Andy Holding is back with two tips for today's action, including a NAP at Plumpton.
14:45 Catterick
THE NAVIGATOR (best price 5/1) hasn’t fared too badly in his two starts since a mid-Winter break and now racing on both his ideal surface and a track that will suit, Dianne Sayer’s gelding enters calculations in a race where there doesn’t appear to be an obvious standout candidate.
In rampant form last Spring, the eight-year-old grey hasn’t quite managed to run to that sort of level of late, but considering the conditions would have been totally against him here last month and he was ridden too far out of his ground at Doncaster last time, the case for the defence is a pretty clear cut one.
Looking at most of his brighter days, they all seemed to surround genuinely fast ground and with the going description here today suggesting there are some firm patches at the Yorkshire venue, the son of Mastercraftsman has little excuses if he fails to put his best foot forward.
15:30 Plumpton
Gary Moore looks to have strong hand in this 0-120 handicap and of the pair towards the top end of the market, KOTMASK (NAP) (best price 5/2) is fancied to gain the bragging rights from his Lower Beeding stable.
A useful juvenile hurdler last season, the son of Masked Marvel began this campaign in a warm two-mile handicap at Ascot and considering he was taking on several experienced and genuine 130-rated horses, he acquitted himself pretty well on his first start for 216 days.
Well-backed when upped in trip at Leicester next time, the five-year-old looked big threat on the run down to the second last, but the combination of two modest jumps and soft ground meant he didn’t quite have the same energy levels as the eventual winner Apple Rock in the closing stages and he ended up having to settle for an honourable third.
Hopefully a bit slicker over his obstacles when the chips are down today, this lightly-raced and unexposed chestnut can take advantage of today’s sharper track and better ground.
