In-form trainer Tom Ellis has an excellent record at Southwell - and this novice could be another winner for him

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The form of the novice handicap hurdle at Newbury on Greatwood Gold Cup day received a massive boost at Kelso on Saturday. 

Well-beaten fifth Queenie St Clair plundered the £100,000 Herring Queen Series Final, and Sutherland, who was third in the Newbury race, contests this 2m4½f handicap hurdle.

The six-year-old was fastest through each of the final two furlongs after a mistake at the third-last put him on the back foot. A 1lb drop could look generous if first-time cheekpieces sharpen him up.

Bar a heavy-ground blip at Leicester in January, Sutherland has a progressive profile and gives the impression an extra half mile can help him earn a first career success at the eighth attempt.

Tom Ellis has saddled three winners from his past eight runners and is 5-12 at Southwell this term, for a £8.54 profit to £1 level stakes, so there is plenty to like.

Backing 7lb claimer Elliott England’s rides blindly to £1 stakes this season would have made you a £10.87 profit, and his booking on topweight Fine Casting is interesting. 

The handicapper has quickly given Fine Casting back the 6lb he was hit with for winning at Bangor in November, while Moab and Karton Plein are others to note in a competitive affair. 

Moab was unfortunate to bump into a potential handicap blot over 2m½f at Exeter this month and has similar form over this longer trip, although he is a modest 1-21 in both codes. 

Karton Plein is a maiden hurdle winner at this track and returns from 64 days off, having possibly found soft ground against him on both starts in the winter.
Analysis by Robbie Wilders

Going update

The going on Monday morning was good, with watering in progress to maintain conditions. It is expected to remain dry, with a slight chance of showers on Tuesday afternoon.

What they say

Tom Ellis, trainer of Sutherland
He’s a quirky individual. I think the step up in trip will be a big positive and the form of his Newbury race has worked out. Cheekpieces might just help him with his jumping.

Stuart Edmunds, trainer of Codetalker
He's in great form and the step back up to 2m4f should suit. I don't think he'll mind the good ground.

Olly Murphy, trainer of Karton Plein and Heard That
Karton Plein will hopefully appreciate a return to better ground and has won at Southwell before. Heard That has shown very little for a while and needs to be rejuvenated if he is to be competitive, having been disappointing this season. 

Henrietta Knight, trainer of Moab
He’s very well. Brendan Powell [assistant trainer] plans to take him to Punchestown at the end of April as he’s qualified for the Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series Final, so he’ll probably have one more run before then.
Reporting by Sadie Iddenden

Chris Cook's three things to note

1.  Ferando is a six-year-old maiden but attracted support at Ffos Las last week, when making his stable debut for Barry Murphy, providing the trainer with his first runner since relocating to Britain. He went well for a long way but probably over-raced and got tired on his first run since September, just his second handicap start. Murphy later struck with a 9-1 winner on the card. Down in trip and on a better surface, Ferando should go well again in a small-field novice handicap chase at Southwell.

2. The low-profile Herefordshire yard of Sarah-Jayne Davies is enjoying its best season for some time, with three winners from 19 runners since the start of last month, all in handicap chases. It means O'Grady's Hill is worth a second look in a mares' handicap chase at Taunton, especially as she produced her best effort over fences when last seen five weeks ago at Ludlow. She made much of the running that day before tiring in the straight and it was perhaps surprising to see her dropped another 4lb. She is now 16lb below the mark she had in December, when she joined Davies from Harry Derham.

3. The Dubai-bound team of Jamie and Saffie Osborne are represented at Wolverhampton this evening, including with Angry Ant, who carries the same colours as World Cup contender Heart Of Honor. The three-year-old filly is a maiden after seven starts but there was plenty to like about her keeping-on effort at Wolverhampton last time, having been caught wide with no cover for much of the race. She has a better draw in a smaller field in the 1m½f handicap.

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