Andrew Asquith provides an overview of the key things to note on Tuesday.
An above-average novice at Catterick
The Army Benevolent Fund/EBF Novice Stakes (14:15) looks a very good race of its type for the track with €175,000 breeze-up buy Waakabb setting the standard following his encouraging debut at Wolverhampton recently.
He was well found in the market that day, much shorter in the betting than his winning stablemate, and he looks a sure-fire improver with that experience under his belt.
Waakabb travelled fluently, but shaped as though he’d improve both physically and mentally for the run, and he should be able to put that experience to good use now.
There are a couple of interesting newcomers to consider, though, notably A La Montagne, who is the first foal of the same connections’ Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Alpinista. She made a winning debut as a juvenile, so any market support for A La Montagne should be heeded.
Halimede looks a typical Prescott improver
The racingtv.com Handicap doesn’t look a deep race by any means and the one who leaps of the page is the Sir Mark Prescott-trained Halimede.
She’s from a good Aga Khan family, but hasn’t made an impact in three relatively quick starts at around a mile on the all-weather this summer, starting at big prices on each occasion.
However, she represents a trainer who is a master at getting such types handicapped using similar methods, and the feeling is she’ll prove a totally different proposition now moving up significantly in trip.
There’s plenty of stamina in her pedigree and she’s bred to be much better than an opening mark of 59, while Prescott also has a very solid 27% strike rate at Catterick.
Mister Mojito ready to win again
Mister Mojito is a two-time winner over this course and distance, the latest coming in April last year from a 1lb higher mark, and he looks ready to strike again in the attheraces.com/marketmovers Apprentice Handicap (17:18).
He’d fallen to a mark in the 60s for the first time in 15 months, and he shaped as though back to his best, settling better than he had previously this year, but not quite seeing it out after commencing his run fully four furlongs from home
Mister Mojito was headed in the final furlong and stayed on at the same pace behind a thriving mare from the James Owen yard. That appeals as strong form for the grade – he was given the Horse In Focus Flag given how he shaped – and he’s handicapped to go very close from the same mark returned to all-weather.
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