BLACKCURRENT should bear fruit for the third time this winter with a victory in the Betway Classified Stakes (1.00) at Southwell.
The Alan Brown six-year-old took advantage of a drop to a BHA rating of 47 to land a five-furlong handicap at Newcastle two weeks before Christmas.
Blackcurrent then dead-heated with Bernard Spierpoint for a classified stakes at Wolverhampton on January 7, before a neck defeat by Khulu in a similar event over this afternoon’s course and distance on his most recent start.
With a rating of 50, my selection is well in at the weights with most of his rivals here and another good account looks on the cards.
At Kempton Park, BANGERS AND CASH gets the vote to take his tally over fences to 2-2 with a win in the Every Race Live On Racing TV Novices' Handicap Chase (1.45).
Having finished second in three of his four attempts over hurdles, the Ben Pauling trainee switched to the larger obstacles at Taunton 43 days ago.
Fame And Glory’s son took well to the new discipline under Luca Morgan, beating Velasco by a length and a half.
A 4lb rise to a new mark of 119 looks within range for a horse capable of further progress, and the follow-up is on the cards.
Friday tips
SOUTHWELL
12.30 BRAZEN ARROW
1.00 BLACKCURRENT (NAP)
1.35 GOVERNMENT
2.10 PRINCE ABU
2.45 BOBBY ON THE BEAT
3.20 VIVA VOCE
3.55 DARK ENCHANTMENT
4.25 GLORIOUS CHARMER
KEMPTON PARK
1.10 LIME DROP
1.45 BANGERS AND CASH (NB)
2.20 CAP ST VINCENT
2.55 ELIXIR DE NUTZ
3.30 JUDEX LEFOU
4.05 SMARTY WILD
4.37 ABINGWORTH
BANGOR-ON-DEE
1.55 PORLOCK BAY
2.30 BEHIND THE LINES
3.05 FORTUNES MELODY
3.40 JOHN BETJEMAN
4.15 JUNGLE JACK
4.50 LOCH GARMAN ARIS
CHELMSFORD
4.45 FIDHA
5.15 CICELY
5.45 ALHAMMAAM
6.15 GRAND ALLIANCE
6.45 ALLARMISTA
7.15 FINERY
7.45 JEREMIAH JOHNSON
8.15 SURREY PRINCESS
