Andrew Asquith provides an overview of the key things to note on Monday.
Three points of interest
She remains a maiden, but has bits and pieces of form which suggests she’s well handicapped, notably a close second to the now-useful First Instinct in a maiden at Nottingham last season.
Kalahari Blue shaped well on her return from six months of at Wolverhampton recently, too, finding only another useful prospect too strong, but staying on well to take second near the line.
The fact she started at 18/1 that day suggests she was entitled to need the run, and she should be sharper now for her handicap debut, while she represents a trainer that is in good form at present – highlighted by the Hot Trainer Flag. There should be even more to come from her.
He started at 200/1 for his debut when in dire need of the experience over an inadequate seven furlongs, but he showed much more when hitting the frame at Beverley next time upped to a mile and a quarter.
Lights Go Down plugged on well in the closing stages on that occasion, and that form has worked out very well, the first, second and third all going on to win races since.
The drop back in trip, plus just a four-day turnaround, are plausible excuses for his below-par effort at Ayr last time, but that run qualified him for handicaps, and much better is expected now, especially now moving back up to a mile and a quarter.
An opening mark of 64 looks workable based on his Beverley run and it will be interesting to see how he fares in the market for shrewd connections with improvement forthcoming – he has the ‘Timeform small p’ attached to his rating.
However, the Richard Hannon-trained Morcar has a good record at this track – he has the Horses For Courses Flag – with two course and distance wins to his name, and he proved better than ever when resuming winning ways at Lingfield three weeks ago.
There was plenty to like about how he travelled through that contest, and he picked up well when asked to go win his race over a furlong out, comfortably on top at the line. The third home that day has won since to boost the form and a subsequent 3lb rise in the weights may not be enough to prevent him following up.
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