Nottingham preview: Dawn Catcher weighted to deliver

David Metcalf | October 28, 2015

Dawn Catcher can take advantage of a drop in the weights to land the 5f handicap on today’s card at Nottingham for the second year running (15.20).

The Geoffrey Deacon trained mare enjoyed a terrific 2014 when winning four times, with the last of those successes coming in this contest off a mark of 75.

Dawn Catcher was put up to 79 after that victory and has since had two lengthy breaks and run just five times.

The five-year-old ran well on the second of those when a 2 1/4 length third on soft ground at Ffos Las off 79, and also shaped better than the bare result two starts back out when slowly away before keeping on nicely to finish a never nearer 4 3/4 length eighth of 14 at Salisbury.

Dawn Catcher was also far from disgraced last time out at Windsor when encountering trouble in-running and finishing ninth of 15 to Deeds Not Words, and has since been dropped another 2lb to a mark of 73.

That is 2lb lower than when victorious in this 12 months, and gives Dawn Catcher major claims from a handicapping perspective.

The daughter of Bertolini also now drops back down into class 5 company for the first time this season, and everything points to a huge run.

Falcon ready to Reign

In the 1m 2f amateur riders’ handicap (16.20), the well-treated Falcon’s Reign is a fascinating contender now that he gets the soft ground he relishes.

The Mick Appleby trained gelding on a long losing run, having not scored since landing a 1m class 4 handicap at Newmarket on soft ground back in November 2013 off a mark of 67.

However, he has run well on a couple of occasions to make the frame and is now able to race in this class 6 contest off a career-low mark of just 58.

The six-year-old also comes into the contest having shaped better than the bare result suggests when ninth of 10 at Brighton two weeks ago on his first start after 231 days on the sidelines, showing plenty of pace to chase the leaders until weakening late on.

That run should have blown away the cobwebs and put Falcon’s Reign spot on for this, and the rain that has hit the track will be massively in his favour as both his career successes have come on testing ground.

Selections:

12.50: Daqeeq
13.20: Raasmaal
13.50: Custom
14.20: Big Time
14.50: Mr Kite
15.20: Dawn Catcher (NAP)
15.50: Magnolia Ridge
16.20: Falcon’s Reign (NB)

Related

Check out our horse racing archive.