Southwell, Tuesday 9 June 2026: Tips and Selections

Southwell, Tuesday 9 June 2026: Tips and Selections

A seven-race card at Southwell on good ground, with showers forecast. Nothing glamorous on paper, but there are three races worth getting involved in and a couple of angles the market may have undervalued. Trainer stats at this course are worth leaning on: T Ellis posts a 30% strike rate with an A/E of 1.34, and Lawney Hill runs at 19% with an A/E of 1.31. James Owen clocks 24%. Jockey-wise, Jack Andrews’ 21% strike rate here comes with a healthy A/E of 1.29.

2:30 Handicap Chase (3m½f)

Selection: Huckleberry Sting Each-Way at 9/4 (Boyle Sports, Betfred, LiveScore Bet)

The angle here is the combination of trainer and jockey. T Ellis fires at 30% at Southwell with an A/E of 1.34, meaning the yard punches well above its weight at this track. Jack Andrews, who is in the saddle, posts a 21% course win rate with an A/E of 1.29. That pairing does not come together often enough for the market to price it properly.

More importantly, the form reading on Huckleberry Sting is kinder than his last run suggests. He came here last month and got towed along by a front-runner who stole a march, and his jumping errors late on inflated the winning margin. The race before that, at Bangor in April, he won over 3m fences by five lengths. He is a low-mileage seven-year-old who is still learning his job, and this trip suits him far better than anything shorter. The biggest knock on him is that he races freely, but on this going in a nine-runner handicap, there should be enough pace to settle him.

No More No is the other one with an obvious chance, a C&D winner who goes well fresh, but 13lb higher than when he last ran here is a serious chunk of weight to absorb returning from a 13-month absence. Huckleberry Sting, fit and unexposed at the trip, looks the right side of the market.

3:30 Novices’ Handicap Chase (2m4½f)

Selection: Cher Monsieur at 4/5 (Boyle Sports, Betfred, LiveScore Bet)

Four runners, so no each-way case here. Cher Monsieur is a short price but the race sets up well enough to back him at odds-on without much hesitation.

He won over hurdles earlier this year and built on a promising chase debut by landing a four-runner contest at Plumpton over 2m4f on good ground just a fortnight ago. He is only 3lb higher here. Neil Mulholland’s yard has been in decent nick with a 3/11 return in the last 14 days. The tongue-tie is new, but that is a minor query rather than a concern.

Nazare was disappointing on his chasing debut at Ludlow last month, well held in third, and comes here with more to prove. Manowest makes his chasing bow with a point-to-point win to his name and is certainly interesting at 4/1, but Sean Bowen sticking with Manowest over the Olly Murphy-trained runner is curious given Bowen’s personal numbers at this course. Thank You Hill completed a hurdles hat-trick but his completion rate over fences is a liability and his form tailed off badly towards the end of last season. Cher Monsieur is a confident if short-priced selection.

4:00 Maiden Hurdle (2m4½f)

Selection: Manalishi at 9/4 (Betfred)

Nine runners, but the race effectively revolves around three horses: Manalishi, Hawk’s Rock, and Who’s Glen. The market has them rightly separated from the rest.

Manalishi is placed on all three hurdling starts, including a clear second of eight at Uttoxeter over 2m4f on good ground last month. He ran on the premises in a bumper on debut a year ago, and Richard Phillips’ horse has been consistent throughout. The form is the most straightforward of the principals.

Hawk’s Rock is the Irish raider who has shown promise in two starts in cheekpieces, latterly fourth at Cartmel, but the jumping errors are a concern in a race he needs to win rather than merely place in. Who’s Glen ran in a valuable Flat handicap last month, which tells you something about Donald McCain’s thinking, and McCain is a competent jumps trainer but his 14-day strike rate of 1/7 is lukewarm. Who’s Glen has been competitive over hurdles but not convincingly so.

Manalishi’s consistency and proven form on today’s good ground makes him the standout at a decent each-way price to boot.

Today’s NAP

Huckleberry Sting — Handicap Chase (2:30, Southwell)
Odds: 9/4 — Boyle Sports (others: 9/4 Betfred, 9/4 LiveScore Bet)

The T Ellis and Jack Andrews combination is the key angle, two of the strongest course statistics on the card working in concert. Huckleberry Sting is a lightly-raced seven-year-old whose Bangor win on good ground over 3m fences in April showed real ability, and the run here last month was distorted by a front-runner who got away from him combined with late jumping errors. Today he faces rivals with more exposed limitations, and the step back to good ground suits. At 9/4 in a nine-runner handicap, there is genuine each-way value, but this is the NAP because the whole package points to a bold show.

Each-Way Recommended 3 places at 1/5 odds