Towcester Preview: Fleet can sail to success

Rosa Fleet looks weighted to take all the beating in the 3m handicap hurdle at Towcester today (3.00) now returned to the scene of her last success.

Trained by Venetia Williams, the mare won twice last season, and the last of those victories came at this venue over 2m 5f off an official rating of 119.

The seven-year-old stayed on gamely up the stiff uphill finish to beat Cabaret Girl by 3/4 of a length and was given an opening handicap mark of 120 on the back of it.

Rosa Fleet has since run well to be placed on three occasions this season, and signalled that her time was near last time out at Market Rasen when a staying on second to Iconic Rose.

The daughter of Alflora was given plenty to do by jockey Aidan Coleman and now meets the enterprisingly ridden winner on 5lb better terms.

That may well be enough to turn the tables given how that race panned out, and Rosa Fleet’s current mark of 110 looks very exploitable if she can build on her latest effort.

Trainer Fergal O’Brien has his team in fine form and Diamond Gesture can provide him with another winner in the 2m handicap hurdle (4.00).

O’Brien has saddle three winners from his last 10 runners and in Diamond Gesture has a mare who is nicely treated on the pick of her form.

The seven-year-old remains a maiden after 20 starts but has run some solid races to make the frame.

They include a third of 13 to Trend Is My Friend in a class 4 contest at Perth last July off a mark of 92 where Diamond Gesture stayed on strongly from off the pace to be beaten just 1 3/4 lengths.

The daughter of Presenting gets in this lower grade class 5 event off just 2lb higher, and that should enable her to be very competitive.