Timeform 1-2-3: March 11th

Tipping / Timeform / 10 March 2010 / Leave a comment

Cookie Galore can win you some dough in the opener at Southwell on Thursday

All good things must come to an end, and after a solid couple of months, this column is experiencing something of a slump in the run-up to The Greatest Four Days In Racing™.

"Cookie Galore looked a much improved filly when hosing up at Wolverhampton on the back of a break last week and can defy a penalty with the different surface unlikely to trouble her.."

Adopting the motto from the name of one of our latest losers, there's no panic just yet, though, and if you're a fan of a sports team, there's always the belief that it's better to get a bad run out of the way in time for the more important days ahead. Here's hoping Thursday's trio of tips will turn out to be terrific rather than terrible.

Kicking off at Southwell and we'll side with Cookie Galore (2.20) representing the in-form pairing of Jeremy Glover and Frederik Tylicki. Cookie Galore looked a much improved filly when hosing up at Wolverhampton on the back of a break last week and can defy a penalty with the different surface unlikely to trouble her (fourth in maiden at the track in September).

Ciceron (3.35) couldn't have been any more impressive when successful on his handicap debut at Bangor last week, and though he'll start favourite at Wincanton, he looks the best bet of the day. Even at this early stage of his career, Ciceron looks a fluent jumper, and the race he won last Wednesday could prove a useful source of winners in the coming weeks.

Wolverhampton's decision to stage two near-identical handicaps for older horses worth £17,000 and £50,000 (Saturday's Lincoln Trial) in the space of forty-eight hours came in for some criticism from Mark Johnston on his website earlier this week, but the Middleham trainer clearly knows a good thing when he sees it, and his Tartan Gunna (6.00), entered in both races, can take the first of them. Not surprisingly, given the money on offer, it's a trappy contest, but Tartan Gunna appeals as the type who'll continue to progress in 2010, and is unlikely to be lacking for fitness on his reappearance.

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Back to win:

Southwell 2.20 Cookie Galore
Wincanton 3.35 Ciceron
Wolverhampton 6.00 Tartan Gunna

These are just three of the tips that can be found for Thursday's racing on the Timeform Free Form Website. We offer tips and advice for every race every day at www.timeform.com/free