Timeform Daily View: Points of interest

Timeform Daily View - Wednesday preview and tips

Horse Racing

Tue October 20, 2026 · 14h ago

Timeform provide an overview of three things to note on Wednesday.

Albie Littlewood can make smooth transition to fences

Worcester’s card opens with the Fred & Mercy Rimell Memorial Handicap Chase (13:10) which remembers the couple who trained so successfully at nearby Kinnersley. A three-time champion jockey, Fred Rimell was champion trainer five times, sending out Woodland Venture and Royal Frolic to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup but better known for his four Grand National winners ESB, Nicolaus Silver, Gay Trip and Rag Trade. Fred’s widow Mercy took over the licence on her husband’s death in 1981 and won the Champion Hurdle two years later with Gaye Brief.

‘Hot Trainer’ Dan Skelton is responsible for two of the four runners making their chasing debuts in this contest, top weight Barnpark who will also be making his stable debut, and Albie Littlewood, the choice of Harry Skelton who will be wearing the colours of the brothers’ father Nick.

Albie Littlewood, a half-brother to the stable’s Grade 1-winning mare Roksana, was improving in leaps and bounds when last seen over hurdles last winter, winning twice at Huntingdon and both times travelling strongly through his races. He had plenty in hand when successful last time and looks a very interesting chasing debutant if continuing his progress switching to the larger obstacles.

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Challow runner-up Klimt Madrik makes chasing debut

The other chase on Worcester’s card looks another interesting contest with four of the six runners in the beginners chase (13:40) making their debuts over fences. Dan Skelton is doubly represented here too, by Talk To The Man, a dual winner for Paul Nicholls last season and the choice of Harry Skelton, and the Pertemps Final third Catch Him Derry, both of whom were useful over hurdles.

Scorpio Rising was also a useful novice hurdler last season, running up a four-timer for Olly Murphy which culminated in a win in the EBF Final at Sandown, though like Talk To The Man, he came unstuck when tackling Grade 1 company at Aintree.

However, the pick of the field on hurdles form last season is Toby Lawes’ lightly-raced six-year-old Klimt Madrik who ended the campaign with a Timeform rating of 143p and the 'Horse In Focus' flag. A tall, lengthy gelding, he’s certainly a chaser on looks and made the frame in both his Irish points. Klimt Madrik got off the mark over hurdles at Newbury last November and then showed plenty of improvement when only beaten just over a length by No Drama This End in the Challow Novices’ Hurdle at the same track. Like the winner, Klimt Madrik was then put aside for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival but despite starting at 80/1, fared much better than 5/2 favourite No Drama This End, staying on from off the pace to finish eighth. He was too raw for that test but makes plenty of appeal in a contest which could throw up some good novices this season.

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Boatswain worth a chance back on all-weather

Kempton’s card features a good-quality two-mile handicap (19:00) where top weight Roaring Legend runs from a BHA mark of 104. The field also includes Duraji and Synergism who were third in the Chester Cup and Northumberland Plate respectively earlier in the season, but the interesting runner is Simon Crisford’s representative Boatswain.

For a start, the four-year-old son of New Bay is unexposed over this trip, having only run twice over two miles before. There’s also a good chance that he’s better on the all-weather than he is on turf, having won two of his three starts on an artificial surface. He made an impressive winning debut at Lingfield early last year, and on his last all-weather appearance ran away with a weak contest at Southwell in August by no less than 13 lengths when strong in the betting on his first try at two miles.

Boatswain hasn’t been disgraced back on turf in his last couple of starts, finishing eighth in the Stayers Handicap at York’s Ebor meeting and sixth in the Mallard Handicap at Doncaster last time when not seen to best effect back down in trip in a steadily-run race. Back over two miles on the all-weather, Boatswain looks worth a chance, particularly as he heads the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings.