Horse Racing Tips: Envoy can get the job done at Southwell

The racing on Friday is at the mercy of the weather, with inspections required at two different tracks and three meetings scheduled to take place across Britain, with no Irish representation. Lingfield is the first meeting to kick off, before they go at Musselburgh and finally Southwell and the latter is the only fixture to avoid an inspection.

With that in mind, we’ve turned our attention to Southwell and have picked out our three strongest fancies, which include a lightly raced four-year-old trained by Scottish handler Iain Jardine.

Horse Racing Odds

Today's Horse Races

17:00 Southwell - Federal Envoy @ 9/1

Southwell’s feature race is this competitive-looking Class 4 handicap over 7f and the very lightly raced four-year-old FEDERAL ENVOY gets the nod from us.

He got the better of John & Thady Gosden’s Jayyash over course and distance on debut, when trained by Karl Burke. That was a game performance and his four subsequent efforts for previous connections were a little disappointing.

It was a very different story on debut for this yard last month and he extended his unbeaten course record to two. Scoring by a length that day, he made all the running and never looked like being caught.

A 4lb rise looks very fair for that one-length success and similar tactics may well produce a similar result this time around.

18:00 Southwell - Whizz By @ 7/2

Tom Ward’s WHIZZ BY wasn’t exactly given a hard time when showing little in three starts in maiden and novice company but the switch to handicaps has rather unsurprisingly, facilitated significant improvement and she’s won both starts in this sphere.

Both came over course and distance and the first was a comfortable length-and-three-quarters success back in October. Well on top at the finish that day, she improved from midfield to win going away.

Similar tactics were employed when scoring a month later, although the winning margin of a neck was significantly reduced off a 7lb higher mark.

The handicapper has responded by putting her up a further 5lb and she will need to progress again if you take the form of her latest effort at face value. Clearly she’s going the right way however and further progress is anticipated before the handicapper catches up.

18:30 Southwell - Rapido Girl @ 3/1

Consistency should be rewarded in this sport and Craig Lidster’s RAPIDO GIRL has been knocking on the door recently. She was beaten less than a length when second over a stiff 6f at Newcastle 17 days ago and a 1lb higher mark shouldn’t make much difference.

Finishing amongst the places in her two previous starts as well, she’s clearly in decent form and that makes her a sensible selection here. Her sole success came over 7f in a Catterick maiden last year and the return to this trip is probably a positive once again.

The four-year-old probably still has a secret or two from the handicapper and a return to winning ways could very well be on the agenda.

Horse Racing Tips from Betfred Insights.