Leicester preview: Terhaal ticks all the right boxes

David Metcalf | May 30, 2016

Terhaal looks tasty at Leicester

Terhaal shaped really well when runner-up on his seasonal reappearance and can go one better to land the 1m handicap on today’s card at Leicester (15:20).

The gelding looked a useful prospect when winning his sole start as a juvenile for William Haggas, but then suffered an injury and was on the sidelines for 345 days.

Terhaal then joined trainer David O’Meara and, after shaping as if badly needing his first start, posted two cracking efforts.

In the first of those, he finished an eye-catching a staying on third over 7f at Catterick.

The four-year-old backed that up with a solid third of 12 at Newmarket, keeping on to be beaten just over five lengths after racing too keenly in the early stages.

Judged on those efforts, a handicap mark of 78 looked very exploitable, and Terhaal shaped as if ahead of it when beaten just 1 1/2 lengths by Spring Offensive on return to action at Pontefract last month.

That run should have have blown away the cobwebs and put him spot on for this. With Ryan Moore now taking over in the saddle, the son of Raven’s Pass is going to be a tough nut to crack.

Azagal weighted to strike