There are some competitive handicaps at Southwell on Monday, particularly the 0-80 contest over 7f at 7.25.

The course-and-distance winner Noodle Mission and Altmore are worth a second look, but despite not looking the most obvious on paper a chance is taken with MASTER RICHARD. Ann Duffield’s gelding is on a losing run of 20, but is 12lb lower than for his last win in May 2023 and significantly lower in the weights than when making the frame in three consecutive starts on Tapeta between August and November last year, including one around here. If the return to this surface reinvigorates him then he is certainly handicapped to take advantage.

DAYTONA LADY can take the 0-75 handicap over 6f at 8.00. Ruth Carr’s mare has been showing patchy form of late, but is 6lb lower than when beaten a neck over course and distance last November, 3lb below her last winning mark and just 1lb higher than when winning this race last year. She does like to come from off a strong pace and, looking at the opposition, she may well get it.

With the consistent Rubellite possibly needing the run after 111 days off on her debut for Richard Fahey, the 0-68 handicap over 1m6f at 8.30 can go to DESTINADO. James Owen’s gelding is gradually dropping back down the weights and is now just 2lb higher than for his latest success at Doncaster in March. Three of his ten wins have come around here, while he drops below 0-70 level for the first time since winning at Lingfield last November.

By its very nature the 0-62 handicap over 1m at 6.52 is a modest affair as it’s confined to horses that haven’t won a race in 2025, but even so EDEN STORM does appear to hold solid claims. Patrick Morris’s gelding made the frame in four consecutive starts off marks in the mid-60s on Tapeta earlier in the year, so is well treated off 57 if he can rediscover that sort of form. He certainly didn’t run at all badly when fifth of 13 over the extended 1m1f at Wolverhampton last time. David Bellingham