Catterick and Wolverhampton

We are left with just two meetings today, over jumps at Catterick and on the flat at Wolverhampton. Donald McCain and Jason Maguire look very much the team to follow at Catterick and they have fancied runners in the first 4 races. We especially like Abbey Storm, stepping up in trip for the opening novice hurdle at 15.05 CET and Trend is my Friend in the handicap hurdle at 15.40 as well as Mount Hope in another one at 16.40.

Dannanceys Hill probably has a good chance at 16.10 too, but we find these small field handicaps very tricky. McCain has no runner in the best race, a handicap chase over 2 miles 3 furlongs at 17.10. This looks wide open, with the 3 top weights holding possibly the best prospects - Lease Lend (Tim Easterby/ Dougie Costello), a Wetherby specialist who also has a good record here, Brave Spartacus (Keith and James Reveley), who has won 3 of his last 4 races, twice over this CD, but has shot up the weights, and Shangani (Venetia Williams/ Aidan Coleman), who made all to win at Sandown 9 days ago. We also like Diamond Frontier here, who was runner-up over this CD 10 days ago in a slightly weaker race, but still looks dangerous off bottom weight.

The card at Wolverhampton is very low level and there are some small fields as well, with normal each-way betting only possible in 4 of the 8 races. The most interesting race is the handicap over 9 1/2 furlongs at 17.30, where most of the runners are CD specialists. We like Noble best Jack (Jo Hughes/ Jean-Pierre Guillambert), who has won 4 of his last 6 races, all here, and still seems on a reasonable rating, but this is quite an open affair.

Catterick - betting forecast:
1. Race: Tipsy Gypsy - Abbey Storm - Imperial Vic
2. Race: Alba King - Trend Is My Friend - Molaise Lad
3. Race: Balding Banker - Dannanceys Hill - Rudemeister
4. Race: Mount Hope - Knight Valliant - Fairynuff
5. Race: Shangani - Brave Spartacus - Simonside
6. Race: Legacy Gold - Delta Forty - Falcon`s Present