STARLIT CANTATA has hit the bar on her last two outings, but should be on the mark in the Betway Handicap at Lingfield on Wednesday.
The six-year-old has registered each of her four career victories over the 10-furlong track here. She returns to her favourite course and distance and while she has failed to strike gold in over a year, Eve Johnson Houghton has sent the Oratorio mare to Lingfield just three times in the interim.
Given she was up against the ill-fated Franklin D on one of those occasions, she perhaps deserves a bit more credit than you would first think and there was plenty of encouragement in a recent head reverse at Chelmsford.
She was sporting cheekpieces for the first time in a while there and they stay on for this assignment. Despite going up a couple of pounds, her mark of 77 is the same as her last winning one in October 2015.
A starting point of 78 looks highly workable for Snobbery in the Betway Best Odds Guaranteed Plus Handicap. Third on his debut at Kempton, Roger Charlton’s charge improved on that effort when scoring at Wolverhampton at the beginning of December.
That was merely an average maiden, but Snobbery could be called the winner a long way from home and was far from pushed. This race will present a stiffer task but Snobbery can rise to the challenge.
Constantino has had to settle for second the last twice at Newcastle, but he can finally get his head in front in the sunbets.co.uk Handicap. Beaten a length-and-a--quarter by Flaming Spear, Constantino has been put up 2lb by the handicapper for that effort but given he was having just his seventh start, there could still be a little something left in the locker for Richard Fahey to work with.
Charmix can finally get off the mark over fences in the Weatherbys Private Bank Novices’ Chase at Hereford. Harry Fry’s charge looked an exciting recruit to the chasing division at the start of the season having run some fine races over hurdles to secure a rating of 145.
However, his first two efforts over fences have yielded no joy, although he probably stood little chance against the Grade One-placed As De Mee on his debut given that one has gone on to win the Grand Sefton at Aintree.
He was undone by his inexperience that day so connections would surely have expected an improved effort at Bangor on his next outing, but again Charmix’s `jumping came unstuck when the race really began in earnest.
The winner that day, Potters Legend, is another smart type so it perhaps was not as bad a run as it may have seemed at first glance. Fry is sure to have been working on Charmix’s jumping in the interim and he is worth one last chance at this sort of level.
Canoodle can make it second-time lucky over obstacles in the Weatherbys Printing Services Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle. A bumper winner for Hughie Morrison at Newbury back in March, Canoodle found a Listed event in that sphere beyond her on her seasonal bow but shaped with promise when second on her first hurdles run. While she was beaten nine lengths by Theatre Territory, that rival has since gone on to be placed at Listed level which gives the form an extra sheen ahead of this event.
Stage One has hit the bar three times in the novice division and is one to follow in the Weatherbys Global Stallions App Handicap Hurdle. Third on each of his outings, Stage One certainly has some ability but appears to have just fallen short at the business end.
A point to point winner in March 2015, he looks to have been given a chance from a starting mark of 113.
IRISH NEWS YANKEE
Nap: Starlit Cantata (2.15: Lingfield)
Double: Snobbery (3.15: Lingfield)
Treble: Constantino (3.05: Newcastle)
Yankee: Charmix (1.55: Hereford)
