Our man on the gallops spots a winner ….

Three  meetings for us to look forward to this afternoon.  A seven race card from Catterick starts at 12.20, the champ AP McCoy is at Folkestone where they get under way at 12.40 while all- weather aficionados are well catered for at Southwell where a seven race card gets under way at 12.30 with the six furlong nursery handicap.

A couple of previous winners line up in the amateur riders handicap at Catterick in the opener at 12.20. Amir Pasha won this in 2009 and Sambelucky was successful in last year’s renewal .Meanwhile a point of interest in this race also might be that Racing Post ratings award their best bet of the day to Patavium, the mount of Colm McCormack. Bourne is an interesting newcomer from the McCain stable in the novices hurdle at 1.20 while the Post’s northern gallops watcher Colin Russell puts up Right Enough as his best bet on the card in the handicap hurdle at 2.20.Perhaps he was witness to a clandestine moonlight gallop of the Walford string at Sheriff Hutton .Dressed in all black and hidden behind the gorse bushes, armed only with a pair of bin’s and a well battered note book .Let’s hope he saw the right horse !

Racing concludes with the bumper and due respect is given to Mitchells Way trained by Alan Swinbank who has a 41% strike rate in bumpers  here at Catterick.Watch also for Stephen Crawford’s Sparville who finished third in a half decent bumper at Clonmel on his latest start.

Meanwhile at Folkestone racing opens with the novices hurdle,a race where Jigsaw Puzzle commands respect given that his trainer Warren Greatex boasts a commendable 60% strike rate in these races here at Folky.Watch for any market moves in the direction of Baldadash in the 1.40 race,  he was nicely punted from 10-1 through to 4-1 on his latest start and could be one to keep on side today.

Free Speech looks AP’s best chance of a winner in the novices handicap at 2.10 while the rapidly improving Hunt Ball looks for a quick hat-trick of victories in the two mile five handicap chase at 2.40.Jockey Tom O’Brien travels down to Kent for one mount only, Coral Point for Alan Jessop in the handicap hurdle at 3.10 while keep an eye on top weight Cardigan Island in the concluding handicap chase, his trainer Peter Bowen has a 67% strike rate with his runners in these races here at Folkestone.

Final visit of the day to South well where the action gets under way at 12.30 with the nursery handicap ,a race where jockey Steve Donohue takes his only mount of the day, Son Of May for Lambourn handler Jo Hughes. Joe Fanning and trainer Alan Swinbank team up with Bivouac in the claimer at 1.00 and do remember this firm have a 75% strike rate in these events here at Suddy.Course specialist Cape Of Storms looks for a seventh track win in the six furlong handicap at 1.30 while in the fillies handicap at 2.00 Veteran Newmarket trainer Clive Brittain’s runner Fakhuur could be one to keep on side,given his trainers 25% strike rate with his handicappers at the venue.

La Capriosa could go well in the sprint handicap at 2.30, she certainly seems to reserve her best form for this track having already won six times here.,while spare a thought for jockey Jimmy Quinn who has been  having a quite time of it lately but comes here for one mount only,Bint Elnadim in the maiden at 3.00.

Racing finishes with the seven furlong handicap a race where Suddy regular Elusive Warrior seeks an amazing tenth course and distance success for Alan McCabe.It’s been a while since he won though,a year and all of twenty three races !

Enjoy your racing today and don’t forget to call us here at Star Spreads for all the latest news on market positions from today’s race meetings.

Donal