Southwell 16/12/08

[KONG]

This Midlands venue is one of only two racecourses in Britain to offer all-weather, Flat turf and Jump racing, which means there’s racing every month of the year. The racecourse also boasts an 18-hole golf course, and twelve bedroom motel on site. So whatever your preference, Southwell offers year-round entertainment with first-class facilities.:ok

[fintron]

Re: Southwell 16/12/08 1.10 Southwell Kinigi is proven on this surface and notched up a quick double here in November over course and distance. The form of that last win, recorded in a claimer, has been boosted by Smalljohn, third that day, who won well at Wolverhampton on Friday. Svindal, the second, has also ran credibly since. Kinigi finished 5th in a nursery handicap last time on her first run for Ron Harris but I think she ran respectably all things considered because she was stepping back into a handicap and burdened a 6 lb penalty. She wasn't disgraced finishing fifth and the form of that race has been boosted slightly by the second, Rio Cobolo, who won a nursery next time out earlier this month. Kinigi runs off a mark off 61 here which seems a good weight considering she would be giving more to all bar Calley Ho and Island Chief if this were a handicap. She is infact better off with Island Chief too for this seller and although she's 1 lb wrong with Calley Ho, that is a negligible amount and she is at least reliable at this level and less of a gamble than that rival. 1.40 Southwell An interesting claimer here with La Estrella up against the prolific plater Yakimov. La Estrella brings the strongest form of the two into the race, is proven on the surface and has won over this sort of trip before. He is officially rated 88 now, 8 lbs higher than his last win, which he recorded with some field when routing the field by 4 lengths last time out. Is he 8 lbs better now? That is a matter of personal opinion I suppose and if he is then he is best in at the weights as he'd be giving 1 lb less to Ollie Pears' Yakimov in a handicap. It is worth noting that in the aftermath of his last time out win the Racing Post commented that his trainer has reported he has a troublesome fore, and that retirement may be imminent. I'm no vet, so I don't no how serious his problem is, but with things looking very tight on official figures I have marginal preference for the Pears runner. Yakimov loves racing around here and is very reliable in this sort of contest. In my head I have him down as a miler, but he did infact win over course and distance as part of a four timer earlier in the year. He disappointed last time out at Kempton and for that reason he is the larger price of the pair here, however, he was entitled to need that run after a little break and he is much happier on sand than polytrack so I'm quite happy to ignore that last run. Although Yakimov has 1 lb to find with La Estrella on official figures, I don't think he can be written off at all. Up until his last run he was rated 85, and if he was still rated that today he would be the one best off at the weights. He's rated 82 but should strip fitter for that Kempton outing and be capable of getting involved. 2.40 Southwell Canadian Danehill remains very well treated, despite a 4 lbs rise for a recent Wolverhampton romp, on the pick of his best form. He won off a 12 lb higher mark in January. Although this is a class 4 contest, very few of these have recently won at this level. Several of these act on the surface and recent runs over the dash have repeatedly been won by front runners so again I think we need to find one with that running style. Garlogs could be the one. I put him up last time and geneuinely thought he had a decent chance. I think he ran a solid race considering he was up 6 lbs above his last winning mark and was racing a class above that in which he was last proven a winner. The handicapper has kept him on 76 for this, but I said last time he would be of interest if dropped back down in grade, and that is the case today. He's proven at this level as a win here in May shows. He tracked the leaders last time but if he is able to do what he does best - make all - then I fancy him here.