Away From The Spotlight: Horses to follow

By David Massey

Horse Racing

Mon February 23, 2026 · 4h ago

After three more winners in the latest column, David Massey is back with a look ahead at what's to come this week.

Winners last week included Senator at evens, Scottish King at 9/2 and Innisfree Lass at 9/2

Feet of clay

What moan would you like to hear about first? The dreadful foot pain I’ve had for the last few days, the £30 I've been stung for parking in the hotel this weekend or the fact it seems to have rained every morning for a month? Okay, the rain we’ve all had, I’ll give you that, but the parking fee seems excessive for two nights near Gatwick (I’m on the way to Fontwell as I write this, with a view to going to Plumpton Monday, but... that foot pain...) when the website doesn’t really give any indication you’re going to be getting the folding stuff out to merely park your car.

Anyway, the foot pain. Essentially the plantar fasciitis has got worse this week, causing some fluid on my heel and causing an early abandonment at Kempton on Saturday, so lame was I. It's a little better this morning, i.e, I can hobble quicker and easier, so if you catch sight of me doing my Long John Silver impression at Fontwell, you’ll know why. As long as there’s some pieces of eight for me, I’m sure I can put up with it.

By the way, I, along with everyone else, ought to mention Constitution Hill on Friday night at Southwell. What a great night. Honestly, don’t let anyone tell you the game is dying on its arse, not when we can put on a night like this. That roar when he hit the front will live long in the memory, almost as long as the payout queue I had on my joint afterwards. Superb, and the adrenalin of the evening even made me forget my foot was in absolute agony all night. And a mention for Clodagh and her friends, who have got into racing via Invades and have now been four times; they asked questions, had fun, had a bet (quite a few, actually) and were a joy to chat to. Like ‘em or not, Invades is doing a job in getting young people to come racing. And they have promised me they’ll come on a non-Invades day, too.

Warrior can bounce back

If - if - I go to Plumpton then there’s not a lot of runners to get stuck into. I mean, Mondo Man ought to win the opener at 13:30 with any amount in hand, but is that the sort of horse you want to get stuck into at odds-on in potentially deep ground? I’ll be looking at the pink side of the exchanges rather than the blue. I fancy Kalkaroo will follow up his Rasen win in the 14:00, and I can see Known Warrior doing better on his second run back after wind surgery in the 15:15.

He’s bred for fences and I thought it was a perfectly respectable first effort over fences here last time, weakening late on after looking a threat turning in. I take him to reverse form with third-placed Sanitiser here, and if he now realises that breathing isn’t going to hurt anymore, then he has a clear chance in a winnable race.

Junior Des Mottes probably only needs to repeat his Fakenham win to hold a good chance in the 0-95 handicap at 15:45, the refitting of cheekpieces seemed to do the trick and although the handicapper has put him up 7lb, that’s still only 2lb higher than his initial handicap mark, and it’ll be a surprise if he’s not good enough. And whilst there are more likely winners than Suzy Wood in the last at 16:45, her handicap debut here last month was not a disaster, beaten a shade under three lengths and she still looked quite green late on, hanging left after the last and that might well have cost her third. If she’s learnt a bit from that, she’s unexposed enough to improve, and this step up in trip could help (dam a winning pointer).

Classic case at Bangor

We might see one of my favourite horses of recent times in Classic Concorde at Bangor on Wednesday (15:00). What a joy to watch he’s been over the past few seasons, some terrific front-running displays and that run he went on in 2023, when he won five out of six handicaps, was some training performance. Unsurprisingly he was too high in the handicap after that but even at the age of 13, there were signs at Chepstow last time (in a much more competitive race) he might have one more big run in him. Could he win this? Well, he’s 1-1 at Bangor and will have his ground, so let’s see what declarations brings.

I’m pleased they have been able to save the North Wales National (16:00) as I’m quite keen on top weight Unanswered Prayers, who has been given the necessary 4lb drop to get in here after his sixth in the XC at Cheltenham last time. He looked really well in the paddock beforehand and although never really involved last time, stuck at it well enough, and this is his easiest task over fences for a long time. Chris Gordon hasn’t had a winner for a while but four second-paces last week suggest all is well with the yard, and he’ll be one of my better bets of the week if he lines up here.

Now, Glancing Back is a hard one to love after three moderate efforts over hurdles so far but goes chasing off a basement mark of 78 and I’ve previously pointed out that Emma-Jane Bishop has made this switch successfully before, both Haafback and Moor End big-priced winners going chasing first time after showing little over hurdles. And although Steal The Moves hasn’t won this season yet he’s gone close, and is another example of one she has improved over fences. So it’s worth giving Glancing Back a second, er, glance here, as she’s going to be a huge price, but could easily outrun her odds.

Road to West Yorkshire worth taking

There’s a 0-95 on the card at Wetherby (15:00) on Thursday and if Road To Rosley lines up, he’ll be getting a few quid thrown at him. Back in 2021 I was at Carlisle when John Dixon’s gelding was making his second start in bumpers, and it was clear he needed time; he finished third at a massive price that day, and went in the tracker. Here we are, five years on, and having only had eight starts since that day he’s clearly had his issues but on more than one occasion has shown some ability, including last time out at Carlisle when finishing with shouting distance of winner It’s Top.

If he’s any chance of winning something it’ll be in a race like this. John’s due a winner, it’s been a couple of years, and if putting up Scottish King got Richard Armson off the (very) cold list last week at Rasen, maybe we can do the same for John with a mention for Road to Rosley here!

And finally... Mythe Bridge has reached the square marked “last chance” on the racing Monopoly board in the last at 17:15 (you can tell it’s getting lighter at night now); after a couple of mentions on this column, Henry Daly’s giant eight-year-old looked to have every chance of winning at Uttoxeter last time when coming down three out. Surely, with a clear round, we’ve a chance of getting something back? Few doubloons, maybe? Gotta go, I’ve got more painkillers to take.

Have a good week.

Published at 08:32 GMT on 23/02/26

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