Garter to fit the bill at Kempton
CONSISTENT filly Garter can secure a third win since October when she rocks up at Kempton.
Charlie Hills’ four-year-old has been in fine fettle on the all-weather, having stated her intentions with a cool course-and-distance success four months ago.
Garter continued her rise with another gutsy success at Lingfield in November and then lost barely a smidgen in defeat when a narrow runner-up at Kempton in December.
Next up for the daughter of Fastnet Storm was a return to Lingfield for a seven-furlong fillies’ handicap a week ago.
Garter came fast and late in what was a fair race for the prize-money, but she was compromised late on after having encountered traffic problems.
Whether she would have improved upon her third-placed finish behind Simply Me is debatable, but that good run at least served notice of her vitality.
Garter faces seven rivals, most of whom are either out of form or exposed, in a seven-furlong fillies’ handicap in Sunbury.
It would, then, be a bit of a surprise if she did not go very close in the hands of Callum Shepherd, who again claims a handy 3lb.
Keep close tabs on Beauchamp Opal in the opening one-mile handicap.
Trained in Newmarket by Charlie Fellowes, this three-year-old daughter of Pastoral Pursuits was a bit of an eyecatcher over course and distance on January 6.
Held up from well off the pace, Stevie Donohoe and his partner made up plenty of late ground at the death to finish third, beaten under three lengths by Dangerous Ends.
The winner renews rivalry at Kempton, but she is now 5lb higher, whereas Fellowes’ filly competes on the same mark.
Go George Go’s winning run at Newcastle is unlikely to end in the Betway Handicap.
Alan Swinbank’s grey has claimed four consecutive victories over this mile-and-a-half trip and is clearly still improving.
From what we have seen so far, another hike in the weights should not yet knock him off his stride.
Druid’s Folly could go well when he steps up in distance at Leicester.
The seven-year-old was sent to Lingfield three weeks ago in pursuit of back-to-back victories following a pleasing performance at Towcester in November.
But Fergal O’Brien’s inmate looked a shade one-paced in a two-mile handicap hurdle as he came home third behind Crievehill.
Druid’s Folly still emerged with credit to suggest he can still win off a mark of 118, with the decision to go back up to an extended two and a half miles likely to work the proverbial oracle in the Golden Miller Handicap Hurdle.