An overnight deluge has washed away the card at Fontwell Park this afternoon, with nearly 11mm of rain leaving the track waterlogged in places. “We’ve now had 73mm, which is just shy of three inches, in the last 10 days,” Ed Arkell, the clerk of the course, said this morning”, adding, “unfortunately, it was a fairly easy decision.”
There was plenty of rain overnight at Catterick too, where the going is now soft, and previous course-and-distance winner Turtle Cask (4.20) could be the answer to the stayers’ handicap hurdle. He is not the most consistent of performers but he does seem to like this test, and attracted plenty of support before his return to form when second here last time out. He is now back down to his last winning mark, and is a fair bet to exploit it at around 4-1.
Sky Full Of Stars (3.50) was perked up by blinkers last time out and will be a strong opponent for the chasing debutant Minella Suite if the headgear has the same effect today, while Akula (2.20) should be up to the task in the opener.
On the all-weather Flat cards, Smiley Bagel (7.15) stands an obvious chance of completing a hat-trick having improved to record the first win of his career at Kempton in early February and then backing that up with a second success at Lingfield 10 days later. He is another 6lb higher in the weights this time around, but the runner-up in his latest victory is a winner since and this is not a field full of potential improvers.
Gavarnie Encore (8.15) is another with a leading chance on the Kempton card, while down at Lingfield this afternoon, Juan Horsepower (4.00) is a fair price at around 4-1 to beat the warm favourite Scuzeme in the five-furlong sprint. Scuzeme was an impressive maiden winner last time out but it was not a race with much depth and his initial mark of 80 may not be as generous as a price of around 11-8 might suggest. Juan Horsepower is more exposed but has a string of very solid runs behind him which suggest he is up to defying today’s mark of 76.
Icebuster (5.00) is into the veteran stage of his career but was up to winning on turf at Bath last summer and remains in decent form and today’s step up to two miles could be just what he needs to record his first all-weather success, while Goodwood Crusader (3.00) is probably the pick of the remaining races on the same card.
Wednesday’s tips
Catterick Bridge 2.20 Akula 2.50 Nomoreblackjack 3.20 All My Love 3.50 Sky Full Of Stars 4.20 Turtle Cask 4.50 Flash Garden 5.20 Shearling
Kempton Park 5.45 Our Channel 6.15 Noble Deed 6.45 Rail Dancer 7.15 Smiley Bagel (nap) 7.45 Entangling 8.15 Gavarnie Encore 8.45 Saleh
Lingfield Park 2.00 Freddy With A Y 2.30 Flowers On Venus 3.00 Goodwood Crusader 3.30 Arsenio Lupin 4.00 Juan Horsepower (nb) 4.30 Plucky Dip 5.00 Icebuster
