Andrew Asquith provides an overview of the key things to note on Tuesday.
Three points of interest
Cromwell has first Catterick runners since 2019
Gavin Cromwell hasn’t visited Catterick since July 2019 where he had four runners at the track that month resulting in one winner.
The Irish trainer sends four runners over to the track on Wednesday and Court Canyon looks very interesting in the John Smiths Catterick – Raise A Pint Novices’ Hurdle (13:45).
He was successful on his sole start in points, but didn’t show much on his Rules debut in a bumper at Punchestown in May. That was a good race which has produced winners, though, and he showed a bit more on his second start in that sphere at Cork in August.
Court Canyon was much shorter in the betting for his hurdles debut at Clonmel in October and duly landed the odds in style. Admittedly, that wasn’t a strong event, but neither is this, and he won in the style of one who has even more to offer, always jumping and travelling well.
He has a penalty to carry now, but he’s open to further improvement, totally unexposed at this sort of trip and, provided none of the newcomers are above average, he should be hard to beat for a yard back among the winners.
Handicapper taken a chance with Flash Gorcombe
Flash Gorcombe is a six-time winner over fences and he’s handicapped to strike again in the John Stranger 80th Birthday Handicap Chase at Wincanton (14:30).
His last win came over a similar trip at Exeter in January where he left his seasonal reappearance well behind to score by 16 lengths from the favourite, and the third won next time too to give the form a boost.
However, Flash Gorcombe was unable to build on that afterwards following a 9lb rise, finishing nearer last than first on his other four starts of that campaign.
As a result, he has fallen back down the weights, and is now 1b lower than his last winning mark. He shaped as though he was in need of the run on his recent return over this course and distance on ground Timeform described as good, racing off the pace and never dangerous.
It is probably best to ignore that run given he hasn’t got a good record after a break, while he is also better in more testing ground. The forecast rain will be in his favour and he looks potentially well treated based on the pick of his efforts – he’s at least 4lb clear of his rivals on Timeform weight-adjusted ratings.
Water of Leith in better form than recent form figures suggest
Jim Goldie has had an excellent year on the Flat and Water of Leith is expected to get him closer to a landmark 100 winners for the year in the Midnite, Building The Future of Betting Handicap (19:15) at Newcastle.
He’s a regular at Newcastle, winning a course-and-distance handicap at the turn of the year, and he was also successful back on turf at Catterick in May.
Water of Leith has been shaping up well, too, catching the eye over course and distance two starts back, going through the race as if back in top form before meeting a bit of trouble and not given anything like a hard time afterwards.
He also wasn’t best positioned back at this venue last time, either, racing rather wide away from where the main action unfolded and never able to get into the race. Water of Leith is better than he could show on that occasion and, now back in a much weaker grade of handicap, with a professional jockey taking back over in the saddle, he can prove himself well treated – he’s now 5lb below his last winning mark.
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