GLOBAL warming has plenty to answer for these days. Just ask the executive at Redcar, forced to abandon their two-day weekend fixture earlier this month thanks to some of the worst summer flooding witnessed this century.
Fortunately the weather has been a little kinder ahead of tonight's fixture, which is a good job as it is officially "Ladies evening" at the seaside course.
The most valuable event on the six race card, the Rycoft Mercedes-Benz Handicap, features none other than Time To Remember (6.30), tipped up by this column to win at the course just over a year ago at the rewarding odds of 25-1.
Owned by Timeform gurus Reg Griffin and Jim McGrath, the four-year-old has since singularly failed to add to that success. So, could lightning strike twice? That is the $64,000 question.
One thing's for sure, the bookies' aren't going to let Tim Easterby's raider go off at such a rash starting price because although he has a string of coconuts against his name, I reckon there could be more profit to be gleaned from siding with the gelding.
Admittedly on the face of it the form figures don't exactly inspire confidence, however he's been campaigned at the likes of York, Royal Ascot, Doncaster and Newcastle, where the standard of the opposition has generally been much higher.
Most out-of-sorts horses normally appreciate a drop in class, and Time To Remember shouldn't be an exception in the £7,000 contest.
Horse racing can be a bitter sweet sport, and Mick Easterby, still reeling from losing stable-star Sarangani in last week's Ebor at York, could salvage a crumb of comfort from a bad week if his Dee Pee Tee Cee (7.30) prevails in the Jamie Hood Handicap.
* Tony McCoy goes into the Bank Holiday weekend needing just four winners to equal Richard Dunwoody's career record of 1,699 British jumps winners.
The champion jockey managed just one winner from three attempts at Fontwell Park yesterday and McCoy is spreading his wings wide today with rides at Cartmel in the afternoon before travelling south to Worcester's evening meeting.
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