Zoffee set to shine
ZOFFEE is expected to open his account over fences at the second attempt in the Best Mate Beginners’ Chase at Exeter.
Formerly a useful performer on the Flat for Tom Dascombe, the four-year-old joined Philip Hobbs to pursue a jumping career last year and made it third time lucky over hurdles with an 11-length domination at Doncaster in February.
The Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival proved a bridge too far, but he made a promising return when third on the level at Thirsk last month before filling the runner-up spot behind the highclass Getaway Trump on his fencing bow at Warwick.
With his two rivals having been off the track for a good while, Zoffee looks to have been an excellent opportunity to go one better.
Colin Tizzard’s Sizing At Midnight is a little unusual in that he needs a test of stamina but also likes decent ground rather than a bog.
He has had those conditions the last twice and has been well on top both times, at Newton Abbot and, more recently, at Ffos Las.
Obviously the handicapper has had his say, putting Sizing At Midnight up 6lb for his first win and another 9lb for his second - but given he never came off the bridle at Ffos Las, that may still not be enough.
Hughie Morrison’s Whitehaven has been in great heart of late and holds strong claims of winning for the third time in four starts in the attheraces.com Handicap at Yarmouth.
He won off a lowly mark at Lingfield and was then beaten on the all-weather at Kempton - but back on turf at this track last time out, he bolted up.
The ground was soft that day - so the testing conditions are in his favour, and he should defy his 6lb penalty.
Hugo Palmer’s Glesga Gal has not been seen since faring well in a Newmarket maiden more than 100 days ago.
She had earlier chased home Ville De Grace on her debut, and that form looks above average.
At Newmarket Glesga Gal was in front of Miss Jingles - who went on to win her next two and is rated in the mid90s - while the winner, Karl Burke’s She’s So Nice, was fourth in the Lowther.
It looked a decent affair, so Glesga Gal should have no trouble opening her account in the British European Breeders Fund Fillies’ Novice Stakes.
The Clive Cox-trained Night Narcissus showed enough on debut to suggest she could be hard to beat in the Unibet/ British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes at Kempton.