DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
WEDNESDAY MARCH 19
6.00 SOUTHWELL
TORTURED SOUL (NAP) (best price 15-8) can count himself a little unlucky to be on the receiving end of a Paul Mulrennan masterclass on Humble Spark here five days ago but with the speed figure suggesting he ran a career high by some way, Tony Carroll’s inmate is strongly fancied to make amends.
Produced to challenge at the two-furlong pole at the Midland venue, the five-year-old ran on strongly all the way to the line but in the end, he was just outrun by a horse who got the better of him for the second time in succession.
Prior to those two slight reversals, he had rattled off a quick-fire double at Lingfield and Wolverhampton and with an overall record of 8-16 on an all-weather surface, the son of Zoffany can extend those stats, down in grade and back at a track that clearly suits him well.
TORTURED SOUL – 2-points win@15-8
6.30 SOUTHWELL
SOVEREIGN SEA (best price 10-3) hasn’t managed to convert his last two opportunities but that shouldn’t detract from the fact he has run well in defeat and, being the one open to the most improvement in this nine-strong field, Roger Varian’s gelding can take advantage off what appears a workable mark on handicap debut.
Just outrun by the up-and-coming Bragbor at Newcastle two starts ago, the lightly raced four-year-old filled out the same position at Wolverhampton a month later but this time he became the hunter not the hunted and his finishing effort was just too late to catch the positively ridden Muddy Mooy.
Unsurprisingly, given the way he came home at the Dunstall Park circuit, his final three furlongs splits were easily the best in the race and with the pace of a competitive handicap such as tonight’s likely to suit, the son of Ten Sovereigns has the qualities to make an impact.
SOVEREIGN SEA – 1-point win@10-3