We will be represented by Schiehallion Munro at the Cheltenham Festival on Thursday, but first our attention is on Sedgefield on Tuesday where we have six runners on ground that is currently good to soft, soft in places.
First up at 1.50.pm, is the Sedgefield legend Roxyfet who runs over his favoured two miles and one furlong, on ground that wont hopefully dry out too much, he will once again be partnered by Emma Smith-Chaston. Roxyfet has his 42nd start at Sedgefield, and goes in search of course win number 10, on what will be his 110th start in total. He was a respectable fourth over this course and distance 19 days ago on ground that was two fast, and has been dropped a further 4lb to a very good looking mark of 80.
We are doubly represented at 2.30.pm, in the extended two miles and three furlongs 0-105 handicap hurdle. Desaray Girl is on a hat-trick having won at Ayr and Market Rasen last month. She now races from a 10lb higher mark than last time for a neck win, which will make life tougher, but she is still a very well handicapped horse judged on her Listed win at Haydock back in December 2019. Emma Smith-Chaston who was on board for those two recent wins retains the ride.
Our other representative in the race is the ex French Balkotic who was a flat race winner in France, and also placed twice over hurdles. He was tailed off on both of his first two starts for us in December of last year, and most recently went lame, and was pulled up after jumping the first at Sedgefield 34 days ago, he will once again be partnered by Alian Cawley.
We also have two runners at 3.10.pm, in the 0-105 novices handicap chase over two miles and three furlongs. Onenightintown ran a personal best at Catterick last time when finishing second under Becky Smith who retains the ride. This will be tougher though as he has to race from a 5lb higher mark, in a better race, the trip and the going will present no problem.
Getaway Jewel is our other representative in the race, he also ran in that same Catterick event last time when staying on into third behind Onenightintown. Getaway Jewel found Catterick far too sharp, and didn't get going until far too late that day, so this step up in trip could be the answer from a mark 3lb lower than when he won over hurdles at Sedgefield last season, he will once again be partnered by Alain Cawley.
Our final runner is Furax at 4.30.pm, in a three miles and three furlongs 0-115 handicap chase with Becky Smith retaining the ride. Furax was injured after his stable debut at Catterick in February 2021, after arriving from France in late 2020, which forced him to miss a year. He didn't reappear until January of this year when finishing last at Newcastle, and he didn't fare any better at Wetherby in February when pulling up before four out. His mark continues to tumble from an opening BHA rating of 127, he can now race off 107.
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Good luck to the connections, Samuel Sutton & Partners, Resdev, Raypasha, The Rat Pack Racing Club, Phil Ellerby, and Ursa Major And Partners.