Catterick and Worcester previews: Tarnend a likely Lass

In the 6f handicap (16:00), the dangerously well-treated Indego Blues looks decent value to land the spoils.

The Dandy Nicholls trained gelding was last successful at Hamilton 11 months ago when scoring off a mark of 64, and went on to finish third on his next two starts off 66.

Indego Blues is now able to race in this off a career-low of just 55, and that gives him outstanding claims from a handicapping perspective.

Although the seven-year-old has failed sparkle in two starts this season, the stable is now in much better form and Indego Blues gets refitted with the cheekpieces.

Other pluses are that the son of Indesatchal is a course and distance winner and has proven form on soft ground.

Catterick selections

14.00: Suitcase ‘n’ Taxi
14.30: Tarnend Lass (NAP)
15.00: Sherman McCoy
15.30: Quick N Quirky
16.00: Indego Blues (NB)
16.30: Atreus
17.00: Scarpeta
17.30: See Vermont

Zalgarry can zoom to success at Worcester

Zalgarry posted a career-best effort when scoring last time out and can make light of a rise in the weights to follow-up in the 2m 4f handicap hurdle on today’s card at Worcester (15:50).

After being dropped out at the rear of the field in a slow run race, the Arthur Whitehead trained nine-year-old scythed through the pack to take up the running two from home and comfortably beat Ayla’s Emporer by 1 3/4 lengths in a nine-runner contest at Ffos Las.

Zalgarry was three lengths up at the last and value for more than the winning margin after idling on the run-in.

The runner-up went in to the race in top form having won her previous starts, and the pair pulled eight lengths clear of the third home to give the form a solid look.

A 7lb rise for that success looks more than fair given the manner of the victory, and Zalgarry has underfoot conditions to suit and goes well fro Josh Wall who is good value for his 5lb claim.

Virgil Earp value in handicap hurdle

In the 2m 4f conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle (17:20), Virgil Earp looks potentially well-treated and worth siding with in a wide-open contest.

The gelding has some useful form to his name in 2011 when trained in Ireland by Noel Meade, winning a maiden hurdle at Galway off an official rating of 120 and being rated as high as 126.

Virgil Earp then spent 1614 days on the sidelines before joining Ian Williams and, prior to falling at the first last time out, had shown enough in his previous two outings when tenderly handled to suggest he retained enough ability to win a race of this nature.

Those runs came over 2m 6f and 2m 5f respectively, and Virgil Earp weakened badly at the end of each.

The drop back to 2m 4f, over which he has won before, looks sure to suit and having been dropped another 3lb he is now able to race off a mark of just 97.

That makes Virgil Earp well-weighted on his Irish back-form, and he hails from a shrewd yard that place their horses to the maximum effect.

Worcester selections

14.20: Degooch
14.50: Princesse Fleur
15.20: Raveloe
15.50: Zalgarry (NAP)
16.20: Preseli Rock
16.50: Mister Dick
17.20: Virgil Earp (NB)
17.55: Act Of Supremacy

Related

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