Preview: Fontwell and Southwell races to watch
Tuesday’s programme features competitive handicaps at Fontwell and Southwell, with several horses of festival interest among the entries. While the cards are not part of the big spring meetings, a number of runners carry form lines that link back to higher-profile tracks, including an eye-catching recent performance at Ascot.
2.12 Fontwell – Virtual Rock to shoulder penalty
Virtual Rock heads the opener at Fontwell after scoring at Uttoxeter for a new trainer earlier this month. The five-runner Betting.Bet Free Racing Tips Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle sees Shane Fenelon take the mount as the horse attempts to carry a seven-pound rise for that recent victory.
That Uttoxeter success represented a fresh start following the gelding’s move from John Butler’s yard and was the first win since a two-mile success in April 2024. He arrives with an upwardly adjusted mark and will need to demonstrate he retains the form that produced that win.
Goodwin Face, who was a short-priced favourite at Cartmel in June but disappointed on that occasion, resumes after an extended break and could be interesting if recapturing earlier form. Tilehurst, another course-and-distance performer, goes into the race after a Worcester win in July and a subsequent second-place; a three-pound claimer is booked to take a further weight off his back.
3.57 Fontwell – Siam Park and Motazzen lock horns
The Setford Handicap Hurdle features top-rated Siam Park, who has been placed twice since his last success in November. He arrives here on the back of a wind operation and seeks to get back to winning ways for trainer Joe Tizzard.
Motazzen, a recent Fontwell scorer who notched a fifth hurdle victory at the start of the month, carries a four-pound penalty for that success. The handicapper’s response marks him down as a danger if he can overcome the extra weight. Bright Legend, who raced at Punchestown in April and has also won at Sedgefield, is another contender whose form suggests he could be competitive if returning to his best.
2.47 and other Fontwell notes
- The 2.47 features Tapley and Jet Smart in what looks to be a tactical clash.
- At 3.22, Causing Problems makes his first start over hurdles for Dan Skelton, having been rated on the Flat.
4.55 Southwell – Shipbourne among the likely favourites
The attheraces.com/marketmovers Handicap at Southwell brings together a competitive ten-strong field headed by Shipbourne. By Frankel out of Special Duty, Shipbourne was progressive earlier in the season after winning on reappearance at Doncaster, but has since produced two disappointing efforts. This is his second start since a recent gelding operation and connections will be hoping for a return to the improvement he showed earlier in the campaign.
Londoner comes here following a narrow second at Wolverhampton and has been raised two pounds for that run. Politely is another to note: she arrives with two wins from her last four starts and produced a solid performance in a strong Ascot event on her penultimate run, a form reference that makes her of particular interest on this card.
Later Southwell action
- 4.20 – Flight Tracker seeks a first career victory, with Shadwell represented in the line-up.
- 5.20 – A tactical contest between Duke’s Command and Hot And Cold is expected.
- 6.30 – Previous winners Handle With Care and Afraj are set to meet again.
- 7.30 – Edwardtheninth will carry a seven-pound penalty.
Why these cards matter to festivalgoers
Although the meetings at Fontwell and Southwell are provincial fixtures, they provide useful pointers to form ahead of the bigger summer and autumn meetings. Horses such as Politely, who have already shown they can run respectably at Ascot, carry form that is directly relevant to festival handicaps and pattern races later in the season. Similarly, runners returning from recent wind surgery or gelding operations can re-emerge as improvers whose subsequent progress will be followed closely by trainers and owners with festival targets in mind.
With a mix of emerging handicappers, returning performers and experienced contesters on both cards, Tuesday’s action should produce a number of informative results for connections planning ahead for the season’s feature meetings.
This article may have been prepared in whole or in part with the assistance of artificial intelligence.
