6 meetings today

6 meetings today, but all at a very low level. The most interesting event is the 1 1/2 mile handicap at 16.50 at Haydock, in which ex-German Eye of the Tiger (Barney Curley/ Tom Queally) has top weight. He won the Gerling-Preis in 2010 and a repeat of that form would make him almost unbeatable in this company, but he has been beaten out of sight on both his starts for Barney and is best watched for now.

This is a very open race and the lightly-raced Tmaam (Mark Johnston/ Joe Fanning), Purification (John Gosden/ William Buick) and Ittirad (Roger Varian/ Neil Callan), all representing powerful stables, must be considered. Bollin Greta (Tim Easterby/ Philip Makin) is very consistent but has not run since October; she stays well and could easily run into a place. However our main fancy is Number Theory (John Holt/ Russell Kennemore), who has a good record here and was an easy CD winner last time. Barney Curley also has the ex-German Steuben under orders for the 10 furlongs handicap at 17.50, but it is the same story here: group-placed in Germany, last on both British starts. We expect big owner Dr. Marwan Koukash to take this, either with Calaf (Richard Fahey/ George Chaloner) or Look Left (David Simcock/ Jamie Spencer).

Koukash and Simcock can also take the 6 furlongs handicap at 16.40 at Yarmouth withj Fathsta (Adam Beschizza); Fathsta is not the most consistent., but is now on a very handy mark and ran quite well in better company at Doncaster on Saturday. Hezmah (John Gosden/ Paul Hanagan) is the obvious danger.
The card at Beverley is very poor, with most runners coming from the all-weather track. Cottam Donny (Mel Brittain/ Robert Winston) is still a maiden, but has twice finished runner-up here and can go one better in the 7 1/2 furlongs handicap at 16.30.

This evening´s racing at Kempton, Hamilton and Fairyhouse (Ireland) is not much better. The handicap for 3yo´s over 1 1/2 miles at 20.40 at Kempton is probably the best evening race. Both Saeed bin Suroor , with Al Saham (Silvestre de Sousa) and Tamarrud (Mikel Barzalona), and John Gosden with Theturnofthesun (Robert Havlin) and Ex Oriente (Richard Hughes) have two runners here, but this is a wide open race. Willie Wag Tail (Ed Walker/ George Baker) was unlucky at Sandown last time and can possibly make amends today.