Beverley should suit Relight My Fire

RELIGHT MY FIRE has lots in his favour in the Start Your Racing UK Free Trial Handicap at Beverley today.
Beverley RacecourseBeverley Racecourse
Beverley Racecourse

The six-year-old always saves his best work for when he is in East Yorkshire, yet has not won for over a year.

Be that as it may, Tim Easterby’s chestnut has finished runner-up over course and distance on his last two starts so is clearly in good nick.

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Still fairly treated, in spite of a 2lb rise, Relight My Fire has been set what, on paper at least, does not look that competitive an affair.

Course form is crucial at Beverley, and there are few more knowledgeable horses on the northern circuit than Easterby’s inmate, who is seeking a fifth success on the Westwood.

Adiator can be trusted in the Weatherbys Hamilton Fillies’ Handicap at Thirsk’s evening meeting.

Neville Bycroft’s eight-year-old has gone over two years since she last visited the winner’s enclosure, but she is handicapped accordingly.

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There were also the proverbial green shoots of recovery at Catterick a week ago when she finished second in a seven-furlong handicap.

That run must have especially reassured Bycroft as she seemed to thrive on what was her first stab over that trip for some time.

Adiator will always be susceptible to a younger horse, but this is hardly an epic race.

Her lowly mark – some 5lb lower than when she last won – is also further eroded by the reappointment of 7lb claimer Clifford Lee.

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Doctor Kehoe has a sporting chance of claiming back-to-back renewals of the Dribuild Group Handicap at Bath.

Trained in Monmouthshire by the eminently capable David Evans, the four-year-old won this race by a nose last year under an astute Cathy Gannon ride.

His form has been patchy since then, but there is a very realistic argument to suggest Evans has had this extended one-mile-three-furlong affair in mind for quite a while.

Doctor Kehoe was uninspiring earlier in the year, but his recent run at Chepstow a fortnight ago was a little more like it. The gelded son of Cockney Rebel finished fourth in a 12-furlong handicap, beaten two lengths by Bernisdale on soft ground – something that clearly holds no terrors.

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Doctor Kehoe showed at Bath last year he is perfectly happy when it is much quicker, though, so he will be able to handle whatever Mother Nature throws at Somerset. He runs off just a 1lb higher mark than when he struck 12 months ago and must have every chance in an ordinary race.

Frankie Dettori would dearly love to reach 3,000 domestic winners at Glorious Goodwood later this month as he enjoyed his first success on UK soil there.

Victory on Lizzy Hare for Luca Cumani on June 9, 1987 started Dettori on the road to a glorious career and he feels it would be fitting if he could reach the landmark at the course’s biggest meeting of the year.

“The dream started in 1987 when I had my first winner at Goodwood,” he said. “It’s been a great journey and it would be ironic if I did ride my 3,000th at Goodwood in two weeks’ time.

“It goes without saying that it holds a special place as I had my first winner there.”