Tony McFadden provides an overview of the key things to note on Thursday.
Bathgate has clear claims on ratings
Bathgate had shown little on his first two starts of the season but took a step back in the right direction at Kelso and then proved better than ever when runner-up at Sedgefield ten days ago.
He was unable to reward the good support that saw him sent off the 6/4 favourite, but he pulled 16 lengths clear of the third and found only a Donald McCain stable debutant too strong.
That was Bathgate's best performance yet on Timeform's ratings so he looks well treated off the same mark in the opening handicap hurdle (12:20) at Market Rasen, particularly as he was a comfortable winner off a 2lb higher mark at Catterick last season. His claims are clear and he heads Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings by 4lb.
Toothless looks well treated on belated return
There are a couple of potential improvers in the Silver Buck Handicap Chase (14:40) - Scorsese and Kalif d'Airy both have the Timeform 'small p' - but Toothless stands out on Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings on his return from a lengthy layoff.
Toothless hasn't been seen since posting a 22-length success at Plumpton in May 2024, but he's been given a chance by the handicapper and is only 6lb higher in the weights than for that wide-margin win which coincided with a step up in trip to around two and a half miles.
The form he showed at Plumpton, where he jumped boldly and travelled powerfully, suggests that he's returning on a lenient mark, and he heads Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings by 6lb.
Dingwall can make amends for recent demotion
It looked as if Dingwall had completed a quickfire hat-trick when narrowly finishing first past the post at Wolverhampton on Monday, but the stewards elected to reverse the placings between the first two home due to some interference before the straight.
Even though Dingwall was denied the hat-trick, he still produced just about his best performance yet on Timeform's ratings and, in pulling three and quarter lengths clear of the third, underlined that he's in excellent order.
He's able to run off the same mark in the concluding mile-and-a-quarter handicap (20:30) at Chelmsford and stands out as the one to beat on Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings, heading the figures by 6lb. He has been found a good opportunity to make amends for Monday's demotion.
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