AT THE RACES

GERYVILLE looks to have been a shrewd acquisition for Micky Hammond and can get back to winning ways in the Wetherby Racecourse Handicap Chase at the West Yorkshire track.

Previously trained in France by Francois Cottin where he was a winning hurdler, he was picked up for E40,000 and it already looks money well spent.

His new connections will certainly have recouped some of their outlay if they had backed him on his British debut in any case.

Sent off an unconsidered 40-1 chance at Wetherby in October from a mark of 109, he slowly warmed to his task at the rear of the field before coming through with a strong late run.

He powered clear to win going away by 10 lengths, earning a 10lb hike from the handicapper which he went close to defying back at Wetherby in early December.

It is the form of this race which gives him outstanding claims, though, as even in being beaten by Sidi Ismael, he enhanced his promise.

The David Pipe-trained winner beat him from a mark of 118 yet over Christmas went to Market Rasen for the Lincolnshire National where he won off 127 and is now rated 135.

That shows the size of the task faced by Geryville, who has gone up 2lb himself, but he clearly lost little in defeat.

The penny seemed to have really dropped for Readysteadybeau when he won at Haydock last time out.

Lucinda Russell’s six-year-old had shown promise in his four previous outings, even finishing second twice, but he looked a different proposition last time.

Brought with a steady late run, he relished the step up to three miles and testing ground was not a bother to him. He should take all the beating in the Follow @ RacingTV On Twitter Handicap Hurdle.

Kayfast Warrior might be up to defying a penalty in the wetherbyracing.co.uk Juvenile Hurdle.

Donald McCain’s youngster won four on the Flat for Tom Dascombe and while well beaten on his hurdling debut, he took a big step forward to win at Wetherby over Christmas. He was value for more than the winning margin that day and while ex-Flat recruit Jaramillo looks the class act, he has to prove he can act in the mud.

The Lydia Richards-trained Smith ended last year with two wins at Lingfield and can bring up a hat-trick in the Read Katie Walsh On Betway Insider Handicap back at the same track.

Having only won one of his first 18 races, he had shown his turn was not far away with a series of placed efforts.

The first success came off a mark of 53 and then he defied a 2lb rise when bolting up by over eight lengths last time out.

He is now 10lb higher than for the first win but if he remains in similar form he will be hard to beat.