Andrew Asquith provides an overview of the key things to note on Monday.
Mountain Molly type to make a chaser
The Virgin Bet Handicap Chase (13:08) at Musselburgh looks a good race for the grade, with a couple of potential improvers, but Mountain Molly may be the one to side with on her chase debut.
She cost £85,000 after winning her sole start in points and she has improved with each start under Rules, opening her account over hurdles on her return from seven months off at Perth in September.
That form is solid and she took a big step forward when runner-up on her handicap debut at the same course last time, dictating the pace but racing on the seemingly unfavoured inside throughout, and unable to repel the challenge of the well-backed winner.
Her future was always going to lie over fences, though, and she looks a fascinating contender now facing the larger obstacles given her background and pedigree. She is 4lb higher in the weights now but has the potential to improve a fair bit in this sphere.
Albie Littlewood can improve now handicapping
Dan Skelton continues to steam ahead in the Trainers’ Championship race, more than one million pound in front of his nearest pursuer Olly Murphy, and Albie Littlewood can do his bit in the Racing Blogger Handicap Chase (13:50) at Huntingdon.
He’s from a family Skelton knows well – he’s a half-brother to smart hurdler Roksana – and, though he’s been well beaten in all four of his starts so far, the last three over hurdles, he has seemingly been brought along with handicaps in mind.
Albie Littlewood has been considerately handled since returning from a two-year absence at Chepstow in October, again not knocked about once beaten but showing promise on his qualifying run over two miles at Bangor last month.
He’s bred to appreciate this step up in trip and he starts out in handicaps from a fairly low base, so it would be no surprise to see him show much improved form now for a top yard.
‘Horse In Focus’ Fifty Nifty poised to strike
If there’s one horse in the Make The Move To Midnite Handicap (20:30) at Wolverhampton ahead of their mark it is the Mick Appleby-trained Fifty Nifty.
He won twice as a three-year-old for Tom Clover, notably a useful handicap at Newmarket from a mark of 87, having some now smart and useful rivals in behind.
Fifty Nifty hasn’t been with Appleby long, and has shaped promisingly on the all-weather on his last two starts, only finishing fifth at Kempton last time, but faring much better than the bare result.
He took a strong hold, making good headway when hampered in the final 100 yards and unable to recover afterwards, looking a natural dropped to six furlongs for the first time. The handicapper has relented again, dropping him a further 1lb, meaning he’s now 7lb below his last winning mark, and he is one to persevere with kept to this trip.
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