Horse racing tips: Soldier can prove his mettle

All eyes will be on the at Gowran - which is a cracking mid-week handicap as ever - but I will leave that one to and the team to find the winner of that 19-runner prize. Hopefully the calmer waters of may get me a winner on the board.

Tommy Cullen looked a certain future winner at this type of grade when he reappeared to finish second at last time and this race is certainly no stronger. 

That was the second time he had been placed in that particular race on Town Moor and the winner and fourth have gone on to win since, so it definitely looks strong form for the grade. 

That was the seven-year-old's first run for a year, but he's had a month to get over it should avoid the “bounce" factor.

Trainer has been running low-grade all-weather handicappers largely and at very big prices during the recent very cold spell, but he's managed a 16/1 winner and 25/1 runner-up and I think his horses have been in pretty good form recently. 

He looked likely to improve last winter and he can maintain his progress here.

Soldierofthestorm reappeared after a six-month absence just before Christmas over a trip that is definitely at least half a mile too short and that definitely looked like a tune-up effort. 

The handicapper has dropped him just 1lb for that, but every little helps and I definitely expect Soldierofthestorm to put up a much better performance with that run under his belt and now that he is upped in distance. 

Benjamin Macey, the conditional jockey for the O’Neill stable, rides well and his 7lb will help again.

The handicapper clearly believes this seven-year-old has the potential to win off this mark and, if things go right for him, I am inclined to agree. 

This is the fourth time that will run off a mark of 131, even though he has been beaten more than 25 lengths on two of those three prior runs and unseated his rider on the other occasion.

Champagne Twist was going well enough to be concerned in the finish when he unseated three from home at on his penultimate outing though and he jumped as if he wasn’t over that spill last time. 

Hopefully trainer will have worked on his confidence since then and he can resume the steep upward trajectory his form was on last season.