Catching Pigeons: Gossip and tips from the gallops
The Charlie Hills team is thriving at present and the Lambourn man can bag a Saturday double, according to our gallops watcher.
Cenotaph (7.15 Chelmsford)
Cenotaph can make a winning first appearance for Simon Crisford in the Chelmsford City Cup Handicap at the Essex course on Saturday evening.
One of a team dispersed after Jeremy Noseda decided to step down as a trainer earlier in the season, the seven year old developed into a very useful handicapper and won three on this course last summer. Although well beaten in his last two starts in the first half of this season, he has bedded in well with his new handler, and looks the type to be rejuvenated by a change of stables.
Al Suhail (3.35 Sandown)
Al Suhail can just see off the highly rated Positive in the Group Three Betway Solario Stakes at Goodwood. Charlie Appleby had hoped the very well bred and very expensive Al Suhail would make a winning debut at Newmarket in July, but his lack of know how just found him out and James Doyle, rightly, did not subject him to a very hard race first time.
A much easier task awaited him second time at Yarmouth, and he duly produced the impressive acceleration he had shown at home, and with it, clearly demonstrated he deserves a crack at Pattern race level. He looks open to further improvement, and Appleby will know just where he stands with Positive, after Clive Cox’s star juvenile chased home his Pinatubo in the Vintage at Goodwood a month ago.
Spoof (1.50 Sandown)
Spoof is a useful sprinter on his day and and may reward an each-way interest on his comeback from a ten and a half week lay-off in the Play 4 To Score At Betway Handicap.
Charlie Hills is repeating the medicine by giving him a similar-length summer break as he did in 2018, and if he can emulate his cracking second to El Astronaute on what was his return at York 12 months ago, he should go well here off an 8lb lower mark.
Tis Marvellous (3.15 Beverley)
The Cox-trained Tis Marvellous is on a career high rating after his second in the Wokingham at Ascot in June and a valuable heritage handicap win on the same course last month, and looks the one they all have to beat in the Listed William Hill Beverley Bullet Sprint Stakes. Something of a specialist at Ascot, this stiff finish should also suit him well.
Berkshire Rocco (1.35 Chester)
Berkshire Rocco can give course specialist Andrew Balding a good start to proceedings at Chester with victory in the MBNA British Stallion Stakes EBF Novice Stakes.
His two minor placed efforts have been in good company and a repeat of his most recent outing at Glorious Goodwood, would see him go close here - but he should also progress again from the run.
Stagehand (5.15 Wolverhampton)
Stagehand, a stablemate of Spoof, has been given a six week rest since disappointing at Ripon on her latest start, and she looks worth another chance in the Jess Glynne Live Handicap at Wolverhampton.
There was plenty to like about her victory on the same course 12 days earlier, and this looks a good opportunity to bounce back and possibly head for something a little more ambitious during the back-end of the campaign.
Dreamweaver (7.00 Lingfield)
Ed Walker's Dreamweaver can make it three wins from five starts this season in the Rebecca And Michael Handicap at Lingfield. This rates a step down in class after finishing fourth in a decent race at Sandown last time, and this more demanding test of stamina should bring out the best in him.
North Point (4.55 Lingfield)
David Elsworth's North Point can improve upon his debut effort over six furlongs in the Queenie O’Reilly Get Me To Heaven Novice Median Auction Maiden Stakes. By Norse Dancer out of a Montjeu mare, he found the trip too sharp behind the highly rated winner Impressor, but stuck on well in the closing stages to finish fourth.
The extra two furlongs, is a significant step up in trip from a debut run, and it will be will appreciated.
Dorking Boy (1.55 Newton Abbot)
Over the jumps at Newton Abbot, Dorking Boy can bounce back from a duff 18-19 campaign with victory in the opening novices' hurdle. If the breathing problems which have ailed him have relented, he should prove too good for this opposition.
Irish Prophecy (3.05 Newton Abbot)
It may pay to take a chance with Irish Prophecy in the Handicap Hurdle over two miles five furlongs at Newton Abbot. Another to have suffered badly from breathing issues, his early form in both bumpers and over hurdles is of a very high order.
Having pulled up on his last two starts, he begins his Autumn season on a very workable mark and the Emma Lavelle camp are hopeful that the latest wind operation has worked better than the previous one.
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