Timeform provide an overview of the key things to note on Wednesday.
Well-treated top-weight could be a big danger to Hibernate
Titian is named after the prolific 16th century Italian Renaissance painter, and though it would be a stretch to suggest that a win in the Dr Eddie Moll Handicap (15:45) would be a similarly impressive work of art, there are some interesting brushstrokes that suggest a better performance could be on the cards.
Julie Camacho has 24% (+57.03 level stakes profit) with her runners at Beverley and appears to have found the right race for an eight-year-old who has five wins to his name and is only 2 lb off the top of the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings for this contest. His four handicap victories have all come from higher marks, including when successful from 2 lb higher at York last June.
Titian has had wind surgery since his run at Newcastle in November; he won on his first start since a similar operation in late-2022, and his trainer has had 5 wins from 56 at 8.93% with horses on their first start after a wind op, with winners at 25/1 and 33/1 helping to return a level stakes profit of +19.83. Meanwhile, Titian’s overall record after a break of more than 50 days on the Flat reads 1-2-1-5-1-3-3-14-4-4.
The one concern would be the going, as Titian’s best efforts have come on slower ground, but he has twice been placed on good-to-firm, so it shouldn’t be the barrier to a much improved effort as he drops into a 0-75 handicap for the first time in his career.
Another smart sort to be uncovered at Kempton?
Many a good horse has frequented Kempton’s synthetic surface over the years – from classy Juddmonte fillies Enable and Kalpana who both won, to Crystal Ocean and Hukum who both suffered defeat (in Crystal Ocean’s case, to Enable) - and it appears a Godolphin tactic to blood some of their most promising horses at the Surrey venue.
The Try Unibet's New Smartview Racecards Novice Stakes (18:30) has attracted a lot of quality individuals over the years, often being split into more than one division, and its rollcall of winners includes six trained by Saeed Bin Suroor.
This year’s representative is Distant Moon, who wasn’t particularly well-fancied when drawn wide and unruly before the start at Leicester on debut, but who showed ability, knowing enough to lead but unable to match the impressive winner King’s Cavalry late on.
Distant Moon’s half-sister Florida Dawn had a similar profile, shaping well from the front on debut before winning on the all-weather on her second start, just as their dam Orchid Star had, and a big run looks on the cards.
However, there are a bunch of notable opponents led by Erudition, who improved from first to second starts when narrowly beaten by Extremely Zain at Newbury, a comment that also applies to Makerstoun (a son of the Godolphin stallion Night Of Thunder) who progressed well when chasing home Langstone over C&D last month.
Newcomer Slalom is a half-brother to several winners, including Brilliant Light who was a second-time-out winner for Godolphin. Slalom’s dam, meanwhile, is a half-sister to Godolphin’s high-class Echo of Light who won her only start on the all-weather.
Similarly, the Pinatubo gelding Siddal’s family is Godolphin through-and-through, his dam Ophelia’s Dream being a sister to their Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Wuheida.
So, even if Godolphin lose on Wednesday night, the chances are that they might still win.
Whose turn to win the Cartmel merry-go-round?
Given its standing as a bank holiday staple of British racing, where the fairground in the middle of the course is often as much of an attraction to holidaymakers as the racing, it’s perhaps apt that the Traffic Management Handicap Hurdle (19:08) feels like a bit of a merry-go-round of Cartmel regulars who are turning out for the second or third time this month, or even week.
Jimmy Moffatt won this race four times in five years between 2017 and 2022, and his nine-year-old Sea The Clouds, who has run here five times over the last year, caught the eye of the Timeform race reporters when tiring late on at Haydock earlier this month.
Stablemates Bittalemon and Got Grey, meanwhile, ran here on Saturday and Monday respectively, with the last-named shaping very well on his first start since leaving Dan Skelton when third to Coup De Coeur.
The two horses who finished ahead of Got Grey that day were trained by Micky Hammond and Gary Hanmer, both of whom have runners here in the form of Hillview and C&D winner Rioja Alta.
Musique De Fee ran twice during this week 12 months ago, but is on track to make it three this time around having finished second and third on Saturday and Monday, while C&D winner Dickens makes his return to action after nearly 200 days off. His trainer Jennie Candlish has a 24% (+16.50 level stakes profit) with her runners here.
Lizzie Quinlan (who has struck with three of her last five runners) is another female trainer who has enjoyed success at the track, thanks mainly to the likes of City Derby whose four-timer in 2024 included a division of his race. She saddles Rauzan who looks very well-treated as he tries a tongue-tie for the first time.
So, whose turn will it be to win this time around?
More from Sporting Life
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
