Trends point to Fashion Icon
The most competitive race on Tuesday’s Catterick card is the Goracing.co.uk Handicap at 4.00pm and the David O’Meara trained Fashion Icon looks to have an excellent chance of scoring in this five-furlong event. This four-year-old filly has had a busy season so far, having raced 11 times but comes into this contest at the top of her game.
Having performed well on a number of occasions, she got off the mark for the season in a Doncaster handicap last time, where she made most of the running and kept on gamely to hold off the challenge of Kyzer Chief by a neck. Although her trainer only has a small string of horses, they are clearly running well at present, gaining two victories from their last twelve runners.
Fashion Icon will have no problems with this sharp track either having done well here in the past. Her effort over this course and distance back in April, where she finished third behind Dispol Grand would probably be good enough to win this, but she is also able to race off a four-pound lower mark now. Allotted a good draw in stall two, she undoubtedly has many things in her favour and therefore looks sure to take all the beating.
Raccoon is a gallant veteran trained by Ruth Carr, and even at the age of ten, he remains capable of a good showing in this grade. Although he has yet to visit the winner’s enclosure this term, he did score three times back in 2009, the first of which came over this course and distance. On that occasion, he stayed on well to beat Liberty Ship by two lengths in what was a better contest than this.
However, his efforts so far this year have not been so good although he did show signs of a return to form last time when filling the runner-up spot behind Galpin Junior, again over this course and distance. That run came in claiming company though, and even for that level, it was far from the strongest of contests. His draw in stall 11 is also far from ideal and he may struggle to get into the mix from such a wide position.
The most likely danger to Fashion Icon is likely to come from the Ed Creighton runner, Pressed For Time. This filly has been in reasonable form this year, which has included a victory in an ordinary handicap at Wolverhampton back in June. She came close to adding to that win last time at Lingfield, where she attempted to make all the running. However, despite pulling well clear early on, she tired in the closing stages and eventually had to settle for fourth behind Scottish Glen.
That was still a good effort and was only half a length adrift at the line. The draw has been kind too as she will be coming out of gate 5 and she should be able to get a good position early on. On the negative side though is the fact that neither trainer nor jockey has ever recorded a win at this venue, and the stable are currently finding winners hard to come by.
Spirit Of Coniston would have been of some interest had it not been for the fact he has to contend with stall 14. Trained by Paul Midgeley, this gelding is a three times course and distance winner who is now running off a three-pound lower mark than his last victory which came at this venue back in 2009. A bold front running type, he is going to have to burn up a lot of energy early on if he is to get to the front from such a wide position. His best form also tends to come with some give in the ground, and therefore unless the heavens suddenly open, he will not have his favoured conditions.
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