Dispol Foxtrot to dance home
The eight-year-old mare has won 10 of her 56 starts and been placed 16 times, as well as running three times over hurdles. She usually comes with a late run and ended last season with a typical victory over a mile at Southwell, coming with a late burst to catch Bridgewater Boys and win by a head.
Trained by Vicky Scott then, the mare has since joined David Nicholls, although her exploits for her new trainer have proved anything but praiseworthy.
She made a delayed start for her new connections in September, nine months after her last run, and a slow start over one mile and two furlongs at Ayr effectively ruled her out of the contest, although she did run on to grab fourth place.
She turned in a similar effort next time over seven furlongs at Newcastle and looked even less impressive when trailing in ninth of 10 over one mile and one furlong at Ayr after yet another slow start.
At eight years of age, the mare may be past her best now but Nicholls is not a man to give up easily and he must have seen something in the mare when he bought her. She runs off a mark on the all-weather more than a stone lower than her current turf rating and is only 4lb higher than when scoring in this grade last year at Southwell.
If she can get away on level terms from a decent draw, she should be good enough to take this prize.
Wolverhampton could prove a happy hunting ground for Ceredig, still a maiden after 11 starts but surely poised to break his duck in the Dine At Dunstall Park Median Auction Maiden Stakes over six furlongs.
This well-related son of Lujain showed little last year when with Neville Callaghan and started this season in similar vein.
Now with William Muir, the gelding showed his first real sign of form when second to Lucksin over five furlongs at Leicester in July, but showed an instant liking for the polytrack when a good third to Hello Man at Wolverhampton last month.
He then followed up with a similar placing behind Fastrac Boy in a blanket finish over five furlongs at the same course.
This is no tougher than his latest contest and with the prospect of some slight improvement to come on the all-weather, he should finally earn his place in the winner’s enclosure.
After a string of near-misses, Ferdy Murphy has hit form in style and can add another winner to his tally with Cardinal Spirit in the Weatherbys Bank Maiden Chase at Sedgefield.
The Selkirk gelding ran better than the bare facts would suggest on his hurdling bow but his quick switch to the bigger obstacles suggests that this is his sphere.
Terramarique is back over fences at Kempton where he contests the Betfred Novices’ Handicap Chase over three miles.
The winner of three of his seven starts over the larger obstacles, Nicky Henderson’s charge ran well for a long way when reverting to hurdles at Hereford last time only to fade in the closing stages and finish third.
This progressive chaser should be suited by the track and looks capable of a return to winning ways back chasing.
