Southwell (AW) 5:00 Result

Classy Clarets' recent form line (511112) is outstanding - three wins from his last four starts including a 1-1-2 finish to his current sequence, showing he's in career-best form and fully progressive. Top-rated in the field on OR 70 (joint-top with Hierarchy and Marianne Mozart) but with much more consistent, in-form evidence to back it up - the others have patchy recent efforts (Hierarchy 934065, Marianne Mozart only 4 runs with a break). He's clearly finding this class/trip to his liking, won emphatically last twice from the evidence of the "1112" sequence, and the addition of headgear (hood) alongside a positive apprentice ride suggests the yard is pushing the right buttons. Draw 6 is workable at Southwell's tight AW 6f. Iain Jardine has a knack of placing sprint handicappers well and this looks like a horse still ahead of the assessor. The rest of the field is moderate: Jesse Luc and Hierarchy are out of sorts, Thunderous Love needs to prove she stays on top after a leggy campaign, Sole Spirit is interesting on old form but a 354-day absence is a big unknown, and Marianne Mozart, while bred well, has scanty and modest recent form. Classy Clarets looks the most solid, progressive, in-form runner with the profile to defy a workmanlike compressed handicap mark, and represents a fair without being an obvious market leader - he stands out as the one in-form horse with proven course-and-distance winning zest.