Low level racing

The racing at all tracks today is very low level. Southwell resumes after its long closure due to flooding, but the card is certainly nothing to celebrate. Local trainer Alan McCabe usually does well here and can take the 6 furlongs handicap at 16.40 CET with Aubrietia (Hayley Turner), already twice a winner this year at Wolverhampton. He also has a chance in the following race with Una bella Cosa (Seb Sanders).

Our best longshot here is Greek Islands (Ed de Giles/ Liam Keniry) at 15.10; he is well-bred but has been very disappointing, however he is down to a very low mark and his trainer has already had a winner this week. At Market Rasen, trainer John Ferguson and jockey Denis O´Regan can take the first two races with Bordoni (very unlucky last time when he ran out when looking the certain winner) at 14.30 and Population half an hour later. The German-btreds King Arthur and Quadrato could well run into the places in these two races. Denis O´Regan can complete a good day by also taking the novices handicap hurdle at 16.00 on Tim Easterby´s Vintage Times.

Even the Irish card at Fairyhouse is poor, with the exception of the opening hurdle at race at 14.25, which however looks very tricky with all the principals coming off a long break. Seabass (Ted and Ruby Walsh) has not run since contesting the Grand National, where he finished a good third after winning his 6 previous races; whether the 2 miles over hurdles here is ideal is hard to say, but Make Your Mark (Willie Mullins/ Davy Russell), who has not run since the Cheltenham Festival, and Rock Critic (Dermot Weld/ Robbie McNamara) - off since winning at Galway in early August - are both potentially very smart in this discipline.

Sedgefield, if it goes ahead, has some small fields. The best betting race is the handicap hurdle over almost 3 1/2 miles at 15.50, with numerous form horses engaged. 12yo Oniz Tiptoes is an absolute CD specialist, and despite being unfairly put up 8 lbs for finishing second here last time, is our each-way selection.