Saturday’s Racing Tips: Stars can shine at Southwell

Jump racing still has the edge across the UK and Ireland on Saturday from the five meetings taking place throughout the day despite the loss of the Premier meeting at Sandown to the heavy rains. 

First off is Newcastle, Cork and Wincanton, and then the emphasis switches to the Flat on the all-weather at Southwell and Kempton (both evening cards). 

Amongst our Saturday fancies is a filly trained by Archie Watson, who is taken to register her third win from four starts over the minimum trip on her handicap debut at Southwell. 

2.40 Wincanton - Go Steady @ 9/1 

GO STEADY is representing Dan Skelton in the seven-runner Class 3 2m4f handicap chase at Wincanton and Betfred customers are advised to take the opportunity to back the 12-year-old each-way with the three places that are available. 

Skelton is a notable 8-35 (23%) with his runners in the past 14 days and the selection ran fourth in a better-class Veterans' handicap chase at Cheltenham last month but features off a 3lb lower rating.  

He is 7-22 over regulation fences, goes well on heavy ground and is 6-19 over an intermediate trip. He can return to winning ways despite his advancing years. 

3.15 Wincanton - Astronomic View @ 9/2  

ASTRONOMIC VIEW is worth backing each-way in the seven-runner Class 3 extended 2m5f handicap hurdle at Wincanton with three places available again to Betfred customers. 

The selection won his bumper on heavy ground at Exeter in January 2022 and arrives in a consistent vein of form over hurdles. 

Astronomic View has finished 322 since the beginning of November, including when going quite close when stepped up to 2m7f at Bangor in a similar handicap hurdle last month on heavy ground.  

He should be particularly competitive once again despite a 3lb rise in conditions that play to his strengths. 

5.30 Southwell - OUT OF THE STARS @ 13/2 

Finally, and OUT OF THE STARS is representing Archie Watson in the Class 4 5f handicap at Southwell. 

The Lambourn handler is 4-19 in the last 14 days which was always likely as he has a notable 20% strike-rate in January. He is also a sturdy 19% with all of his three-year-old runners since the beginning of the decade and that stat improves to 21% overall with his three-year-olds on this course. 

Hollie Doyle is taking the mount today and she has a 20% strike-rate for the yard. 

Out Of The Stars arrives 2-3 over the minimum trip in her own right including a remarkable victory after a poor start on her debut at Kempton last spring. She was over-faced on her next start in June, running down the field in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot, but the daughter of Zoustar improved to win well after a break at Wolverhampton last month. 

An opening mark of 81 on her handicap debut requires more, but she should appreciate the switch to this course, and her speedy pedigree suggests she is likely to continue progressing over the minimum trip in 2024.