Beverley preview: Bold makes plenty of Appeal

Bold Appeal looked miles ahead of the assessor when bolting up last time out and can make light of a penalty to follow-up in the 1m 4f handicap on today’s card at Beverley (16.05).

The Ralph Beckett trained gelding improved dramatically when fitted with the blinkers for the first time, making all to win by a wide margin at Chepstow.

Bold Appeal cruised clear from the three marker to win hard held by four lengths off a mark of 66, and it was a performance which suggested he needed keeping firmly onside.

The three-year-old is due to race off a revised mark of 78 for that success in future races, so it’s no surprise to see connections turn him out quickly under a 6lb penalty.

It means that Bold Appeal is 3lb well-in at the weights, and that is going to make the lighty-raced son of Nayef very difficult to beat in the hands of in-form jockey Silvestre De Sousa.

Hoofalong bounced back to form when in no uncertain fashion seven days ago at Pontefract and looks thrown-in at the weights turned out quickly under a 6lb penalty in the 5f handicap (15.35).

The gelding, who is trained by Mick Easterby, ended a long losing run stretching back to May 2014 when making virtually all to win easing down by eight lengths off a mark of 68.

Not surprisingly the handicapper didn’t take kindly to the performance, and the five-year-old is due to race off 14lb higher when his revised mark kicks-in.

That makes Hoofalong 8lb well-in at the weights and impossible to oppose despite an unfavourable wide draw.

In the 1m 2f handicap (16.30), Big Storm Coming looks decent value to get back to winning ways.