Ralph Beckett has his team in
excellent order as he showed when sending out a 1-2 in what looked a
competitive 3-y-o handicap at Lingfield a week ago. On that occasion the
unbeaten Foxtrot Jubilee landed a protracted gamble which saw him go off at a
remarkably short 4/9 on track. It wasn’t all one-way traffic, however, as
stablemate Fortinbrass pushed him
all the way to the line, with just a head between the pair when it counted.
They pulled 3½ lengths clear of a thriving rival there, and there is no doubt
that the form is solid. Fortinbrass is
turned out again in the 15:50 at Wolverhampton, and he can prove himself well
handicapped by scoring off the same mark as at Lingfield. The obvious danger is
Archie Stevens, who is on an upward curve himself, and wasn’t hard pressed to
beat Golden Flower over C&D on New Year’s Day. That rival regained the
winning thread over 5f here yesterday, which will make Tom Dascombe’s gelding a
popular choice, but it’s worth mentioning that Golden Flower is all speed, and
her failure to settle in front set things up perfectly for Archie Stevens last
time, and he’s arguably a little flattered by the ease of that success. Rene
Mathis is the other obvious player at the weights, but he’ll need to settle
better than he did when winning a C&D maiden last time if he’s to fulfil
his undoubted potential.
In the following contest, I was initially
keen on Invigilator, but that enthusiasm has evaporated to some degree after both
Colourbearer and Bitaphon, the pair he beat over C&D last time, failed to
advertise the form since the declarations for this contest were made. The
market will be very informative, as several of these have shaped as if capable
of leaving poor recent form behind, and both Fred Willetts and Khawatim have already attracted early
money. That pair were both better than the bare result when held up on their
most recent start, and appeal as very well treated on old form. There seems
certain to be a strong pace with Strong Man, Dancing Maite and Alive And
Kicking all having made the running last time, and several of the others tend
to race prominently. With Fred Willetts in a refitted visor today, it seems
likely that the patient tactics employed last time will be abandoned, and that
swings the pendulum in favour of Noel Quinlan’s charge, who has been held up in
recent starts. The selection showed decent form as a juvenile in France for
Jean-Claude Rouget, and has been dropping steadily down the handicap after a
series of poor runs for his current owners. He’s not stayed still for long,
though, and has already passed through the hands of Geoff Harker, Keith
Dalgleish and Paul Midgley before joining the Quinlan yard in September. He was
doing his best work late on over 5f at Lingfield last time, in a race where
those to the fore were seen to advantage, and the switch in trip and venue are
likely to show him in a completely different light today. For those who want to
find one at bigger odds, it’s more than possible that the reliable Dancing Welcome will be able to set
aside a couple of uncharacteristically laboured efforts now dropping back to
her last winning mark, and she’s another who is sure to be doing her best work
late.
Recommended Bets:
Back Fortinbrass in the 15:50 Wolverhampton @ [3.85] (NAP)
Back Khawatim in the 16:20 Wolverhampton
@ [4.8] (NB)
Back Dancing Welcome in the 16:20
Wolverhampton @ [27.0]
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