4 poor meetings today

Tuesday rarely sees good sport on offer and today is no exception. Even Yarmouth, where plenty of top Newmarket trainers like to send runners, has a poor card. The most interesting race here is the 2yo mile maiden at 15.10 CET which in the past has been won by some top-class runners. Easily the best of the 5 runners on public form is High Troja (Ed Dunlop/ Eddie Ahern), a good runner-up to a hot favourite here last time, but if there is a future star in the small field it is likely to be Mutashaded (Roger Varian/ Andrea Atzeni). Owner Hamdan al Maktoum likes to give his horses Arab names, but if he followed the German tradition, we would recognise this runner as a member of Gestüt Karlshof´s "S" family - his dam is in fact a full sister to Samum and Schiaparelli. Atzeni has recently won group races on Seismos and Sortilege from the same family and this one could well in their hoofprints.

Ed Dunlop could well have a winner at Catterick however, as The Tiger (Graham Lee), a son of Tiger Hill, is expected to follow up his easy win at Pontefract last week in the 1 1/2 mile handicap at 16.20. He has a 6 lbs penalty., but is almost certain to go up more in the official ratings. He is also up in distance, while German-bred Swinging Hawk (Ian Williams/ Steve Donohoe), out of dual group winnetr Saldenschwinge, has been mainly racing over 2 miles, but couldf still run a big race here. Williams and Donohoe also combine with Conry in the 7 furlongs handicap at 14.50 and this one should also go well. We always like the old-timers at these meetings and expect 14yo Sphinx (Edwin Tuer/ Paul Mulrennan) to run a big race under top-weight in the 2 mile handicap at 15.50. although he might find the concession oif 24 lbs to the 3yo Ctappers (Mick Channon/ Charles Bishop) too much. Another veteran who could run well here is the 10yo Beckermet (Ruth Carr/ James Sullivan) in the sec ond division of the 7 furlongs handicap at 15.20.

There is more low-grade racing on the all-weather at Wolverhampton this evening; our best bet here is Hopes N Dreams (Kevin and Amy Ryan) in the 6 furlongs handicap at 20.40, arguably unlucky when just beaten in a 3-way photo-finish over this CD a fortnkght ago. The only N.H. racing today comes from Taunton, and both Tony McCoy and Ruby Walsh are riding here. McCoy can score on Nicky Henderson´s Molotof, a smart novice hurdler making his fencing debut at 15.30, while Ruby´s best chance is on Paul Nicholls´ Shooters Wood at 17.00.

Yarmouth - betting forecast:
1. Race: Deficit - Charter - Sakash
2. Race: Woza Moya - Warrant Officer - Red Eclipse
3. Race: Mutashaded - High Troja - Gods Gift
4. Race: Valley Queen - Balti`S Sister - Ishiamiracle
5. Race: Boonga Roogeta - Inffiraaj - Love Grows Wild
6. Race: Itum - Lord Buffhead - Auntie Kathryn
7. Race: Royal Defence - Darsan - Sommersturm