6 poor meetings today

A very low level start to the week, with flat racing this afternoon from Redcar and Southwell (all-weather) and this evening from Windsor and Leicester, while there is jumps racing at Towcester and in Ireland a mixed meeting at Roscommon, with 4 flat races followed by a bumper and two chases. Roscommon also features our best bet today, Kaleefa (Dermot Weld/ Pat Smullen) in the maiden race for 4yo and older fillies and mares at 19.55. This well-bred Aga Khan filly has been a major disappointment so far, having been well backed on all her 3 starts without ever threatening to win a race, but this is such a weak event that it will be quite a shock if she cannot get off the mark here.

The best race at Towcester is the handicap chase at 17.10 which features two runners penalised for winning last week - By The Boardwalk (Kim Bailey/ Tom Bellamy) and Riddlestown (Caroline Fryer/ Harry Skelton). The former won here over 3 miles, but this drop back in distance could be a problem, so we prefer the latter, who is up in grade but won twice over this CD last year and seems to be at his best in the spring sunshine.

Main event at Redcar is the 5 furlongs sprint handicap at 16.50. Paul Midgeley and Graham Lee won this last year and can score again with Desert Law, who despite top weight is actually very well handicapped on his old form for Godolphin and before that Andrew Balding. He showed that he is coming back to form with a good effort in a much stronger race at York last week.

Roger Varian has made a slow start to the season, but seems to be coming back to form, and can land a double at Windsor with Gwendolyn, who has a very interesting German pedigree, at 19.35 and Tazzfin an hour later, both partnered by his old stable jockey Andrea Atzeni.

Anotjher German-bred with a chance is Goring at 20.45 at Leicester, but he has been hard hit by the handicapper and we are not sure that he can concede weight to some very interesting and unexposed 3yo´s here. Pacify (Ralph Beckett/ Jim Crowley) won his only start last season and is the selection to win here for his very prominent owners.