Catterick Racecourse presents its latest Flat card on Wednesday afternoon, complete with six races featuring an amateur jockeys’ handicap, a two-year-olds’ novice and four further handicaps.
The racing experts at Betano, who offer the latest horse racing betting, have cast their eye over the Catterick card and below is a full preview of Wednesday’s meeting.
Up first is the amateur jockeys’ handicap, run over a mile and half (2.30). Sam England’s Made All has finished second on his last three starts – beaten favourite on all occasions – and the team will be hoping he can go one better today under Rebecca Hitchen. As a course and distance winner on comparable ground, he should have few excuses, save that he is seven pounds higher in the handicap today which may make this difficult. Micky Hammond’s Irv has been quietly improving this season though and, while he is lowest in the handicap, might be ready to win today.
Race two is a six-furlong two-year-olds’ nursery handicap (3.00). Ocean Pie, Woody Y Fernandez and Maasai Mata make their handicap debuts, while Shetakesthegold and Gillali Lass both seek to go one better than in their first handicaps, in which they both placed close seconds. With the innermost draw and course form from last time, Gillali Lass looks the most likely to do so for trainer David O’Meara, who looks for his 70th winner at Catterick today.
We stay with the two-year-olds for race three; a five-furlong restricted novice (3.30). Richard Fahey’s Brimfulofattitude is the only newcomer in the field of nine, already with a seven-pound claimer aboard, which doesn’t suggest great confidence. Jack Morland’s Miss Yechance, wearing a hood for the first time here, won her debut at Redcar but was outclassed when next seen in the Group Two Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot, so this will be more her pace. With the form of her initial win not working out very strongly, though, it might pay to side with the untapped potential of Tenor’s Inn.
Next is a handicap over five furlongs (4.00). There is plenty of depth in this field of nine, with four of the runners having won at least one race already this season. Lady Bouquet has slipped to a tempting mark and is given the valuable five pounds of apprentice rider Warren Fentiman, so she could have a solid chance here. Irish Dancer is very consistent and also arrives with a workable mark. Ultimately, he looks the more likely of the two given the better form of his stable.
A six-furlong handicap follows (4.30), another race with plenty of depth despite a relatively small field of seven. Dothan, Megaphone, Ancient Times and Sir Garfield have all won a race or more this season, and this looks a tight contest. Megaphone, from the Newmarket stable of George Boughey, wears first time-blinkers, which could help him regain his novice winning form of the winter, but it is easier to make a case for the very consistent Ancient Times, whose trainer Harry Eustace is having an excellent season and will be hoping his gelding can get up to win again here.
Finally, a seven-furlong handicap concludes the afternoon’s racing (5.00). Tim Easterby’s Vince Le Prince sports some promising form from the last couple of months and, though he is back up to near his career high mark, he could run well here. Declan Carroll’s Willolarupi looks to have as good a chance, however, as he has the helpful innermost draw and is at a mark from which he is proven to perform.
