2.40pm Southwell Tips & Betting Preview 28/03/2017

The feature race of the day at Southwell racecourse is this six runner affair with a pot of £4,549 up for grabs. Run over just short of three miles, read on for our expert analysis, runner by runner guide and free tip for the contest.

IN SUMMARY: The course form lovers will be all over Fly Home Harry and Dickie Johnson will ride the gelding which is always a plus but the handicapper might have a grasp of him now. Azert De Couer is hard to catch right but is respected for all he has a huge weight to overcome. Our vote goes to the strong travelling DAWNIERIVER who went too hard at Cheltenham last time out, eventually finishing fourth. The mare should get her rivals off the bridle a long way from home and can run out an easy winner after a short break.

1 AZERT DE COUER – Inconsistent performer but very capable on his day as he showed when taking advantage of a reduced mark at Chepstow in November to win by eighteen lengths. Disappointed when sent off the even money favourite at Stratford last time out, finishing second but he was twenty-eight lengths behind the winner. He doesn’t look particularly well treated now off a mark of 112, eight pounds higher than his November win and this won’t be easy with 12-1 on his back. He also prefers heavy or soft ground so wouldn’t want any more drying.

2 DUKE ARCADIO – Irish point to point winner who caught the eye in November when beat half a length behind Deputy Commander at Doncaster in similar conditions off a mark of 111. He runs off the same mark here but was pulled up on his last two outings so has a bit to prove at present. He has had a nice break off the track and the Oliver Sherwood yard is in decent nick at the moment so he could come back a fresh and ready horse. Respected but hard to back with confidence.

3 AMIRAL COLLONGES – Versatile horse who acts on any type of ground so that is one big advantage the James Evans horse has in his favour. Convincing winner of a novice handicap hurdle at Ascot last season but he is yet to taste success in the UK over fences, his best effort coming at Market Rasen on Boxing Day where he was second to Gonalston Cloud. Runs off the same mark here (109) so a repeat would see him get involved but his last two runs have been terrible so again, he is another with a bit to prove at present.

4 DAWNIERIVER – Not the best looking mare in the world but she certainly has plenty of ability. Successful at Cartmel in October and at Uttoxeter and Plumpton in November, she was at her very best in the Plumpton victory, beating Kapgarde King by a staggering 49 lengths. She went off far too hard at Cheltenham in December, suffering coming up the hill late on in a race won by Still Believing who was one of the hold up horses taking advantage of such a brisk pace up front. Strong traveller and she should take a lot of pegging back here today.

5 MAKE ME A FORTUNE – Nine year old gelding trained by Steve Gollings and he will have to improve on recent efforts to land this competitive affair. His last win came last season at Sedgefield over hurdles over two and a half miles and he has certainly failed to recapture that sparking form over the larger obstacles to date. His best effort came at Market Rasen in January when he was second off 107 so he could be well treated here off 104 but he is very one-paced and might have his work cut out. Aidan Coleman is a very interesting booking though which needs to be noted.

6 FLY HOME HARRY – Sole course winner in the field and those two wins came over this distance so he may hold an advantage over the field with that Southwell experience under his belt. He also has the champion jockey Richard Johnson on his back which of course is another major plus. He has gone from a mark of 91 to 104 as a consequence so will have to improve again to win this and he had excuses for his tame effort at Leicester last time out. He ran an awful race, tailed off by 133 lengths but reportedly had a breathing problem on the day. The handicapper may well have a grip of him now.