Quite like Gurkha Friend today. Gl

Good effort, mackies

William Carson not riding today?

Was he out celebrating his granddad's win last night?

They didn't go well yesterday, striding, but hey, today's another day!

Mind, a bit worried about the ground for Set To Fire, looks like it is on the soft side of good.

Amy Blair, 1pt win @ 8-1, 5.40 Southwell

Amy Blair's form improved  once stepped up in trip last season, causing a 50-1 shock at Hamilton over 8.5f (good) and proving it was no fluke by following up of a 5lb higher mark at the same course over 9f (heavy), each time racing keenly on the front end and winning unchallenged. It appeared he failed to stay when stepped up to 12.5f at Musselburgh on his final start of 2016, ending up well held having again gone keenly from the front.

He has run at Southwell once before, when reappearing off a break over 5f last February, and he wasn't without market support that day, going off at 11-4. He was beaten over 11 lengths, but I thought at the time the run wasn't without promise, not knocked about after becoming outpaced and noted hitting the line well.

He returns this season with his stable in very good form and winning with runners making their reappearances, and Amy Blair's free-going style may suit round here, now more experienced and trying a more suitable trip than when last seen at this track.

Ninepin Bowler, 2pts win @ 100-30, 2.35 Redcar

Ninepin Bowler might well have made a winning debut at Newcastle last month but for running green and as a consequence being denied a clear run at a crucial stage. This sizeable sort had caught the eye travelling strongly into contention and seemed to have plenty of running left in him at the line, despite having taken a quite a grip off a steady pace.

There wasn't much form to go on, though the winner had run respectably on his debut at Leopardstown last season (when trained by Jim Bolger), and the runner-up was a well backed debutant trained by James Tate.

The imponderable is the switch to turf, but there's no obvious reason on pedigree why he shouldn't be effective on it. A bit of a concern is that his dam was a maiden and his three siblings are all maidens and poor ones at that, but Ninepins Bowler left the impression at Newcastle that he does have ability and should be up to winning races.

Glorvina, 1pt win @ 8-1, 2.35 Redcar

I have to have a saver on Glorvina having notebooked her on debut at Beverley last season, when she finished off nicely after not having much luck in the run. She ran below market expectations on her only other start last season which came at Newcastle, but she didn't help herself by taking a grip and perhaps the surface wasn't ideal for her (though still ran OK in fourth, and the 77-rated runner-up subsequently bolted up in a maiden at the course).

The dam's side of her pedigree isn't short of stamina, so maybe handicaps over further will be the way forward after this third qualifying run, but the promise of that turf debut is not forgotten and a chance is taken for the minimum stake back on grass.

GL, George. First busy day for ages here, 5 entries

I've moved the market with Ninepin Bowler, out to 6-1 in a place

I'm having a mad e/w on Sandstream@ BFSP for no real reason gl ....

Good luck Virgin

drifty drifty for my two

2.6 in the run or NB, still looked green or is a bit iffy.

The other one kept on nicely on its third run for a mark.

It's all gone a bit pear shaped

Running Totals

P/L : +4.2

Win stat: 5/31 (16%)
Place stat: 11/31 (35%)

Points staked so far: 55

Correction  +3.2

sorry george

The bad news is that there is going to be a further selection today, very much on the speculative side, and I didn't put it up earlier as I was concerned about the forecast rain.

You'll be relieved to find out it's not, Virgin!

Extrasolar, 1pt EW @ 33-1, 4.55 Redcar

Unlike Wentworth Falls, Extrasolar hasn't thrived so far for the switch to Geoffrey Harker's yard, but I did think there were tentative signs on his latest start that he may be about to find some form, keeping on well towards the far side over 5f at Newcastle to not be beaten far despite finishing only 10th. The winner Art Collection has since bolted up in a higher grade, so being beaten just over 3l by that horse was no disgrace, albeit it was a crowd scene at the finish line.

This will be Extrasolar's first start on turf for his new trainer and his mark has fallen to 72, 10lb below his last winning mark and 9lb lower than when he was last seen on grass. It could be Extrasolar is regressing with age and a drop into 0-70 company will show him in a better light after another run or two, but he is obviously well handicapped on old form and three starts on the AW should have brought him to peak fitness for this return to turf.

Wentwrth Falls wins

Unlucky George no pictures  ....  supported a bit as well

And it was going so well...

Running Totals

P/L : +1.2

Win stat: 5/32 (16%)
Place stat: 11/32 (34%)

Points staked so far: 57