Horse Racing Tips: Williams Charge Well Fancied

Despite Ffos Las falling foul of the weather, we still have four cracking fixtures to get stuck into. Lingfield, Newbury, Dundalk and Newcastle are the courses where racing will take place, so let's get cracking with the Naps, Stats and racing news as March begins...

Follow The Leaders

There is now less than a pound separating the experts atop the Naps table, with a poor run of form from Spotlight coinciding with a West Country resurgence. Spotlight still hold top spot and their Nap of the day is one of the most popular picks on the cards today, ISSAR D'AIRY for Gary Moore in the 15:00 at Newbury. Sadly, as I was writing this article the horse has been declared a non-runner. This means Spotlight and three others will not have any movement in their P&L on the Naps table, so if West Country's Nap SOLDIER OF THE STORM wins at 13:50 at the same track.

This horse for Venetia Williams won his maiden easily at Warwick but then lost his way a touch, finishing down the field a few times. That was all put behind him when back on the winning trail last time out at Hereford, and despite a decent rise in the weights if he is in that form again here he could be the one to beat. The Punt are in third place and wait for later in the afternoon at Lingfield, in the 16:57. MCLEAN STORM . This mile handicap on the flat looks a competitive affair, but Andrew Balding's charge with Oisin Murphy booked for the ride has leading claims on the back of wins here over both seven furlongs and a mile. Despite a five pound penalty, he is in rude health and looks one of the better bets on the card.

1. Spotlight - Issar d'Airy - 15:00 Newbury - P&L:: £10.38
2. West Country - Soldier Of The Storm - 13:50 Newbury - P&L: £9.61
3. The Punt - McLean House - 16:57 Lingfield - P&L: £6.70

Friday's Most Popular Naps

Just one horse (that is now not a non-runner) has four votes as the Nap today, DENMAT for Venetia Williams in the 16:10 at Newbury. He had a massive lay off of almost three years, but proved the break had done him no harm with an easy win on soft at Ludlow a month ago. The handicapper has taken a dim view of that win and given him a huge 10lbs rise to deal with, and as such he is one of the day's big drifters. That has not stopped four experts, including Lee Sobot of the YEP, from making him their best chance of a winner on the day.

A couple more horses have been Napped by three experts, with both at Lingfield and the first in the 14:37 - PHOTOSYNTHESIS. Tom Clover's charge is proving popular in the market today and with Luke Morris booked, he looks to have an outstanding chance of adding to his C&D handicap win in January. Veteran sprinter SILKY WILKIE is also proving popular in the 15:12 at Lingfield at a very tasty looking price. He has the perfect draw here and while he has not won in a while, on his best form he is weighted for glory and today could well be the day.

Stats The Way We Like It

RYAN MOORE has a phenomenal hit-rate at Dundalk of late, with 7 wins from 11 meaning Ballydoyle's top jock is top of our course form jockey table. Can he enhance his 63% success rate today aboard Henry Adams, the odds on shot in the 19:15?