Speagle Eagle to swoop

Speagle can secure a first victory since December 2006 in the Hop To It At Pontin’s Handicap at Wolverhampton.

Derek Shaw makes a living from eking improvement out of lost causes and has certainly had his hands full with this one.

The chestnut was quite reasonable under the tutelage of Declan Carroll, having clocked up a hat-trick which resulted in an ominously high rating of 80.

Speagle has plummeted down the handicap since then, however, and was a consistent source of frustration when in the care of Adrian Chamberlain.

But things looked decidedly rosier on his first start for Shaw, as the Desert Sun gelding finished runner-up at Southwell to a well-treated course specialist.

Left alone by the handicapper for that three-length second, the step back up to a mile and a half looks the key behind his mini-resurgence.

Home can bring the house down at Kempton.

The three-year-old is often a law unto himself but has been in fine fettle this winter, having not finished outside the first four on his last nine starts.

Although he was a rather disappointing third over course and distance on his last start, the impressive Jim Boyle can get him back on the straight and narrow for this one-mile heat.

Grand Annual contender Beggars Cap can prove up to the job in the Make It Pay At Betdaq Novices’ Chase at Southwell.

Ferdy Murphy’s six-year-old is still learning his trade over fences but is clearly improving.

That was certainly the case at Carlisle at the start of the month as his precocious jumping neatly offset a hyper level of keenness early doors.

Beggars Cap stayed on at the line to win by a head and there is probably a lot more left in the tank now Murphy has fathomed out this complex individual.

Mon Mome holds a Grand National entry but can make a seamless transition back to smaller obstacles in the ALS Civil Engineers Ltd Handicap Hurdle at Folkestone.

Venetia Williams is a maestro in releasing the potential of this sort of animal, who has been placed four times in Graded company.

But having taken fourth place in the William Hill Trophy at Cheltenham, in which he is again entered, the eight-year-old has only once been seen on a racecourse.

That was at Wincanton earlier this month when he was pulled up, so Williams will be desperate to get more match practice into the Vida Bingham-owned gelding.

While Mon Mome’s hurdling form is not too clever, he should have way too much class for the rest of them who line up at the Kent track.