Catterick, Folkestone and Southwell

Typical Tuesday racing on a dreary December day, with N.H. cards at Catterick and Folkestone and all-weather racing from Southwell, where the best event is the 5 furlongs handicap at 15.40 CET. Most of the 9 runners are CD specialists, including Canadian Danehill (Robert Cowell/ Eddie Ahern), who came back to form with an easy win last time and is the probable favourite. Oldtimer The Tatling (Milton Bradly/ Jack Dean) is no longer so consistent these days, but certainly capable of winning off this mark, while Ann Stokell´s track specialist Pawan can never be left out of calculations here. The 2 mile handicap half an hour earlier can probably be left to the consistent Azabu Juba (John Jay/ William Carson) and Victory Quest (Sue Lamyman/ Robert Winston). There are large fields at Catterick, with 16 contesting the novice hurdle over 2 miles3 furlongs at 14.30. It looks at the mercy of Peppertree Lane (Peter Bowen/ Seamus Durack); this German-bred was a group race performer on th e flat for Mark Johnston and made a decent hurdling debut in a much better race at Newbury recently; in theory, he only needs to jump round to win against this opposition. The handicap chase over 3 miles 1 furlong half an hour later looks much trickier. Ferdy Murphy saddles two here and stable jockey Graham Lee partners Trisons Star, although on form his other runner Top Cloud (Keith Mercer) looks stronger. Murphy and Lee also team up with Bewery Man in the handicap hurdle over the same trip at 15.30, and this one looks to have only Festival King (Paula Robson/ Timmy Murphy) - also an easy winner last week- to beat. At Folkestone, winners look easier to find and Latanier (Venetia Williams/ Sam Thomas) and Nur Tau (Nick Gifford/ Liam Treadwell) in the 2 divisions of the novice hurdle that open the card, as well as It´s a Dream (Nicky Henderson/ Tony McCoy) in the beginners chase at 14.20 can get favourite backers off to a good start. The maiden hurdle over 2 3/4 miles at 16.2 0 looks quite interesting. Any Currency (Martin Keighley/ Warren Marston) has been runner-up three times running, but may have to settle for a minor placing again as hurdling debutant Voice of Reason (Carl Llewellyn/ Tom O´Brien) -unbeaten in bumpers - and Hello Moscow (Jim Best/ Tony McCoy) are both well fancied here.