SPENCER CAN BE KING
TUESDAY'S SELECTIONS:
SOUTHWELL: 1.50 Ingleby Arch, 2.20 Pelican Rock, 2.50 Cotton Trader, 3.25 La Estrella, 4.00 SPARTAN KING (NAP), 4.35 Bubbly Ballerina, 5.10 St Oswald.
TAUNTON: 2.00 Urbain De Sivola, 2.30 Hobb's Dream, 3.05 Wosayu, 3.40 Dare Me, 4.15 Clever Dick, 4.45 Templer, 5.20 The Mumper.
WETHERBY: 1.40 Deny, 2.10 Sherwani Wolf, 2.40 Ballywatt, 3.15 Mac Aeda, 3.50 Jackson Cage, 4.25 Storm Surge, 5.00 Mist The Boat.
DOUBLE: Spartan King and La Estrella.
Jamie Spencer has a fantastic record when teaming up with Ian Williams in the early months of 2012, which makes Spartan King an eyecatching proposition in the Play Golf Before Racing At Southwell Handicap.
Spencer and Williams are combining for a strike-rate over 30% at present and while that is unlikely to last forever, it is certainly worth noting when they get together on the all-weather.
Spartan King is no world beater by any means but this is the first time the former champion jockey has been in the saddle, and he runs off the same mark that saw him go down only narrowly on his first run at Southwell last week.
La Estrella returns to his favourite haunt for the Dine In The Pantry Claiming Stakes.
Don Cantillon's nine-year-old has won 18 of his 50 races and while most have been in claiming company, his fragile legs have meant he has stayed where he is.
He is not favoured by the weights against Richard Fahey's Halla San but while that rival appears to be on the downgrade, La Estrella's rating is creeping back up again.
John Gosden's Cotton Trader would appear to have a penalty kick in the southwell-racecourse.co.uk Maiden Stakes.
Never out of the first three in five races - he has been a short-price beaten favourite in the last five of those - there has appeared to be nothing wrong with his attitude.
Ingleby Arch is not as good as he was but should still have the ability to win the Place Only Betting At bluesq.com Selling Stakes.
Now a nine-year-old, David Barron's gelding was rated in the 90s in his prime and is still running to a mark of 75 on the all-weather.
The drop back down to six furlongs would also appear to be a plus.
Sherwani Wolf has chased home two well above average sorts in his chasing career to date and can benefit from those experiences in the wetherbyracing.co.uk Novices' Chase.
Runner-up to subsequent Reynoldstown winner Invictus on his chase debut and second to Carpincho last time out, he will face nothing of that calibre.
Mac Aeda will pay his way over fences for Malcolm Jefferson and can get back to winning ways in the Yorkshire Post Ladies Day - 24th May Handicap Chase.
He beat a useful sort in Trustan Times at Wetherby over Christmas and returned there to chase home Cucumber Run in January when he lost all chance with a mistake two out.
But for a mistake at the last, Dare Me would have been closer on his return from a long lay-off last month and can make amends in the Bathwick Tyres Handicap Hurdle at Taunton.
He looked a smart prospect a couple of years ago.
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STAR PAIR NOT COUGHING
Stable stars Kauto Star and Big Buck's have not been affected by the coughing problems which have hit Paul Nicholls' yard.
Nicholls revealed his star pair had so far avoided the illness which has struck at his Ditcheat stables less than a month before the Cheltenham Festival. Kauto Star is due to challenge for another Gold Cup next month, while Big Buck's defends his World Hurdle crown.
The outbreak has seen the trainer's pre-Cheltenham media day, scheduled for Wednesday, cancelled, but Nicholls remains confident about the Festival, which gets under way on March 13.
Writing in his Betfair column, Nicholls revealed on Monday night: "In case you're wondering whether Kauto Star, Big Buck's, Join Together or Al Ferof have been affected, they haven't and are all in good form."
Nicholls realised he had problems when a host of his runners failed to fire at the weekend - he has had just one winner from his last 31 runners.
He added: "I don't like giving excuses but I do want to keep punters informed and, as our weekend runners came back from the track, a good few of them had dirty noses and were coughing. Nothing serious but it's got to be monitored and gives us some clues as to why a few of the team didn't run to their true form, which was plain to see.
"Coughs come and go at yards and there is always the odd horse with one but, in the past few days, we have started noticing more."
Those horses affected will now be given antibiotics with most expected to return to full training in three to five days, meaning Festival ambitions should not be badly hit.
Nicholls stressed: "We've headed into Cheltenham before on so called 'terrible form' but end up banging in a few winners at the Sandown meeting and having a great Festival."
Surprisingly, Nicholls also revealed Betfair Hurdle winner Zarkandar was one of those hit by the illness, coming back with a "filthy nose and cough".
"Add that to the fact the race was not run at a pace to suit, his performance has me even more excited about his chances come the Festival," said the trainer, who will saddle the horse in the Champion Hurdle.
"Zarkandar will be back out cantering on Wednesday once he has finished his course of antibiotics."
Silviniaco Conti and Kauto Stone both disappointed but have not shown signs of ill health. In fact, 80 per cent of the horses in the yard have so far shown no negative signs.
Silviniaco Conti will now be aimed at Aintree's Grand National meeting, while Kauto Stone is still being targeted at the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.
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