Balding’s filly to cross the line ahead of her rivals
London - Crossing The Line can do so ahead of her five rivals in Chelmsford's Bet totetrifecta At totesport.com Handicap today.
Andrew Balding's filly returns to the Polytrack with an air of unfinished business, having excelled with back-to-back summer wins on turf since going very close in a valuable handicap at this track in June. Since that course-and-distance neck second, she has upped the ante with victories at Chester and York which have earned her a 4kg ratings rise in all.
She banked almost £44,000 for connections at the Knavesmire in August, earning herself a deserved break before this return for a winter campaign.
Crossing The Line has yet to win on this surface, having also finished runner-up - by just a head on that occasion - in a novice event over 1200m at Lingfield in May on her only other attempt.
She was thought good enough last year for a shot at the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes, in which she finished a 12-length 10th of 11 to Clemmie.
At three, the Cape Cross filly has undoubtedly found her niche at 1400m and with David Probert back on board to try to add to their two successes together so far, albeit one in the stewards' room after yet another close second, they should be in business again.
Half-an-hour earlier in the Bet totequadpot At totesport. com Handicap, Restive Spirit can cause a stir. It may not fill everyone with confidence that William Haggas is putting the cheekpieces on this gelding for the first time, or that Restive Spirit has had an 11-week break since his first experience of the all-weather at this track in mid-September.
He is not obviously well-treated either in relation to the reopposing Firmament, who beat him by two and a half lengths that day.
Previously, however, at Ripon the three-year-old had comfortably got the better of subsequent York scorer Aquarium - bare form which entitles him to be highly competitive here, whether the headgear brings about further improvement or not.
Global Wonder discovered the winning knack at his 17th and most recent attempt - and can demonstrate it was no fluke in the Bet toteexacta At totesport. com Handicap.
Gay Kelleway's gelding showed a tenacious attitude to break his duck at Kempton last month when he responded to being headed by producing a renewed and telling effort to win by 0.50 lengths.
The handicapper has prescribed a 1.5kg rise - but if Global Wonder is in the same mood, he can win again in this company.
Over jumps at Wincanton, Printing Dollars can prove a sound investment in the Hunts Food Service Mares' Maiden Hurdle. Her connections love a decent mare, and Printing Dollars has already proved she is exactly that with victory at the first attempt for them in a Warwick bumper last month.
Unbeaten after also winning an Irish point-to-point in the spring, the five-year-old is an obvious candidate to take instantly to this new discipline as well.
Some Chaos is also chasing a hat-trick in the Weatherbys Racing Bank Silver Buck Handicap Chase. Michael Scudamore's former Irish pointer went up 9kg in all for impressive wins at Bangor and Market Rasen for his new stable.
The indications so far are that the seven-year-old fully deserved his reassessment. – Press Association