PREDICTED high winds and heavy rain could make Storm Ahead (2.30) a topical tip for this afternoon's meeting at Catterick.
Jump jockeys are traditionally made of fairly stern stuff and they don't come much tougher than Tony Dobbin, booked to ride Storm Ahead in the Pytchley Echo Novices' Handicap Chase.
Dobbin, who has had to endure his fair share of broken bones, will be hoping the selection puts in a foot perfect round especially with the Cheltenham Festival close.
But trainer Nicky Richards invariably schools his horses to perfection at home and provided Storm Ahead can make a smooth transition from hurdles to fences, he looks the one to back in a very modest contest. In the following Tom Firs Selling Hurdle Mary Reveley's Desert Fighter (3.00) is the clear form pick, although don't put your rent money on the 11-year-old, who has spit out the dummy in the past.
Peter Beaumont's Bengal Boy (3.30) reverts to two miles in the Stanley Hardiman Maiden Chase after failing over four furlongs further at Doncaster last week.
The drop back in trip plus the possibility of extremely testing ground should suit Bengal Boy.
Local handler David Barker has live prospects of taking the Coniston Hall Handicap Hurdle with Horton Dancer (4.00). Horton Dancer is a rather headstrong individual - not that jockey Adrian Maguire will be worried since he's one of most talented horseman currently riding.
Joe Tizzard is the man to follow at Bangor where he could easily kick-off proceedings with a double for his guv'nor Paul Nicholls via That's All Folks (2.20) and No Need For Alarm (2.50). That's All Folks would surely have finished second to Wink And Whisper at Taunton in January had he not have tried to take the final fence by its roots.
And it was even more of a hard-luck story for No Need For Alarm at Plumpton recently because the seven-year-old was clear and had his opponents completely cooked until capsizing at the third last hurdle. Patrick Haslam has decided to switch Welsh Dream (1.40) from the slow fibresand at Southwell and Wolverhampton to the ultra-quick polytrack at Lingfield.
Having prevailed on a firm surface on the turf when trained by Alec Stewart, Welsh Dream looks a snip off his low weight in the opener at the Surrey venue.
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