Glimpse of Gala can see way to victory in Fontwell Park’s Southern National

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Fontwell Racecourse is gearing up for one of its biggest days of the year this weekend – the Sussex track hosts the Southern National Handicap Chase on Sunday.

The big race is part of a seven-race card this weekend and is the midway point of the meeting on Sunday with the three mile and three furlong contest set for the off at 2.05pm.

Read below to find a full preview of the Southern National at Fontwell, plus a 1-2-3 prediction for the big race, courtesy of Sporting Life.

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As it stands, nine runners have been declared for the Southern National, with the going set to be good for the race which will see the nine-runner field tackle 21 fences around the Sussex track.

They race at Fontwell on Sunday afternoon - when the highlight will be the Southern National | Picture: Clive BennettThey race at Fontwell on Sunday afternoon - when the highlight will be the Southern National | Picture: Clive Bennett
They race at Fontwell on Sunday afternoon - when the highlight will be the Southern National | Picture: Clive Bennett

Glimpse Of Gala, a dual hurdles winner in 2022/23, made a promising start over fences when runner-up at Worcester 12 months ago before a return to the smaller fences, though that didn’t quite go to plan. Sent chasing again by trainer Charlie Longsdon, she was another second in that same race 12 months later, just last month, and this step up in trip should suit her and her opening mark looks very fair so, on paper, she is the one to beat here with jockey Lily Pinchin on board.

The biggest threat of the field is likely to arrive from Roll With It, trained by Peter and Michael Bowen. This eight-year-old has improved plenty for his new yard this season, a ten-length winner at Worcester in September and a solid third at Wetherby a fortnight back, shaping as though this marathon trip will be right up his alley.

Hauraki Gulf for the Deborah Cole team can round out the top three. Twice a winner in handicaps last season, the nine-year-old shaped as if back in good form when landing a runner-up finish at Newton Abbot in May and posted some decent efforts over hurdles this Autumn - another runner stepping up to a longer trip this weekend which can work in their favour.

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Trainer Phillip Hobbs has Musical Slave entered for the National, a useful sort at his best that took advantage of a reduced mark when landing a three-mile handicap chase at this track 44 days ago when last seen so can very much make his presence felt, while the in-form Joe Tizzard yard is represented by Whydah Gally, who shaped well after seven months off when finishing second at Plumpton seven weeks ago, though err on the side of caution as that was a fairly wide-margin defeat.

River Tyne for the Nick Gifford team opened her account when landing a handicap chase here and followed up at this track last month so arrives to the National on a hat-trick but the weights are not in her favour so could find it tough to complete the hat-trick, while Unanswered Prayers and Feivel have had a mixed record in recent weeks though with Unanswered Prayers, the Chris Gordon yard has hit some form but the eight-year-old will need to improve from an eighth on return at Cheltenham though that was in a higher grade than this.

Finally, the field is rounded out by Saint Xavier for the Richard Hobson team, a useful handicap chaser at his best but had little to no impact in his two starts in 2023/24 and makes a seasonal return here after 11 months off so is perhaps given just a watching brief on his comeback.

Southern National 1-2-3 prediction

Glimpse Of Gala

Roll With It

Hauraki Gulf

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