There was the prospect of significant rain across much of
Britain on Wednesday but the forecast for Perth suggests the track will miss
much of that rain and the ground should be a mixture of good and good to soft
for today's nine-race card.
In the opener The Composeur (1.10) encountered good ground
once last term and that resulted in an emphatic Huntingdon success back in
February – albeit from a 10lbs higher mark. He was bogged down in the Catterick
mud on his most recent start later in the month, but this winning pointer has
more to offer this term especially when turning his attentions to fences later
in the season.
Nigel Twiston-Davies has a good record at this meeting and
his Milanstorm and top-weight Always Tipsy are considered the main dangers in a
competitive three mile handicap hurdle.
Not That Fuisse will appreciate the underfoot conditions but
barely gets two-and-a-half miles and the two to concentrate on in the Novice
Chase look to be Saglawy – having his first start over jumps for Paul Nicholls
– and Redford (2.15) with preference for the latter a Grade 2 winner over
hurdles.
The selection will appreciate further in time and the
Twiston-Davies stable have saddled the winner of the corresponding race three
times in the last four years and six times in the last decade with horses of
the calibre of Double Ross, Ballyandy and Wholestone.
Stoner's Choice is likely to be all the rage in the Novice
Hurdle having finished second here at Perth last month when he failed to jump
with any fluency. He looks sure to have been extensively schooled by Fergal
O'Brien in the interim period, but I was taken with Copperless (3.25) on his
racecourse debut when third in a Lingfield – polytrack – Bumper back in
November. Olly Murphy has given his charge a wind operation for his first start
over hurdles, but he is related to a number of winners over timber and is a
fascinating newcomer.
Plenty of rain forecast for Pontefract on Wednesday and
top-weight Soft Whisper (1.30) can take the fillies' nursery despite a 6lbs
rise for scoring at Salisbury last time. That success was her first start over
a mile and she also appreciated the good to soft ground. The Saeed bin Suroor
team are in good form and jockey Kevin Stott is fast becoming the stable's
go-to jockey in the north.
Not So Sleepy improved over hurdles last winter and returns
from a six-month break in the mile-and-a-half handicap. This looks a suitable steppingstone
for another crack at the Cesarewitch next race – a race he finished fourth in
last year.
He must go close and it will be interesting to see if Graham
Lee makes the running on the eight-year-old but he faces a tough nut to crack
courtesy of the inform Dark Jedi (2.40) who has improved for the step up in
trip beyond 10f in recent starts.
The selection has been raised another 3lbs for finishing
runner up at Haydock over 1m 6f last time, but the forecast rain will help, and
he has improved in leaps and bounds since joining the yard of Tim Easterby.
The ITV cameras are at Newmarket for the first day of their
Cambridgeshire meeting. The race that La Barrosa (3.00) won at Ascot usually
throws up a good winner rather than a potential star, but I was very impressed
with that debut success with the runner up – Derab – being a Sea The Stars
half-brother to Enable. Both look exciting prospects and I hope to see the
Charlie Appleby trained colt maintain his unbeaten record in the Gp 3
Tattersalls Stakes.
King Ragnar can race from the same mark as when runner up at
Yarmouth last week although he has been raised by 2lbs in the weights from
Saturday. Roger Varian again takes 5lbs from his back with leading apprentice
Ray Dawson, but I am keen on First Winter (4.45) and hope it's a good day for
the Appleby yard.
The selection is 3lbs higher than when scoring at Sandown
last time and that form has been franked by the subsequent victories of the
second and third. I am hopeful that a draw out on the wing in stall eight is
not an inconvenience.
