Tuesday Racing Tips: Get ready for Southwell Masterclass

Just three race meetings take place across the UK and Ireland on Tuesday after the latest abandonments came at Hexham and Navan.

Action does go ahead from Thirsk (2.15-5.45), Hereford (2.30-5.00) and Southwell (5.30-8.30) and we've picked out a trio to follow across the cards.

15:00 Hereford - Whynotnowroy @ 7/1

The Hereford Countryside Raceday This Sunday Novices' Limited Handicap Hurdle features in-form contenders such as Rocky Hill and Another Lord for Tom

Lacey and Peter Bowen respectively, but it could also be a decent chance for WHYNOTNOWROY to record his breakthrough success over timber for Karl Burke.

The Notnowcato gelding has shown improved form of late at Taunton over this sort of trip on similarly testing ground, finishing second there in February and just missing out on third last month.

That most recent effort saw him doing good work late on, suggesting an extra furlong now will do no harm to his cause, while the winner Just Go For It has run well again since off a 10lb higher mark.

Whynotnowroy was held up in that contest at the rear of the field and made stellar progress late on in a first-time tongue-tie (retained now) and should be a player from the same mark.

16:45 Thirsk - Beechwood Star @ 14/1

It has been a slow start to 2024 for Richard Fahey, but we can anticipate that things will pick up as the Malton handler gets his team to grips with the turf season.

In 2023, the Yorkshire-based trainer boasted a fine 28 per-cent strike-rate at Thirsk and he's got plenty of contenders on day one of the new season here.

BEECHWOOD STAR was quite promising in the early part of last season. He was third here on debut over 6f on quick ground and then went close at Ayr (6f, good to soft) before an agonising near miss at Newcastle on the Tapeta.

Those efforts saw him handed an opening handicap mark of 80 and he was unable to make much impact in three further starts.

He's rated 11lb below that opening mark now ahead of this seasonal bow and may well have strengthened up sufficiently over the winter to take advantage under Oisin Orr.

17:30 Southwell - Masterclass @ 11/4

MASTERCLASS ran on strongly from the rear when a clear second behind course specialist Jeans Mate here last month and the David Simcock-trained runner could go a place better now.

He's since been to Lingfield and ran another solid race, albeit only finishing in fourth at the end, though that track might not play to his strengths quite as much as this one does.

That was in an apprentice handicap and he's got the benefit of Callum Shepherd returning now in the saddle.

He's just 1lb higher than when scoring at Chelmsford in November and, if he can run to the level he showed here on his penultimate start, he may well go in again.

Find more Horse Racing Tips here at Betfred Insights