Horse Racing Preview – Catterick, Nottingham and Fontwell – 12th April 2017
Our horse racing preview on the 12th April 2017 comes from 3 meetings, Catterick, Nottingham and Fontwell with 5 selections across the cards.
14.00 Catterick – Flat Season Starts Today Handicap (5f) (0-60)
I must be insane to get involved in this type of low graded handicaps at the beginning of the season, but one has stood out for me in the race in the Daniel Kubler trained filly Dixies Double in today’s horse racing preview. She has been competing on the all-weather this year and she has shown no signs that a win will be imminent, but she did win her maiden on turf at Lingfield as a juvenile when beating Acertwo who went on to win three all-weather contests at the backend of last season and commands a rating currently of 79. The daughter of Multiplex looks very exposed, but as do many of these in the race and I would like to think now returning to turf with a drop of 10lb on last years mark, she for me has to come Into the equation, only negative is that she is badly drawn in stall 13.
Drawn beside her is the Frankel filly Wishing Time, trained by leading Northern trainer David O’Meara. She has to be feared alone from her pedigree status. With three runs on the all-weather this year she should be good enough to exploit her current mark of 58 now coming into handicap company for the first time. Her third at Wolverhampton twelve days ago has seen her progress nicely and she is not exposed as most in this race. Best of the rest looks to come in Karen Tutty’s Jorvik Prince who won on the all-weather last year at Chelmsford when fending off 69 rated Ninety Years Young who has not found any form since being stepped up in trip.
DIXIES DOUBLE : 1pt each way @ 11/1 (BOG)
14.30 Catterick – Nags Head Supports Catterick Champions Awards Handicap (13.8f) (0-75)
You would have thought I would of learnt my lesson putting one up in the first race, but these handicap races are not that great and typically there are good bets to find. I am drawn to Kevin Ryan’s four-year-old here in Kajaki. He has gone well fresh when coming off a break when starting his 2016 campaign when finishing third at Beverley in a 0-70 contest. He was beaten four and a half lengths that afternoon over the 9.9f trip. He was stepped up two furlongs to 11.9f when finishing runner up at Haydock park.
Looking at his Haydock run that day you could see he was screaming out for a test of stamina, duly enough he was stepped up to 14f where he ran well again finishing third in a 0-85 contest. He equipped himself well that afternoon finishing behind two entries that were rated 6lb higher. His consistency continued throughout the season and got his reward when winning a 0-80 contest on his return to Haydock Park.
The fourth place finisher that day was Tartan Bute who has come on a lot this year notching up a treble of wins on the all-weather and now has a rating of around 85. He finished the season off being placed off a mark of 71 at Ripon when going behind by just over a length. He starts the season off a reasonable mark of 71, which would put him around 5-7lb well in on his old form from last year and looks a good each way price.
Two others that have been consistent is Alan Swinbank’s Go George Go who should have won at Wolverhampton four days ago. He was beaten by a horse that was rated 14lb beneath him, his turf form is questionable from last year and has been more alight on the all-weather.
The other is Tim Easterby’s Surround Sound who had been running well prior to his win twelve days on the all-weather at Wolverhampton. He has been beaten on two attempts at this trip and looked more effective over 12f last season, unless he has found a new lease of life to get this index I think he is vulnerable on turf.
KAJAKI : 1pt each way @ 8/1 (BOG)
14.50 Nottingham – totequadpot Insure Your Placepot Last Four Conditions Stakes (5.1f)
Smokey Lane and Major Jumbo look the best improvers in this race along with the selection Kyllang Rock. The latter has been in excellent form showing his speed when landing a 0-85 handicap at Wolverhampton back in February when beating a horse called Blitz who runs in the race prior. The form line through Wild Approach whom he beat by four and a half lengths that day at Wolverhampton could be interesting come this race if the sixth-place horse Dixies Double runs well at Catterick today.
The obvious danger does look to be Smokey Lane who won a conditions stakes last year at Salisbury when beating Eqtiraan who went on to finish fourth a few days ago in the Listed International trial stakes. His third in the Listed Julia Graves Roses Stakes was creditable when just over four lengths behind Big Time Baby of Tom Dascombe’s and back in fourth was Sutter County who has started his 2017 campaign with three place runs and a win on the all-weather.
