Tuesday's Racing Tips: Norab the bet for Tony Calvin

Ramping up racing

Only eight days ago, horse racing returned and punters had the luxury of being able to study just the one card at Newcastle.

It was bliss.

The racing schedule is being cranked up now though, with Ireland returning yesterday and the UK now playing host to two afternoon, and one evening, fixtures, with races aplenty.

The class action is at Leopardstown, where there are potential Classic clues, with Aidan O'Brien responsible for three of the five runners in the Derrinstown Derby Trial. However, he may not have it all his own way with Sunchart in the line-up.

My betting advice today though is closer to home, in the shape of Norab at 8.615/2 or bigger in the 19:45 at Chelmsford.

Norab should be fit and primed

Now, Chelmsford certainly is not close to home for trainer Bernard Llewellyn, as my AA route planner tells me it is 196.7 miles from his Welsh base in Caerphilly, with an (optimistic) estimate of three hours and 30 minutes in the horsebox.

So, hopefully Norab is fit and primed for his return, though it must be pointed out he is sharing the journey with two stablemates.

Norab is getting on a bit as a 9yo and was off for a long while before making his return at Chepstow last May, so you can forgive him for needing that outing.

But his record does give you encouragement that he will be pretty straight here, as he won first time out in 2015 and 2017.

In fact, the 2015 win came here when he made all - he was trained by Marco Botti at the time - and that is his sole start at the track to date.

We can also take heart from the fact that Llewellyn's horses seem in fair form since racing has returned.

He has run three and they have been sent off at 80/1, 25/1 and 20/1, but the last two ran really well in defeat, in third and fourth, not beaten far, at Lingfield (and the 80s poke wasn't disgraced at Kempton either).

As for Norab himself, then he looks pretty well treated off 61 (he just squeezes into this 0-60) as he has been dropped 1lb for his last Flat start at Chepstow in September, when a 1 ¾-length third to a subsequent winner.

He likes to go forward, so he is helped on that score by his draw in three, and the fact that there is precious little other pace in here - Ocean Reach out wider in eight is the obvious exception - so hopefully we can expect a bold bid from the front under a jockey that knows him well and has won twice on him and been on board for some of the 9yo's better efforts.

Of course, we don't know how straight the horse is, so stakes should be tailored accordingly, but he looks worth a small win bet at 7/1+.

Ed Walker could have a good day at Haydock, and his five there all interested to varying degrees there - especially the Oisin Murphy-ridden duo of Jonah Jones and Blackheath - but I am not blasting in, mob-handed, on a Tuesday, thanks!

Just the one bet. Good luck.