3 poor meetings today

As is usually the case on a Tuesday, today´s cards are for the most part very poor. The most interesting race could be the beginners chase over 2 3/4 miles at 14.10 CET at Fontwell, where the ground will be quite testing. Kauto The Roc (Alan King/ Robert Thornton) made a good debut over fences when runner-up to a useful performer at Huntingdon , while his main rivals are making their chase debut now.

Brackloon High (Noel Chance/ Richard Johnson) missed most of last year, biut had looked potentially smart earlier and made a satisfactory comeback when fifth at Cheltenham last month. State Benefit (Nicky Henderson/ Tony McCoy) and Real Treasure (Kim Bailey/ Sean Quinkan) are both running for the first time this season but are expected to go well. A tricky race, bur we give slight preference to Brackloon High. The novice hurdle over 2 1/2 miles half an hour later is equally tricky. Fox Appeal (Emma Lavelle/ Stephen O´Donovan) looked useful when winning over this CD last time, but has to give away 7 lbs here, which will not be easy. Let´s Get Serious (Henderson/ McCoy) and Medinas (King/ Choc), both bumper winners when last seen, look dangerous, as is Duke of Monmouth (Charlie Mann/ Noel Fehily), runner-up over this CD last time on heavy going. King and Thornton have another winning chance with Secret Edge in the opening 3yo hurdle at 13.40, who ran well in better company at Cheltenham last time; But Colebrooke (Pauline Robeson/ Tom O´Brien), a very easy CD winner last time and Hi Note (Sheena West/ Marc Goldstein), getting weight from this pair, are both dangerous.

The best betting race at Sedgefield is the handicap hurdle at 14.50. Top-weight Mickmacmagoole (Evan Williams/ Mr JE Tudor) is obviously the best horse in the field and came back to form with an easy win at Ffos Las last week. However he must give away a lot of weight here, and on these terms we prefer Bob´s Dream (Willie Amos/ Campbell Gillies), who has been runner-up on his last 3 starts, and whose stable is coming into form. Amos and Gillies can follow up with Ravensbill in the handicap chase half an hour later.

The best races on a very poor card on the all-weather track at Southwell are the two divisions of the 5 furlongs sprint at 14.00 and 14.30. These sprints always very tricky here, but in the first division we hope to see CD specialist Monsieur Jamie (John Jenkins/ Joe Fanning) score his 5th CD win; if he runs well, that would be an obvious pointer to top-weight Lenny Bee (Mrs. Sanderson/ Silvestre de Sousa) in the second division, who was runner-up to him not long ago; he was ridden then by an apprentice and now has a top jockey in the saddle.