Cheekpieces might help Charisma Cat at Market Rasen on Tuesday

February 16

Charisma Cat is still something of a work in progress, but Alan has always had a high opinion of the Waley-Cohen owned six-year-old. so it will be interesting to see how she shapes in what looks a very competitive mares novice hurdle at Market Rasen tomorrow.

A three-time bumper winner, Charisma Cat has taken time to get her act together over hurdles, but her jumping was better when she made it third time lucky at Chepstow last month, and, though on official ratings she has it do with likely favourite Khrisma at level weights, we are hoping that she’ll improve again in first time cheekpieces.

We also have just the one runner on Wednesday, Nap Hand, who after four months off, returns to the Flat in the finale at Kempton’s polytrack evening meeting, a mile and three furlong handicap.

Nap Hand has won three races on the level and one over hurdles, and, though he has yet to open his account on the all-weather, he has finished in the frame five times on the Sunbury course. He has now dropped back down to the same mark as he was when winning a Grade 3 handicap at Newbury 18 months ago, so fingers crossed he’ll be in the shake up against this less-exalted company.

We have some tasty entries for Kempton’s big jumps fixture on Saturday, and, while Alan will be keeping an eye on the weather, there aren’t many turf tracks that dry out better, which is one of the reasons why virtually every jumps trainer is hoping that the Jockey Club will see common sense and resist selling the course to a property developer.

Reflecting on what we might run this week-end, we’ll know more after the final declaration stage on Thursday, but Alan pencilled in the Ladbroke Trophy (formerly known as the Racing Post Chase) for The Doyen Chief after the lightly-raced nine-year-old won his second race over the course and distance in January. This three miles is ideal, and off a mark just 1lb higher he looks sure take a lot of beating.

Another who would be interesting should he be sent down the M3 is Favour And Fortune, who won the Scottish Champion Hurdle two years ago, He  is a classy performer, and this time last year finished an excellent fourth in the William Hill Trophy (one time Schweppes) at Newbury.

He stepped up in trip at Aintree two months later and produced a career-best performance when third in another highly competitive handicap, so should he get the green light to return in the two mile five hurdle he would be worth a second look, though it would be his first race for 10 months so he ought to improve on whatever he does on his seasonal reappearance.