3 poor meetings today

A typical Tuesday, with low level jumping from Exeter and even lower level all-weather flat racing from Southwell and Wolverhampton, and some very small fields making most of the races very uninviting. The only decent horses running can only be found in the novice chase at 16.00 CET at Exeter. Jump City (Paul Nicholls/ Daryl Jacob) and Dare Me (Venetia Williams/ Aidan Coleman) have both shown ability.

There is not much between them on ratings, and as the Nicholls runner must concede 7 lbs to his rival, we shall go along with Dare Me. Molon Labe (Dai Rees/ Paul Molomey) and Gemini Ahhs (Fergal O´Brien/ Paddy Brennan) are both recent winners who face only moderate and out-for-form opposition at 15.30 and 16.30 respectively and should win again despite the extra weight, while nobody who saw the way Robin Will (R Woollacott/ Josh Guerriero) won at Leicester last time will want to oppose him in the hunter chase at 17.00.

A couple of German-breds catch the eye at Wolverhampton. Waldsee (Sean Curran/ William Carson) has totally failed to live up to his excellent pedigree (his dam and half-brother are both classic winners), but with his trainer and jockey in great form, can finally score in the 2 mile handicap at 16.10, while All the Winds (Sam Lycett/ Robert Tart), a runner-up here last time, can go one better at 17.40.

At Southwell there is also a German-bred with a chance- Favorite Girl (Mike Appleby/ Andrew Mullen) in the 11 furlongs handicap at 17.50; she has been hurdling, but is a CD winner and must go close in this modest company. Andrew Balding has a good strike-rate on the all-weather, but rarely sends runners here, so his Winter Music (Liam Keniry) must be respected in the mile maiden at 15.50.