Horse Racing: Fathsta hard to oppose after switch to Newmarket renews appetite

DAVID SIMCOCK has done an excellent job since taking care of Fathsta and can add a valuable pot to his haul with victory in the Betdaq The Betting Exchange "Super 7" Handicap on the televised card at Lingfield.

The gelding, formerly trained by David Nicholls, was distinctly useful in his younger days and has shown renewed appetite for the game after switching fromnorth Yorkshire to Newmarket.

That culminated last time out in a cosy success at Kempton, which was deserved compensation for an unlucky effort at the same venue prior to that.

He has gone up 5lb to a mark of 88 which is not overly harsh and still leaves him well handicapped on his old form, so Simcock has sought to negate that with the booking of jockey Martin Lane who can claim 3lb.

With winning form in the book at this Surrey circuit, he again looks something to bet on.

Beauchamp Viceroy is the one to be with in the betdaq.co.uk Conditions Stakes. Gerard Butler's charge cut out the pace as the apparent stable second string in the Listed Churchill Stakes here but actually kept going to good effect when passed and stuck on for fourth.

That was a career-best and a significant improvement on what he had shown previously, although he did come into it on the back of a win in handicap company at Kempton, a run which must have done wonders for his confidence. He does have something to find on official figures but he can step up again now he is going the right way.

Billie Jean should be popular in the Bet African Nations Cup – Betdaq Handicap.

Given she is a half-sister to 2000 Guineas winner Cockney Rebel, the Barry Hills team will have been delighted to see the Bertolini filly break her duck on her handicap bow after three runs in maidens.

She did it with a fair bit of style and is still open to plenty of improvement.

Tiddliwinks is in rare old form for Kevin Ryan and is capable of landing a swift hat-trick in the 2for1dogs.com – Go Greyhound Racing For 1 Handicap at Kempton, which is the only other meeting to survive in Britain or Ireland.

The Piccolo gelding defied a 7lb hike to win over course and distance on Sunday, and the presence of Ryan's daughter Amy taking 5lb off his back is handy given the 6lb penalty for that latest win.