Daily Racing Multiple: Back a 13/1 double for Thursday at Southwell

• Alan sticks to Southwell on Thursday with two selections

• George Boughey's Pocket The Packet is seeking his fifth win of the year

• Today's two Southwell selections pay out 13/1 on the Sportsbook multiple

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Headgear can work the oracle for Burke's Colnago

Back Colnago @ 4.3100/30 in 14:03 at Southwell

To say today's pickings are slim would be an understatement with inspections at Ffos Las and Chelmsford at the time of writing, so here's to at least both if not one going ahead. It leaves us with Southwell and the field sizes are reasonable with four Extra Place Sportsbook special races, but Colnago looks a win only proposition in the opener for Karl Burke.

He's been allotted an opening mark in this Nursery Handicap of 74 off the back of his best run thus far.

That came at Newcastle behind a potentially decent newcomer in Silent Words (a winner I put up for the column at around 7/2 three weeks ago), and he showed enough there to suggest a race of this nature should be within reach.

Silent Words cost 92,000 and travelled super smooth with a better draw towards the inside, but Colnago once headed fought back and was closing at the end, and the stiff nature of Newcastle's finish is a plus translating to Southwell, as I do think you need to stay quite while on the Midlands Tapeta. There was a big enough gap to third too off an even pace and the selection produced a couple of speedy early furlongs.

It's surprising he hasn't got a victory yet, as he ran well over 6f at Pontefract in the summer on debut, and he wasn't cheap either at 130,000 euros with a fast pedigree.

He has been beaten three times odds-on in-running from his six starts, including 1.331/3 at Ponty, and a 1.51/2 last time at Newcastle, but I didn't see too much wrong with his attitude last time.

When Burke uses cheekpieces at Southwell, he has an 18% win record and 43% placed total, which is higher than the combined totals for all the All-Weather tracks.

And if you are looking for quite an easy back-to-lay trade, from 5.04/1 he should be able to hit 3.02/1 early with speed, as he did run a couple of sub-11 seconds early at Newcastle and that pace to get him in a good position means you can lay him back for more of your back stake to get a nice green book.

Pocket to packet another payday

Back Pocket The Packet @ 3.259/4 in the 16:05 at Southwell

We'll stick to the Nursery Handicap route again with the 16:05 over 6f, and a 10k race in total should be applauded.

Elegant Charm is the obvious one for Charlie Appleby, and she showed a bright turn of foot to win at Kempton, but that was only off 75, and she'd had quite a few runs before to get off the mark.

George Boughey's horses have been going well with 6-26 in the last fortnight and he is 6-28 at Southwell this season at around 21% and his Pocket The Packet has been progressing well at a low level. He goes up in class today.

The 2yo has won four of his eight races so far, but looks a much better horse on artificial surfaces.

Back-to-back wins recently have been over 5f and 6f, and those trips look more suitable having tried 7f once, but he was too keen and didn't last home.

The juvenile travelled very nicely to win in November at Lingfield, and showed a good piece of acceleration at the end with two of the quickest furlongs. He does have a penalty, but he's progressing well and can get in the shake-up here.

December winners:

Harb 7/2 Won
Hiddenvalley Lake 5/2 Won
Tarjamah 5/2 Won
Manaafith 7/4 Won
Coolbane Boy 2/1 Won