David Massey has horses to keep an eye on at Cartmel, Newton Abbot and Market Rasen this week.
After a week off, mainly because there wasn’t much to write up about, Away From The Spotlight returns along with Cartmel, one of my favourite tracks. I’ve been a couple of times in my racing career and will no doubt make it three in the coming seasons, but if you haven’t been, you should go. The word “unique” is much overused in the English vocabulary (see also “legend”) but it does apply to Cartmel, a lovely little village that you already know most things about because commentator David Fitzgerald names them as they whizz around the bends. And yes, sticky toffee puddings. It’s the law.
It’s very much a specialist’s track too, the tight turns keeping those that need a bit of chivvying more interested than would normally be the case, and sticking with proven course form is no bad place to start.
On Wednesday we have a lovely seller to have a look at at 18:38. Lizzie Quinlan has a couple going and Restandbethankful would have definite chances on his close fourth here last year, and keep an eye on Mr Rumbalicious for King Of Cartmel™ Jimmy Moffatt if the hood goes back on. He’s also got Mojo Ego entered up here and a couple of placed efforts at the track last season bring him into the equation too.
Caughtinyourtrance (20:08) was put up as a Horse to Follow on one of our Trackside columns a bit ago after a really good effort at Uttoxeter in March, and a subsequent poor showing at Ayr can be put down to the tacky ground. He ran a cracker here on Saturday, finding only Ki Woo too good, and as long as he’s over that, this looks a really good opportunity.
Also on Wednesday, and one at Newton Abbot worth a mention before we go back to the Lake District is Georges Street in the novices handicap chase at 15:23. This will be his first try over fences under Rules (was placed in a point) and I thought he shaped okay on her first try back with Harry Ryall at Warwick (Harry had him as a pointer, then he went to Claire Hitch, but is now back with Harry) where he chased a furious pace and paid for it late, fading right out of things, but did travel well to a point and a drop back in trip here is no bad thing. He’s on a basement mark for his chasing debut and wouldn’t need to be a star to take a hand in a race that won’t take any winning.
Spoilt for choice Thursday with both Worcester and Market Rasen on, but the chances are I’ll head up the A46 to Rasen to enjoy the evening sunshine and try and find a winner there. Play By The Rules looks one of immediate interest in the handicap chase at 18:30, another that’s moved from Nigel Hawke to Adam Nicol (if you’ve not worked out that Adam clearly knows what he’s doing, then you’re doing it wrong) and I expect improvement from him sooner than later. He shaped with plenty of promise after a long absence at Newcastle in March and was brought down at Hexham last time; there are races to be won with him off his mark.
Have a good week!
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