NORTH Yorkshire trainer David O’Meara, who re-introduces Custom Cut , one of his stable stars from last season at Sandown today, will also be keeping a close eye on the action from Doncaster where he has outstanding chances with recent winners Birdman and Signore Piccolo.
Custom Cut proved a revelation last term, winning five races on the bounce – two Listed events, two Group 3 contests, including one at York, and the Group 2 Joel Stakes at Newmarket.
Far from disgraced in the Group 1 QEII Stakes at Ascot on his final start, Custom Cut heads to Sandown to contest the Group 2 bet365 Mile, which has prize money of £95,000.
It’s a warm race and Custom Cut, who has a 4lb penalty to carry, has no easy task, even though he is marginally the highest-rated runner in the line- up.
That said, he is a reliable yardstick and a very talented horse who should take plenty of beating under Danny Tudhope.
Birdman lines up in the betdaq.com Handicap under a 6lb penalty, but that still makes him 7lb ‘well-in’ compared to future races. He won with any amount to spare on his first run for O’Meara at Thirsk last Saturday, as a result of which the handicapper raised his rating by 13lb.
His new mark does not kick in until tomorrow, so Birdman has a good opportunity here to capitalise. Sam James has the mount.
Josh Doyle will be aboard Signore Piccolo in the Betdaq 50% Comm Back First 3 Months Handicap, just as he was when the sprinter won at Ripon last week on his first start for O’Meara.
That victory came in an apprentices’ race which means Signore Piccolo escapes a penalty here. He should be hard to beat.
Apprentice Kevin Stott, who left Hambleton trainer Kevin Ryan to join Luca Cumani last month, rides for his new Newmarket boss aboard King Bolete in the Owlerton Greyhound Stadium Handicap.
The three-year-old is an interesting runner. He had only two outings as a juvenile but broke his duck on his second attempt at Nottingham in the autumn.
He looks the type to progress this season.
Kirkman is napped to land the Emily, Fred And Alan Sturgess Memorial Handicap.
Trained by James Bethell, the four-year-old won at Beverley last summer and finished a creditable third on the same course before finishing unplaced at Thirsk before his campaign drew to a close before the beginning of September.
Lightly-raced, Kirkman remains unexposed and makes appeal here off bottom weight.
Bethell has made an encouraging start to the season and this horse is fancied to be another winner for the Middleham handler.
Back at Sandown, Richard Fahey has good prospects of landing the opening bet365 Esher Cup with Spring Offensive the mount of Tony Hamilton.
A Redcar winner last season before a narrow defeat at York, the three-year-old finished a good second on his reappearance in a hot handicap at Musselburgh and promises to be better suited by this more galloping course. He is entitled to go well.
The bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes is a tightly-knit affair, but it would be foolish to dismiss Postponed, who created a big impression at York last August when winning no less a race than the Great Voltigeur Stakes.
Luca Cumani’s colt looks set for a big season. This could be a good opportunity to get his campaign off to a perfect start.
Also worth noting at Sandown are Snoano, who merits attention in the bet365 Classic Trial after showing himself in a favourable light as a juvenile, despite looking much more a three-year-old prospect, and Jack Hobbs, a highly-regarded John Gosden inmate, who won his only start at Wolverhampton in the winter and who reappears in the bet365 Handicap.
Doncaster today: 1.20 Birdman, 1.50 King Bolete, 2.20 Kirkman (NAP), 2.50 Wanting, 3.25 Sakhee’s Rose, 4.00 Signore Piccolo, 4.35 Quite Smart.
Sandown today: 1.30 Spring Offensive, 2.00 Postponed, 2.30 Custom Cut, 3.00 Snoano, 3.35 Waady, 4.10 Moonlight Sonata, 4.45 Jack Hobbs.
Today’s other meetings: Chepstow, Perth and Plumpton.
Tomorrow’s meetings: Doncaster, Haydock, Leicester, Ripon, Sandown and Wolverhampton.