Something went a miss when competing in the Listed Rokingham Stakes at York last year when only managing eighth behind Sir Dancealot. The eye catching booking of Ryan Moore looks significant, the jockey was struggling to ride a turf winner recently, but notched up a good double at Windsor on Monday and is off the mark for the season. Dazacam finished behind Major Jumbo to four lengths at Wolverhampton back in February when giving 4lb at the weights, he will get 5lb this time around and has to make up significant ground on the likely inform favourite here, but Paul Hanagan is an interesting booking.
James Tate’s Kyllang Rock won his maiden at Windsor last year when beating a horse called Fabric of Richard Hannon’s. He lost his way slightly over the summer when finishing sixth in the Molecomb Stakes and six lengths behind Smokey Lane from their Listed York encounter. He bounced back when taking a Novices contest at Catterick and was just denied on his last start at Haydock park when behind 88 rated Merry Banter when giving 7lb to the winner for a neck defeat. Kyllang Rock gets 2lb back this afternoon and with the ground coming up quick and the fact that Martin Harley takes the ride once more stands volumes for me and is my selection in today’s 14.50 horse racing preview.
KYLLANG ROCK : 2pt Win @ 5/2 (BOG)
15.20 Nottingham – totepool Barry Hills Further Flight Stakes (Listed) (14.1f)
Ralph Beckett’s string are in blistering form and I would expect his daughter of Dalakhani to proceed where she left off last season when landing the Listed Grand Cup at York. Her run of five wins started at Newmarket when she landed a 0-90 handicap, that form was subsequently franked when the runner up More Mischief went on to win a 0-85 handicap. She went on to Kempton and blew her opposition away by four and half lengths in a 0-105 handicap.
More was still to come from her when once more she thrashed her adversaries at Wolverhampton in a conditions contest over 16.5f commanding a rating of 104. She beat a good field when landing the All-Weather marathon championship contest when beating Charlie Appleby’s conditions winner Anglophile by half a length. Her final season run came at York when beating Quest For More who went on to finish runner up in the Doncaster Cup and Long Distance Cup, but had already won the Prix Du Cadran.
She looks a serious stayer for team Beckett this year who should be picking up a few nice purses over the marathon pattern races this season. Hugo Palmer’s Wall of Fire has form with Quest For More who he beat this year in Dubai by five lengths in the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup.
His form last year saw him bag the Melrose Stakes, whom he beat Grade 2 Adonis hurdle winner Master Blueyes. He kept that run flowing when going to Doncaster to land the Mallard Stakes when fending off Rose Bowl runner up Seamour. Hugo Palmer has creditable form when having only one runner at this meeting, but having to give 2lb to the prolific mare of Ralph Beckett’s could be too much, but never the less, Wall of Fire is dropping back to 14f this afternoon which is going to be more beneficial over his rival who would prefer 16f.
It’s a hard one to call, Moonrise Landing is having her first run of the season, the trip though could be just on the sharp side for her on re-appearance with no doubt marathon trips on the connections minds, so this could go to Hugo Palmers Wall of Fire now dropping back to 14f this afternoon despite having to give 2lb away at the weights
WALL OF FIRE : 3pts win @ 13/8 (BOG)
15.40 Fontwell Park – Star Sports The Gentleman’s Bookmaker Chase (25.5f)
Johnny Farrelly’s Finish The Story has dropped back to a reasonable mark this afternoon to really get involved in this open contest. The eleven-year-old won on his first start of 2017 which came at Southwell over today’s trip. He won convincingly that day by eight lengths under today’s pilot Brendan Powell. His runs in February and March have also been consistent enough over longer trips. Even though he was thrashed in the Surrey National at Lingfield park that was over the marathon trip of 28f.
Again, he ran well when finishing fourth in a 0-100 handicap chase, he was a long way back that day over the 25.7f trip. Today’s trip is no different, but there are more exposed types in this race to suggest he can run well again. The likely danger looks to come from the recent Warwick scorer Bandon Bridge who was seen winning over 24f last time. Since being stepped up in trip he has become a versatile opposition for Katy Price. Gavin Sheehan has partnered the horse on both starts recently and will so again this afternoon.
FINISH THE STORY : 1pt each way @ 10/1 (BOG)
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