It looks more a case of quantity over quality at Southwell on Thursday, but the races are competitive enough.

The feature handicaps are the two divisions of the 0-80 contest over 6f and although the first leg at 8.00 looks a bit tricky, I do like the look of STANLEY SPENCER in the second at 8.30. Fionn McSharry’s gelding has shown little in his four starts on turf since joining this yard, but given he has finished unplaced in all seven outings on grass it’s not hard to forgive those performances. It’s a different story on the AW, though, with four wins (including two over course and distance) and eight placings from 22 attempts, while he has dropped 5lb lower than when runner-up on his final outing for James Tate here in April.

EVERYONEKNOWSADAVE makes plenty of appeal in the 0-75 handicap over 1m3f at 5.30. Jessica Macey’s gelding hasn’t been at his best on turf in his last two starts, but he only lost out by a short head here in August and is back off the same mark as for that performance. He had the reopposing Golspie 4l back in fourth that day and meets him on the same terms.

FILLY EILISH looks good for the 0-70 fillies’ handicap over 1m at 6.00. Ivan Furtado’s 3yo finished out of the frame in her next two starts at this venue after winning over course and distance in July, but it’s possible to forgive those efforts given that on each occasion she made her challenge on the unfavoured part of the track. A narrow defeat at Musselburgh ten days ago shows that she remains in good order and she is already due to go up 2lb for that performance from Saturday.

IZZARI looks the one to be on in the 0-75 handicap over the same trip at 6.30. Iain Jardine’s gelding has won two of his last three starts, both victories coming over course and distance, in the process taking his record under today’s rider Cara Tuke to 62141. He has been shoved up a whopping 9lb for his latest success here 12 days ago, but that still may not stop him given he scored by over 4l and the runner-up went one better at Newcastle on Tuesday. David Bellingham