Only six runners go to post for the fillies’ handicap at Nottingham on Tuesday afternoon, one of three races on the card with a five-figure prize fund, but it is still an interesting and competitive race of its kind and every runner goes to post with a chance. It is difficult to get away from the favourite La Casa Tarifa (3.45), though, and a price of around 15-8 looks very fair about Mark Johnston’s filly completing a hat-trick.
Tuesday’s race is, inevitably, a more demanding assignment than either of her previous starts in five-runner fields at Chelmsford and Ripon respectively, and La Casa Tarifa had only a length to spare at the end of her most recent success at the Yorkshire track.
She was slow from the stalls there though, and Franny Norton also had to wait for an opening before launching a winning run from just over a furlong out. In the circumstances, a rise of only 4lb in the weights for Tuesday’s assignment looks very fair, and while both Normandie Lady and Lincoln Rocks are potentially stern opponents, neither has had a run so far this year.
On Fire (4.50) has been in good form on the all-weather over the winter and could find a little improvement for the step up to a mile and three quarters today on the same card, while Batten The Hatches (5.25), another runner arriving from an outing on the all-weather last time, starts out on a fair mark and is a good bet at around 7-2 to make a successful handicap debut.
The card at Brighton opens with an interesting novice auction event that should come down to a match between Starlight Mystery and Floss The Hoss (2.00), who contested different divisions of a maiden at Beverley a couple of weeks ago. The betting sides strongly with Starlight Mystery, who finished third in her race, two lengths behind the winner, but while Floss The Hoss was four and a quarter lengths adrift at the line, the winner’s time was almost a second quicker. At a top price of 5-2 against the 8-13 favourite, Floss The Hoss has to be the pick.
Bahamian Sunrise (3.00) is a course-and-distance winner on the same card, which is always a positive at Brighton, and made a very promising return from his winter break over six furlongs at the same track last week. Tuesday’s extended five is probably his ideal and he is a very solid bet at around 13-8, while Paddy A (6.40) may well be able to get off the mark at Chelmsford on Tuesday evening.
Charlie McBride’s three-year-old ran well to finish fourth on his first start since the autumn last time out, and that was also his first run since being gelded, which seems to have settled the headstrong tendencies he showed last year. He drops to Class 6 company today with James Doyle booked to ride by the trainer for only the fourth time in a decade, which suggests he is very much primed for action.
Ickymasho (7.40) could hardly be in better form and should complete a hat-trick later on the card, while at Yarmouth, Gothic Empire (4.30) should be able to build on his recent return to action on the all-weather now that he is back on turf.
Tuesday tips
Brighton
2.00 Floss The Hoss 2.30 Otomo 3.00 Bahamian Sunrise (nb) 3.35 Lorelina 4.10 Ettie Hart 4.40 Black Caesar 5.10 Hold Firm
Nottingham
2.10 Silver Bullet 2.40 Meteor Light 3.10 Scribner Creek 3.45 La Casa Tarifa (nap) 4.20 Midnight Vixen 4.50 On Fire 5.25 Batten The Hatches
Chelmsford City
6.10 Dorcas 6.40 Paddy A 7.10 Mabrook 7.40 Ickymasho 8.10 Zac Brown 8.40 Frank The Barber 9.10 Pete So High
Wolverhampton
6.00 Senor George 6.30 Brimham Rocks 7.00 Al Nafoorah 7.30 Oratorio’s Joy 8.00 Russian Ranger 8.30 Our Kid 9.00 Prince Of Time
Yarmouth
2.20 To Wafij 2.50 Ocelot 3.25 Hope Is High 4.00 Fantasy Gladiator 4.30 Gothic Empire 5.00 Across Dubai 5.30 The Yellow Bus
