Exciting line-up at Southwell’s Thursday meeting

The valuable Class 2 handicap on the card being run over 11 furlongs and provisionally programmed for 3.50 features some of the very best stayers on Fibresand in the country at the early entry stage.

For a start, Masterful Act looks set to take his chance for local trainer Alan McCabe and has a record of five from six under Flat rules at the track with another win and defeat in jumpers bumpers to tally a total of 6/8. He must be feared by all should he run.

Frontier Fighter, trained by the ever versatile David O’Meara has a fantastic record on Fibresand, and whenever he gets beaten, it is usually by Dubai Hills who is one of the best on Fibresand in history. The trip of 11 furlongs could be a slight stumbling block for him, however, as all his best form is at a mile.

Blue Wave is another right at the top of the weights who is very progressive and is trained by Mark Johnston, a leading trainer at the course who is having yet another good winter teaming up with stable jockey Joe Fanning.

Mick Appleby has a couple of entrants to choose from, with The Lock Master, Staff Sergeant and the mare Dewala all possibilities for a stable who have improved leaps and bounds over the past couple of seasons since moving to a new base at Danethorpe near Newark.

The final horse to mention is Gogeo from the Alan Swinbank yard, and this horse has won twice lately at Southwell on the Fibresand, once on the Flat and the other, a very smooth and easy victory in a jumpers bumper.

He only has eight stone to carry and receives an awful lot of weight from the likes of Masterful Act and Blue Wave, which makes him look very attractive at the weights.

There is also a good 0-85 handicap over a mile and a half (12 furlongs) in which Gogeo is also entered together with Noguchi, another easy winner there last week who looks set to run with a penalty for trainer George Margarson.