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Simcock handicapper given too much to do at HQ
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Trainer heads to Southwell in good form at 38%
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Sunday duo return 35/136.00 in a Sportsbook double
Southwell - 16:10 - Back Panning For Gold
It's good to see the All-Weather at Southwell back for Sunday and potentially we have a few improvers in the 16:10 1m Handicap in a large field, plus there's the Extra Place Special for good measure.
David Simcock initially had two in this race, but Dagmar Run was taken out this morning as a non-runner at just after 9am, but he's left with Panning For Gold, and I give him another chance to bounce back after a Newmarket defeat last time.
He previously landed three handicaps at Yarmouth, Brighton and Southwell from 53, 58 and 65, and while at a fairly low level, and Brighton racing is usually terrible, he has looked progressive.
The wheels slipped off at HQ last time, but as most in the Simcock yard are ridden with patient tactics, being held up at Newmarket these days is a bad ploy, as racing there has become a complete farce.
We can ignore that HQ run and a strong 1m will suit him, and they tend to race early at Southwell to make it more of a test.
There's still scope from his mark and while Simcock is a bit quiet in terms of stable form, this looks a winnable race and the 5/16.00 on Panning For Gold can hopefully get us off to a good start.
Southwell - 16:40 - Back Lumiere D'Or
Trainer James Tate has recently found a bit of form and he is 6-16 at 38% over the past two weeks and he is 2-7 at the track this season with a +22.0 return to level stakes.
Crucially he has fired in a 2yo winner and a 3yo first-time out with his last three runners (all three have won), and I am taking on the odds-on favourite for this with Tate's Lumiere D'Or.
She cost 150,000gns as a breeze-up buy and is out quite late in the season for a debut, but she's by Too Darn Hot and her dam Lamar was a very smart sort who Tate trained, and she had a fine record on the All-Weather with a 5-12 near 50% strike-rate with a 100-plus rating.
Too Darn Hot has had eight individual winners and this will be his first runner as a sire at Southwell.
Tate's form recently is enough to sway me, as Zenjabeela is 5/61.84 for Roger Varian, and some of the Varian horses go off far too short.
Click here for Daryl Carter's tips and betting preview for Sunday's racing