1.35pm Southwell Tips & Betting Preview 22/12/2017

Tip: RAZIN HELL at 7/2

IN SUMMARY: Plenty in with chances here, on paper at least, but none more so than the John Balding trained RAZIN HELL (7/2) who can be forgiven recent efforts when seeming to find the sixth furlong that bit too far. Dropped back in trip he can be restrained early on with plenty of likely pace in the race before being produced late by Andrew Mullen to get to the front where it counts.

1 KICKBOXER – Failed to see out the mile last time out on the quicker Chelmsford surface and drops back in trip to the minimum here which should be far more suitable. Decent at his best and a winner at Thirsk in may off eight pounds higher but yet to score on the all-weather and makes his fibresand debut with plenty to find.

2 TILLY TROTTER  – In good sorts at present with a win at Newcastle last month and a good neck second to Union Rose at Wolverhampton last time out when caught close home off a pound lower mark. She has won off this rating at Dundalk when trained by Dermot Weld and has to be seen as a major player here on her first run on the fibresand assuming she handles the surface.

3 PIAZON – A standing dish here at Southwell with five course and distance victories and two places from only eight starts but he ran a long way below his best last time here when a six-length tenth last month, though in his defence he came from a bad draw in the fourteen stall. Impossible to ignore with those statistics and has the plum draw now, and seems likely to get involved in the finish once again.

4 RAZIN’ HELL – Another course specialist with seven wins from eighteen starts and a real liking for this surface. Seven runs without a win now and beaten six lengths here last time out but that was over a sixth furlong when weakening late on and dropped two pounds for that effort and back at a more suitable five furlongs, he can pounce from off the pace here in what looks likklely to be a fast run contest.

5 BOSHAM – Not at his best recently with a poor twelfth at Newcastle last time out off a rating five pounds higher but looks to have been given a chance by the handicapper now. One start over this course and distance in November saw a seven length eleventh of thirteen but he is better handicapped now and a market watch may well help to assess his chances for the ever shrews Mick Easterby stable.

6 CASTERBRIDGE – Looking for his hat-trick this afternoon after a pair of Newcastle victories but has an added six-pounds now which can only hinder his chances. A likely front-runner again here he could well prove difficult to stop despite a lack of fibresand experience after just the one start when fourth in March last year but new tactics seem to have been the making of the son of Pastoral Pursuits and if he gets an easy lead under Robert Winston he will take a lot of catching.

7 CROSSE FIRE – Five course and distance wins are proof that he likes it here but his last two runs have been below expectations with a seen and three-quarter length tenth over an extra furlong followed by a fourteen and a half-length defeat off this rating last time out. Back to the minimum trip he may do better now but has something to prove at present and others do appeal a lot more in this line-up.

8 PENNY DREADFUL – Just the one win from twenty-seven starts on the all-weather and four starts here with a third the best position she can muster. Beaten three and a half lengths at Chelmsford last time out off this rating and has to carry two pounds more than her allotted mark in this race reducing her chances accordingly. Stable are none from nineteen in the last two weeks and she seems to have more against her at present than in her favour.