BATOCCHI is fancied to complete a course-and-distance hat-trick in the Betway Handicap (Div II) (4.30) at Southwell today.
The Rebecca Menzies-trained son of Bated Breath came good at the 12th time of asking with a three-quarter-length defeat of Vertice over a mile and a half at the Rolleston track 15 days before Christmas.
Reappearing at Southwell on January 9, Batocchi went in again, making light of a 2lb rise in the handicap to beat Al Gaiya by the same margin.
The British Horseracing Authority assessor couldn’t go wild, and my selection now competes from a 4lb higher mark of 55.
But that looks within range for a horse who still has more to give under these conditions, and the threesome beckons.
At Chelmsford City, SPLIT ELEVENS looks good to get back to winning ways in the Racing Welfare Handicap (5.30).
John Butler put a visor on the four-year-old three starts ago, and Split Elevens responded with wins over this evening’s course and distance and at Lingfield Park.
Butler cranked the headgear up to blinkers at the latter course six days ago, and Dan Muscutt’s mount went under by a neck to Soyouique.
The blinkers remain on here, and another good account is on the cards.
Thursday's tips
SOUTHWELL
1.00 LOVE YOUR WORK
1.30 GRIFFIN PARK
2.00 TWENTYSHARESOFGREY
2.30 GLORIOUS CHARMER
3.00 TRUE JEM
3.30 MARSH BENHAM
4.00 RAINBOW’S GIFT
4.30 BATOCCHI (NAP)
WINCANTON
1.10 WEST APPROACH
1.40 CHAMPAGNE COURT
2.10 BENNY’S BRIDGE
2.40 PLENTY OF TIME
3.10 HONNEUR D’AJONC
3.40 FRERE D’ARMES
4.10 EL PASO WOOD
4.40 FISHCAKE
KELSO
1.50 MILVALE
2.20 GINGER MAIL
2.50 EN MEME TEMPS
3.20 LUCKY FLIGHT
3.50 FIRTH OF FORTH
4.20 FAMOUS BRIDGE
CHELMSFORD CITY
4.55 SOYOUNIQUE
5.30 SPLIT ELEVENS (NB)
6.00 ZARZYNI
6.30 LIHOU
7.00 ALIA CHOICE
7.30 AL QAASIM
8.00 MY LADY CLAIRE
