Horse racing tips: three for the festive fixture at Catterick
By Dave Nevison
Last Updated: Thu 28 Dec 2023
Our resident website tipster Dave Nevison believes three runners are handicapped to go very close at Catterick on Thursday. Enjoy more action from Leicester as well as the big Christmas festivals from Limerick and Leopardstown live on Racing TV.
The top-quality racing switches to Ireland and Leopardstown on Thursday and the fields are very small at Leicester - hopefully the meeting goes ahead - so I am putting up three that I hope will go well at Catterick. Good luck!
1.40 Catterick: Claret Dabbler
Dave Nevison
Finished: PU SP: 9/1
There is a distinct possibility that the future may be behind this nine-year-old, but based on several pieces of form he really should not be running off a mark of 85.
Claret Dabbler was beaten just half a length from a rating of 88 over course and distance on his penultimate start and he clearly acts really well over Catterick’s sharp two-mile circuit.
The only obvious concern is his long absence from the track, but he has run a couple of good races after only slightly shorter absences previously and I am hopeful that Claret Dabbler will be fit enough for this return to action.
A strong market move would increase confidence.
2.50 Catterick: Oceans Red
A wind operation and a change of headgear seems to have brought about a bit of improvement in Oceans Red and he won’t find himself in many weaker handicaps than this.
Unlike most of his opposition here, this consistent type does know how to win races having scored twice a couple of seasons ago. He runs off the same mark as when second in what proved a strong race at Fakenham last autumn and, judged on his two runs after his break, that rating looks favourable.
Oceans Red gets on well with Toby Wynne who is now only claiming 3lbs, but that will still be valuable over this extended three miles and the pair look to have plenty going for them.
3.23 Catterick: God’s Own Getaway
Dan Skelton’s five-year-old hurdler doesn’t need to improve much to land this competitive handicap off a mark of just 105.
It looks very much as though he has been trained with getting a good handicap mark in mind and he came from way back at Warwick last time, catching the eye when finishing strongly. That was his seasonal reappearance and he ran in a similar fashion on his final start of last season.
Provided he comes on for his latest effort he should go very close here.
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