway Handicap.
The Nottinghamshire venue has long flown the flag for Fibresand and as such was very much the archetypical ‘horses for courses’ track. That has changed and Tapeta is now the order of things.
The selection has only run on the all-weather once, encouragingly on this surface at Wolverhampton in March, his first run for David Barron after moving from Mick Halford’s yard in Ireland.
He ran an excellent race in third and narrowly missed out off the same mark next time out, before a blip when fancied for a big handicap on Irish Derby weekend.
That was clearly not his true running and he put the record straight when bouncing back to win at Redcar.
Not seen since that success in July, he is only 3lb higher and this #16,000 to the winner contest looks just the sort of race he will have been aimed at.
Virgin Snow brings solid credentials to the Watch Racing Free Online At Coral Winter Oaks Trial Fillies’ Handicap.
She has just one win to her name from eight outings, but equally has run some excellent races in defeat and in good company, too.
A perfect example of that was when she was last seen at Newmarket in October 2020, where she was a threelength third in the Group Three Pride Stakes.
Offering further encouragement is her runner-up effort in the Hoppings Stakes in June that year - which is of course run on Tapeta at Newcastle.
Fitness looks the only drawback - but this is a good prize with £20,000 on offer to the winner, so it is fair to assume she will be reasonably tuned up.
As a daughter of Snow Fairy she has remained in training surely with the aim of getting big black type and a win here will set her up nicely for that.
It seems bizarre looking for good ground horses at Uttoxeter in December, but that is the situation we find ourselves in due to the current drought.
One he should definitely appreciate a sound surface is Dan Skelton’s Get A Tonic in the opening Cazoo Novices’ Hurdle.
A point-to-point winner in October of last year, the Getaway mare built on some sound efforts in defeat when opening her account under rules in a mares’ maiden hurdle at Leicester last month.
The manner of that victory suggested she is capable of beating the boys in the Midlands.
The Toby Lawes-trained Kap Auteuil disappointed last time out at Cheltenham, but down in class for the Casumo Horse Racing And Sports Betting Handicap Chase at Fontwell he is given another chance.
It may be that he was stepped up in grade too soon by Lawes, but he had looked so promising before then and he was beaten so far out it would be no surprise if another reason emerged.
At just six, he has plenty of time to make amends.