FREDRICKA just lost out by a head on her most recent start, but that excellent run bodes well for her chances in the Betway Handicap at Newcastle this evening.
The six-year-old has seen plenty of racecourse action – this will be her 46th start – but she has worked her way back down to what appears to be a winnable mark.
Although her last victory came at Redcar back in May, she triumphed there off a perch of 82, some 10lb higher than her current rating on the all-weather.
Fredricka has even been classed as high as 85 in the past but a string of unsuccessful efforts has seen her slide back down the weights and she only just failed to take advantage last time out over this course and distance. David Barron’s runner was a bit keen, but if Fredricka can get her early enthusiasm in check she could take some stopping.
Kotkikova can open her account for Nicky Henderson in the olbg.com Mares’ Hurdle at Huntingdon. The six-year-old was a Grade One winner over fences in France in 2015 and scored twice over hurdles in April last year, before being snapped up by JP McManus.
Switched to Henderson’s care, Kotkikova made her stable bow at the highest level at Leopardstown over Christmas, finishing fifth behind Vroum Vroum Mag in the three-mile Grade One hurdle.
She never looked like troubling the top-notch winner, but Kotkikova was not only returning from a long lay-off but also stepping up in trip for the first time, with both factors hardly likely to help an animal lacking match practice.
Kotkikova can be expected to have made significant strides for the run and dropped back to Grade Two level, she should make her class tell, with better things to come later on in the season.
El Terremoto is the one to be on in the Pertemps Network (Series Qualifier) Handicap Hurdle. The form of his second behind Clyne at Haydock last month has worked out particularly well with that one placing at Grade Two level over the weekend behind El Terremoto’s stablemate The New One. El Terremoto had struck gold in his two previous outings and looks a progressive individual.
Aux Ptits Soins sidestepped a couple of high-profile potential targets over Christmas but should be supported as he returns to the track in the Sky Bet-sponsored novice chase at Doncaster.
The seven-year-old made an instant impact on his British bow in 2015 when winning the Coral Cup at Cheltenham and while things did not go to plan the following season, connections made no secret of their excitement about a novice chasing campaign this term.
His initial effort was marginally disappointing as he had to settle for second behind the race-fit Drumlee Sunset, but Paul Nicholls felt the outing would have done his charge the world of good.
That proved to be the case as Aux Ptits Soins struck gold next time at Kelso, with a tired mistake at the last the only real blemish as he ran out a cosy length winner.
Nicholls is taking a low-key route, but victory would see him right in the Cheltenham Festival mix.
IRISH NEWS YANKEE
Nap: Fredricka (6.45: Newcastle)
Double: Kotkikova (2.30: Huntingdon)
Treble: El Terremoto (3.00: Huntingdon)
Yankee: Aux Ptits Soins (3.55: Doncaster)
