Southwell (AW) 4:25 Result

Roi de Coeur carries top weight on merit with the highest OR (70) in the field, and his recent form figures 765125 show he's progressive and just won last time out, clearly building into this. Marco Botti is a shrewd handler and Ghiani takes the ride, suggesting stable confidence. He's the class horse here on ratings and his last-time-out win shows he's crying out to follow up quickly off a similar mark. The outside draw (9) at Southwell over a mile is not a major concern as the track allows horses to settle and races are often run at a sensible pace, meaning gate speed isn't paramount. Rivals like Taradif and Boy Named Sioux are unproven at a comparable level, while Ballybunion and Jackabi have holes in their recent efforts. Roi de Coeur's rating advantage and improving profile make him the most solid, professional type in this field, and he looks the horse to beat purely on what he's shown, not just market status.