Tony McFadden provides an overview of the key things to note on Wednesday.
Well-treated Emerald Army can have latest effort upgraded
When conditions start to ease at Catterick the runners often head towards the stands’ rail in search of better ground. That was the case in the six-furlong handicap that Emerald Army contested at the track last week, with the first two home, Crocodile Power and Chief of State, racing closest to the rail. Emerald Army, however, made his challenge more towards the centre of the course and, consequently, deserves to have his effort marked up.
Despite not being ideally positioned, Emerald Army kept on well inside the final furlong and only missed out on second by a neck, earning the Horse In Focus Flag from Timeform’s reporter to mark him out as one likely to be of firm interest next time.
He certainly left the impression that he’s in good enough form to take advantage of a mark that has fallen below the one he defied at Catterick in July. He runs in the seven-furlong handicap (14:55) at Musselburgh on Wednesday off the same mark as last time, which is 2 lb below his last winning mark.
Roysse has the tools to take to chasing
Roysse made a promising start over hurdles last season, justifying very short odds in a Uttoxeter maiden after he had fallen at the final flight with the race at his mercy at Newbury, but his campaign ultimately ended on a downbeat note with a couple of disappointing displays at Kempton and Ffos Las.
However, as a winning pointer with an enthusiastic style of racing, Roysse looks set to come into his own over fences, and he catches the eye on his return from a summer break in the novice handicap chase at Chepstow (15:00).
The Timeform report following Roysse’s win at Uttoxeter was certainly positive about his prospects over fences, stating “he’s bred to stay at least 2½m but possesses plenty of speed and is quite an exciting one for chasing next season given his demeanour, physique and pointing background”.
Trainer Ben Pauling’s superb recent record with chasing debutants is another factor in Roysse’s favour. Pauling has sent 11 horses chasing this calendar year and, remarkably, six of them won at the first attempt over fences, including No Questions Asked and The Jukebox Kid who were both successful in novice handicaps at the weekend. Roysse has the tools to enhance his trainer’s strike rate with such types.
Dream Pirate can take advantage of drop in grade
Dream Pirate was only eighth of 12 runners at Nottingham last month but that was a rare disappointing effort at the venue and easy enough to excuse on account of the sharp rise in grade.
Chasing the good prize-money on offer on Nottingham’s Grassroots Series Finals Day card, Dream Pirate was sent to contest a class 2 handicap for horses rated 0-90. Even if that wasn’t a strong race for the grade, it still represented a tougher task than the one Dream Pirate had faced when successful in a class 5 handicap for horses rated 0-70 at Yarmouth on his previous outing.
Dream Pirate made no impact last time but had fared much better on his previous visits to Nottingham, finishing placed at worst in four starts over the extended mile, winning on one occasion.
That good track record is highlighted by Timeform’s Horses For Courses Flag and Dream Pirate looks to hold solid claims dropping back into class 5 company in the penultimate contest (15:10) on Wednesday, narrowly topping Timeform’s weight-adjusted ratings.
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