Southwell Racecourse will host its first event today post lockdown with a whopping nine races on the cards starting at 12pm midday live on Sky Sports Racing.
After months of closure, the new Jump season will start proceedings for Southwell all be it behind closed doors with a huge card including over 100 runners with some of the nations best trainers and jockeys on board.
Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls has half a dozen horses on show today and excitedly said “It’s the 1st of July, the first day of the New National Hunt season at Southwell, prevailing good ground will be ideal for everybody, we have nine really competitive races, It’s unlike us to have six runners on the first day of the season but we have quite some team that are ready, some that missed out in the spring so I’m sure it’ll be the first of many good meetings during the next few months”.
The first race of the day is the Novices Handicap where Nicholls horse Nineohtwooneoh is a 2/1 favourite. The Skelton’s Azzuri will be well backed in the second of the day (12:35) and also has a starting price of 2/1.
Watch out for the Greater Good in the 13:10 (a Cobden/Nicholls pairing) and in the fourth race of the day (13:40) Tel’Art ridden by Nico de Boinville will have a good chance whilst Enemy Coast Ahead and Thrave could fight it out in the 14:10 class four.
Ashutor could offer Nicholls and Harry Cobden their best chance in the 14:40 whilst the 15:10 is a close affair with some good runners on an even level. Hunters Call, trained by Olly Murphy could be one to watch in that.
Finally St Gallen in the 15:40, another Olly Murphy horse is favourite for the class three whilst the last race of the day (16:10) pairs Magellen (Harry & Dan Skelton) up against Easyrun De Vassy which again is a Nicholls/Cobden pairing.
Some great races ahead with the jump season about to get started with a bang.
*Main image @Southwell_Races the games get under way for Southwell after a long lockdown layoff.
