Horse Racing Tips on Tuesday, February 22
There are three meetings spread across Britain on Tuesday, February 22nd with the action coming from Market Rasen, Taunton and Southwell. Our expert tipster has produced their best bets across the cards, which make up our advised Tuesday Lucky 15.
Elleon (1.20 Taunton)
Taunton’s opening Anshin Security Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle looks a particularly good opportunity for ELLEON to get himself back in the winner’s enclosure.
Warren Greatrex’s charge was a Uttoxeter bumper winner earlier in his career and that form has worked out well since with the runner-up now rated 118, the third 128 and even the fourth (beaten 19 1/2l) rated 108.
Elleon has clearly had his issues down the years, having been off the track for just shy of 500 days before a Uttoxeter ninth back in December. That run clearly blew off a few cobwebs, however, and Elleon was much improved when fourth at Fontwell subsequently, where he had the addition of first-time cheekpieces.
That headgear is retained here, whilst Caoilin Quinn now removes a handy 6lb, and a 2lb weights drop since last seen allows Elleon to drop into 0-100 company for the first time. A mark of 98 looks well within reach on that Uttoxeter bumper form, and the yard is operating at just over a 20% strike rate with their runners here at Taunton in recent seasons.
Tuesday Lucky 15 Tips. Warren Greatrex can land the Taunton opener with Elleon.
Restandbethankful (3.40 Taunton)
The feature race at Taunton on Tuesday is the Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Handicap Hurdle, in which Olly Murphy’s RESTANDBETHANKFUL looks the best bet at the prices.
This 6yo by Califet finished sixth in a competitive Chepstow handicap hurdle on seasonal reappearance back in October. He bombed out at Wetherby subsequently but something was clearly amiss that day and he put the run behind him with victory at Huntingdon next time out, winning with ears pricked.
Adrian Heskin felt that Restandbethankful lost his action when pulled up in the Scottish Supreme Novices’ Hurdle last time, but in any case, returning to handicaps looks a notable plus here and a mark of 128 remains only 6lb above that Huntingdon winning rating.
Fergal O’Brien’s Timberman is going the right way and could provide the selection with most problems, albeit he did benefit from a pace collapse to score at Kempton last time.
Lazy Sunday (4.50 Taunton)
LAZY SUNDAY catches the eye running in the Free Racing On 14th March Mares’ Handicap Hurdle, the concluding race on the Taunton card.
Richard Mitford-Slade trains just down the road in Norton Fitzwarren and has been incredibly profitable to follow (+108.00 to level stakes) at the track in recent seasons.
His daughter of Schiaparelli is lightly raced for an 8yo having had just the five starts on the course. Although she cut little ice in four starts last year, Lazy Sunday put up a much-improved performance when runner-up at Fontwell last time, a performance which came in a conditional riders hands and heels race.
Lazy Sunday hit the front a little soon that day and wandered under pressure, so appeared a horse who would have benefitted from the jockey being able to use their whip. Although up 3lb for that Fontwell showing connections now turn to bang in-form Charlie Deutsch, which looks a huge plus for Lazy Sunday’s chances.
Tuesday Lucky 15 Tips. In-form jockey Charlie Deutsch can land the Taunton closer with Lazy Sunday.
Pluperfect (7.30 Southwell)
A Juddmonte Farms homebred first foal out of a half-sister to the exceptional Kingman, PLUPERFECT is certainly bred to be better than a Class 6 0-65 handicap, and she has shown enough on the track in her short career to support that theory.
Pluperfect has posted an RPR in the low 60s in all three all-weather starts to date, making a promising handicap debut when third at Wolverhampton last week.
This represents a drop-in class from that assignment, and Pluperfect is entitled to have learnt plenty from the initial handicap experience.
The sole runner on the card for John & Thady Gosden, it seems unlikely that this filly will have made the 101-mile journey north for anything other than victory.