Timeform provide an overview of three things to note on Friday.
Palladas open to significant improvement
Palladas wasn’t a cheap purchase at 750,000 guineas as a yearling, and he’s looked very promising in winning his first two starts on the all-weather at Kempton and Southwell, and can complete a hat-trick in the William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap (14:45).
The form of his debut win has worked out very well, the runner-up now a smart sort, while the third has done nothing wrong for the form, either.
That came in January, but he showed no ill effects of a lay off when following up in August, justifying cramped odds in the style of one who is surely destined for bigger things than handicaps.
Connections must feel he’s been allotted an exploitable mark to not be going straight into pattern company, and there’s nothing in his pedigree to suggest he won’t be at least as effective on turf. Being by Lope de Vega, there’s hope he won’t be unsuited by soft ground and, still having the Timeform Large P attached to his rating, he has the scope to improve significantly.
Cooltobecareless potentially smart
Dan Skelton has won the last two renewals of the Oddschecker Novices' Hurdle (registered at the Sharp Novices' Hurdle) (15:00) and Cooltobecareless looks primed for this year’s edition.
He had useful form in bumpers, opening his account at Fakenham in February, but coming up way short in the Grade 2 at Aintree’s Grand National meeting.
Cooltobecareless was a warm order for his return and hurdling debut at Chepstow a fortnight ago, though, and he looked very promising as he made a winning start in this sphere.
It was his first start since undergoing a breathing operation and showed the benefit of it as he burst clear of his rivals on the run-in, passing the line with plenty left after going to the front travelling powerfully before the second-last. He looks ready for this step up in grade and is expected to prove it.
Calico can bring up the hat-trick
Calico has made a winning return in the squareintheair.com Handicap Chase (15:35) the past two years and he’s handicapped to make it three in a row.
He won 12 months ago from a 6lb lower mark, but he followed up from a mark 1lb higher than this in another competitive handicap at Ascot on his next start, and wasn’t disgraced in the Game Spirit after that.
Calico was well beaten at Bangor when last seen in May, but he was given a quiet ride that day, not persevered with when his chance had gone, and his record when fresh is a positive one.
He’s in the veteran stage of his career now, but is still more than capable from this sort of mark, and given the astute yard he hails from, he’s almost certain to be primed for this.
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