John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on Monday.
Captain Cess interesting on first start for new stable
Captain Cess is yet to win a race but looks to have a good opportunity to do so in the first division of the sprint handicap at Wetherby (15:40).
He was campaigned exclusively in mile handicaps last season and made a bright enough start to the campaign with close third places at Bath and Nottingham before losing his form. However, he didn’t settle fully in some of those races, indicating perhaps that he might be worth a try back at shorter, and he fared much better dropped back to six furlongs for his reappearance at Chepstow last month.
Edging ahead before the final furlong, Captain Cess was only headed close home and beaten a short head by Autumn Angel. He subsequently left Adrian Wintle for Declan Carroll, and his new trainer has taken the hint from that Chepstow run, giving him another try over a sprint trip. Heading the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings, he looks capable of getting off the mark for his new connections.
Don't miss the bus at Carlisle
A stiff finish seems to suit Craig Lidster’s mare Blufferonthebus who looks capable of winning another race at Carlisle in the fillies’ handicap there over seven furlongs (16:23).
She won three races last season, including one over course and distance last June which was her second victory at Carlisle. She has also been placed at the track on several other occasions, including when runner-up in another fillies’ handicap a week ago over a mile.
Blufferonthebus is in good heart, having also finished third at Catterick the time before, and backed that up when keeping on to go down by half a length to Ravishing Beauty here last week. She’s back down to her last winning mark, heading the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings, and clearly in the right sort of form to take advantage.
Abbot looking better than ever
It’s an understandably quiet start to one of racing’s biggest weeks, but once again it’s a qualifier in Windsor’s Fitzdares Sprint Series (19:00) which brings a bit of quality to Monday’s cards. There are some useful sprinters in the field, including last year’s winner Durham Castle at the head of the weights and who is in the mix again, but this can go to Another Abbot for ‘Hot Trainer’ William Haggas.
He was successful twice last summer, at Newmarket and in Brighton’s feature sprint handicap, the ‘Brighton Bullet’, but looked in danger of going the wrong way towards the back-end of last season. However, Another Abbot is bred to have plenty of ability, by Harry Angel out of a mare who became a useful sprinter in France, and he looks to be very much on the right track again now.
Another Abbot made his reappearance at Ascot in May when shaping well over five furlongs and duly appreciated the return to six when beating Neyva’s Angel by a head at Yarmouth later in the month, with the pair pulling clear of the rest. The runner-up paid Another Abbot a compliment by winning by a wide margin back at Yarmouth last week, and he looks capable of following up from a couple of pounds clear at the head of the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings.
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