Winning chaser Blades Lad has been in excellent form on the Fibresand at Southwell in recent weeks and can defy a 6lb penalty in the 3.30 at the Nottinghamshire course on Tuesday. Peter Niven’s 7-year-old kept on strongly to beat Art Scholar by 6 lengths in a similar race over course and distance last week and, if in the same mood, must take some beating once again. The Haafhd gelding has form figures of 31315211 on the course and looks to have been found a decent opportunity to complete a hat-trick.
In the 4.00 on the Southwell card, Ticking Away proved a revelation on his Fibresand debut last week, very easily drawing clear to beat Fumbo Jumbo by 2¾ lengths and a 6lb penalty may not be enough to prevent him from following up. Dropping back to the minimum trip for just the second time in his career, the Monsieur Bond gelding was sent off a well-backed 6/4 favourite, so was clearly ‘expected’ and, while he takes a significant step up in class, he could well be equal to the task.
Selections: Southwell 3.30 Blades Lad, Southwell 4.00 Ticking Away, 1-point Win Double
