Tony McFadden provides an overview of the key things to note on Monday.
Rest Is The Best a recent eye-catcher
The Horse In Focus Flag is awarded by Timeform's reporters to those deemed likely to be of significant interest next time. The only runner on a low-key day of action on Monday with the Horse In Focus Flag is Rest Is The Best in the opening two-and-a-half-mile mares' handicap hurdle (14:30) at Ffos Las.
Rest Is The Best made no impression in a trio of two-mile maiden/novices, but she showed more to work with when stepping up in trip to two miles three and a half furlongs for her handicap debut at Chepstow in January. She still showed signs of inexperience and looked like being beaten a long way when firmly ridden early in the straight. However, she stayed on strongly into fourth, finishing within a length and three-quarters of the winner.
She went even closer back over the same course and distance last month, again catching the eye with her strength in the finish as she charged up the run-in and grabbed second on the line.
The way Rest Is The Best has been finishing off her races suggests she'll appreciate the extra half-furlong on offer here (before improving over even longer distances) and she looks capable of building on the promise of her last couple of starts.
Unpenalised Taritino the ratings choice
Taritino is the clear standout on Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings for the extended two-and-half-mile handicap hurdle (16:45) at Plumpton after escaping a penalty for his win at Taunton last week.
Taritino had shown fair form to hit the frame in a few Flat handicaps during the summer but hadn't made an impact on his first three outings back over hurdles this winter. He stepped up on those recent efforts, however, to land a race for conditional and amateur riders at Taunton, in the process providing his jockey, Henry Moore, with a first winner under Rules.
Taritino was outpaced turning for home and looked like he was playing for places when the favourite, Thankyouandplease, kicked clear early in the straight. However, Taritino rallied for pressure and hit the front half-way up the run-in, ultimately scoring by three lengths with Thankyouandplease 11 lengths ahead of the remainder.
That performance is up there with the pick of Taritino's efforts over hurdles and leaves him looking well treated off the same mark for Monday's handicap hurdle - he heads Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings by 5 lb.
Handicap debutant Magnetude has more to offer
Horses with the Timeform 'small p', which is used to highlight those likely to improve, are also in short supply on Monday, though there are a couple of such types in the opening mile-and-a-half handicap (17:30) for three-year-olds at Wolverhampton.
The pair have similar profiles as Five Moons and Magnetude both showed run-by-run improvement - according to Timeform's figures - in maiden / novice company and now go handicapping up in trip. Magnetude is perhaps the one who can take the biggest step forward.
He was probably unsuited by dropping back to a mile at Southwell last time, especially given there was a steady gallop, while his chance was further compromised by some early interference. But he made good headway inside the final furlong and was only beaten around a length in third.
He's from a family of useful middle-distance performers, including Father of Jazz and Liam Swagger who both won over hurdles, so the extra emphasis on stamina brought about by the step up to a mile and a half promises to unlock some improvement.
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