THINGS CAN GO BETTER WITH CHERRY COLA ON TOP

2022-09-28 -

SOME ultra-competitve racing at Nottingham today as the “Grassroots” series reaches its climax.

The Fairfax Saddles Grassroots

Series Stayers’ Final Handicap has a nice shape to it, and I’m happy to row in again with CHERRY COLA (3.55 Nap) who almost landed us a goodpriced winner when runner-up at Plumpton a couple of weeks ago.

Like a lot of Sheena West’s horses she seems to have improved for an increased emphasis on stamina on the Flat, with her form over C&D reading 152, all of it on ground good or better, which she will encounter today.

When she was second to Alpine Stroll here earlier in the year, she was conceding 1lb and was beaten two lengths, yet finds herself in receipt of 15lb today, which ought to be more than enough to turn the tables.

Her jockey, Rose Dawes, was seen to good effect when winning on Fred Bear for the yard at Ffos Las the other day.

Score

She didn’t panic when her mount was slow to stride, and came through to score by a comfortable 2¼ lengths.

The Fairfax Saddles Grassroots Mile Series Final Handicap sees West (right) with another contender in Sly Madam, on the lookout for her sixth win since the middle of May.

I’d certainly not rule that out, but marginal preference is for the gradually progressive FLYLIKEANEAGLE (4.30), who boasts turf for figures of 121131 since joining Lucinda Russell.

Flylikeaneagle has gone up again in the weights for winning a competitive handicap on the Ayr Gold Cup card last time, but the Free Eagle gelding won on both his starts on a sound surface when trained by Mark Johnston, earning an initial mark of 85.

He’s still a stone lower than that having lost his way racing on testing ground on the Flat and over hurdles for Eamonn O’Connell.

He immediately refound form since racing on top of the ground for his new yard, and can defy the handicapper again with conditions in his favour.

At Catterick, the best bet on a tricky card looks to be Tim Easterby’s ERUPTION (4.39) who has been running with credit in better races than this, and has slipped below the mark off which she won at Musselburgh.