Horse Racing Tips: El Rio can bring the party to Hereford

We have an unusually busy Monday on our hands this week, with no fewer than five meetings taking place across Britain and Ireland. National Hunt racing takes centre stage but there’s some all-weather action to enjoy too.

I've come up with a few horse racing tips to follow on Monday and they include a runner for Kim Bailey & Mat Nicholls who finished third in a better race at Kempton over Christmas last time.

15:00 Hereford - El Rio @ 10/3

Watch out for EL RIO at Hereford, as he could be the one to beat in this Class 3 event. Kim Bailey & Mat Nicholls train the gelding and he was last seen finishing third in a historically warm novices’ handicap chase at Kempton over Christmas.

That form race has received a boost since, with the winner following up next time, and this race certainly looks easier. Running off an unchanged mar, a similar effort could be enough to get the job done this time around.

This son of Elusive Pimpernal got off the mark over fences at the second time of asking, when a comfortable winner at Huntingdon back in October. Whilst it’s noted that the form doesn’t look particularly strong, the fifth did win back over hurdles on his next start.

It was an even better performance when following up off a 6lb higher mark in a Class 3 at Sandown after that and one would imagine a further 6lb wouldn’t be an insurmountable obstacle for the lightly-raced chaser.

15:20 Plumpton - Squiggles @ 15/8

James Owen hasn’t taken long to establish his reputation as a shrewd operator and the Newmarket-based trainer is operating at a very healthy strike-rate of 24 percent in the last fortnight.

SQUIGGLES was a cosy winner of her sole Irish point start back in January and finished down the field in a bumper for Sue Smith in May. The change of surroundings combined with a switch to hurdles has clearly facilitated significant improvement.

She was a respectable second in a Ludlow mares’ maiden hurdle on debut for Owen and wasn’t beaten far at all when upped to 3m1f at Huntingdon after that.

Clearly improving with every run at the moment, she got the job done on handicap debut at Doncaster after that and showed a terrific attitude to hold off the runner-up.

The handicapper has responded with a 5lb rise which doesn’t seem outlandish and her profile suggests there could well be more to come.

15:30 Hereford - Clap Of Thunder @ 10/3

CLAP OF THUNDER represents the Twiston-Davies team and a return to winning ways shouldn’t be ruled out. He’s had just the four starts over hurdles so far and it would be surprising if we’ve already seen the best of him.

The five-year-old needed the run when fading into fourth on his first start over hurdles at Chepstow in October, before he managed to go one better at Ascot next time. On the face of it, the form doesn’t look particularly strong but he did it nicely nonetheless.

After a fair fifth on handicap debut at Cheltenham in November, he currently finds himself on a 1lb lower mark and the gelding is expected to be very competitive here.

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