Captain to take Charge
CAPTAIN DION can get his 2017 campaign off to the best possible start by lifting the Betway Handicap at Wolverhampton.
Kevin Ryan’s charge was last seen on December 30 when he failed to see out the year in style as he could finish only fourth in a six-furlong heat at Newcastle.
The four-year-old possibly did not thrive on the straight track at Gosforth Park, but still ran with credit to be beaten just a length and a half after trying to make all.
His front-running style had previously been seen to much better effect at Chelmsford, where he dominated from the off and powered home by two lengths.
Captain Dion seemed to enjoy racing round a bend that day and a similar set up here should help his chances of regaining the winning thread.
Prisom went down by just a head last time, but compensation awaits in the sunbets.co.uk Download The App Handicap.
She is clearly no world beater having won just one of her 10 starts to date, but she is in good heart at present and would not have to be too special to win here.
Free Zone has been pretty consistent so far this winter and can keep up the good work in Lingfield’s Betway Best Odds Guaranteed Plus Claiming Stakes.
Placed on four of his last five starts, Lee Carter has a good grasp of the eight-year-old’s level now and this switch down in company is sure to give him a bit of a boost.
Zain Arion created a 16-1 shock last month and is the one to side with in the 32Red Fillies’ Handicap.
Off the track since August, Zain Arion had transferred to John Butler’s yard
from the care of Charlie Fellowes and promptly made an ideal start for the new handler.
It would be reasonable to expect Zain Arion to benefit from that first run in four months, so a 3lb rise might prove to be quite lenient.
Templier was rated as highly as 80 at one point on the Flat and after making a seamless transition to the hurdles ranks, he must be followed in the Equimark Horseboxes Sport Pro Chatteris Fen Juvenile Hurdle at Huntingdon.