Good morning all,

I've been lucky enough to have been on course a couple of times in the past fortnight (and hopefully, I'm at Warwick tomorrow) and have spotted a few that need keeping an eye on over the next few months. They are on today's main piece, along with a selection from Southwell.

Tues 30th December, Market Rasen

12.45 – 2m 125yds Novice Hurdle

Not a bad lot on the whole in the paddock but there was a huge standout in terms of the future in the shape of Ben Pauling’s Quinta Do Mar.

He’s got some real class to him and fills the eye, very well put together, has a lovely topline and oozes class. I was really hoping that when the rug came off he’d be bang fit, as I was all for having a decent bet if he was, but I just thought he was a run short of peak fitness and that’s pretty much exactly how he ran.

A couple of slightly scrappy jumps early didn’t help his cause but that didn’t stop him from coming with what looked like a winning challenge from three out, trading under 2-1 in the run, before getting a bit tired after the last.

He, and the match-fit winner Across The Line, were up there throughout and I’d mark this effort up a bit. He was getting weight from the front two but he’ll know a lot more next time, and he should win an ordinary maiden no problem.

He’s a half-brother to the useful hurdler Flemcara, so a bit further is going to suit him, and he’s definitely one you want onside in the coming months.

Tuesday 12th January, Wetherby

12.30 – 2m Maiden Hurdle

Two worth a mention from the preliminaries, neither of whom finished in the front three, but are worth a mention for different reasons.

In the case of Mont Segur, who looks a chaser already, it’s a warning shot, as he was ridden very cold out the back here before coming with his challenge in the straight. However, that petered out pretty quickly and he was walking for the last 100yds. He hung badly at Uttoxeter last time too, and isn’t one to be backing at short prices.

For the spring, though, get Outlaw Jesse James in your trackers. A lovely, lengthy mare, with plenty of scope for the future, she was just about paddock best but a Betfair SP of 130 told you little was expected. She was sticking to it when others had had enough late on, but being a full sister to Flashing Glance (same connections), it’s likely she’s going to want genuine good ground to show her best. She’ll have a low mark to kick off with, so once the sun comes out and dries it all up, she’ll be of a lot more interest.

3.40 – 1m4½f Junior Bumper

I didn’t come to Wetherby expecting to see a future star, but I do wonder if I might have seen one with Tweed Skirt here.

She absolutely towered over the rest of them in the paddock, for a 4yo she already has a lot of size about her and is really well put together. She’ll continue to fill out at the back this year and I expect her to be a very useful mare, being a half-sister to the useful Petticoat Tails and Call To Order.

Still very green here, with Nico De Boinville showing her the whip a couple of times late to remind her of her job, I expect plenty of improvement on her next start.

Maroochi is quite small, probably not much more than 16 hands, but she kept trying all the way to the line. Her size might hold her back in the future, though.

Steel an Icon, giving a penalty away to the front pair, has probably improved on her Newbury debut win, and there are more races to be won with her.

Howzat Hiris was clueless from the moment she walked into the paddock – she reared up and spooked at something, no idea what, and in the circumstances, this fairly distant fourth probably isn’t the worst debut.

Over to Southwell tonight then, and as ever in the winter, low grade stuff. The opener at 4.30 looks wide open but in the hope a change of headgear, and dropping back to the right trip, might spark Muqarred back into life, I'll go with him. It may be he's simply had enough of slogging around Southwell this winter but the surafce should ride a bit quicker tonight, and on historic form he's vey well treated. A couple of efforts around here this winter have suggested he's not totally gone at the game, so he's worth a try tonight.

Today's selection – Muqarred (e/w 4 places) 4.30 Southwell.

Click here to Tweet this

Good luck with all your bets today,

David.