Katate Dori hunting notable strike in Ladbrokes Trophy

Katate Dori will join a very exclusive club if he manages to win the Ladbrokes Trophy again at Kempton on Saturday.

Kim Bailey’s diminutive Docklands Express was the last to achieve back-to-back successes in 1991 and 1992 and before that you have to go back to Pendil in 1973-74, who has a race named after him on the card.

Sam Thomas feels the race is very “winnable” once more for his eight-year-old, who is back from an 11lb higher mark than for his 15-length romp.

“We left the visors off for his last run at Cheltenham and he put in a nice performance. It looked like he was going to win but he never quite got up,” said Thomas.

“We’re happy with where we are. It’s a very winnable race I’d say, for all there are plenty of horses in there with a chance.

“I’m just hoping that the visors going back on will eke out a bit more in him.

“I don’t think he has to dominate (like he did last year). I couldn’t tell you what happened last year, that was Charlie Deutsch doing his own thing but we won’t tie Dylan (Johnston) down to instructions.

“Hopefully this is a stepping stone to the Scottish National and I’m delighted the ground has dried up.”

Deep Cave had looked a chaser on the up before disappointing at Doncaster in the Great Yorkshire Chase last time out for Christian Williams.

The trainer is hoping for a similar scenario to Grand Geste, who also disappointed at Town Moor only to come out and win the Grand National Trial at Haydock last week.

“We’ve just put a line through Doncaster, we could come up with excuses but to me he looked beaten after two fences,” said Williams.

“It would be nice if he could do what Grand Geste did and put Doncaster behind him.

“We’re going there as if Doncaster never happened and remembering his Ascot win because he looked a very nice horse before that.

“It’s a great race, some brilliant horses have won it down the years like Desert Orchid and Docklands Express and we were lucky enough to win it a few years ago with Cap Du Nord.”

Ben Pauling runs two, Henry’s Friend and Leader In The Park.

“It’s was much the plan to go with Leader In The Park, but I wouldn’t necessarily be running him if it was verging on heavy ground, first time over three miles,” said Pauling.

“Leader In The Park has got loads of improvement in him somewhere and Henry’s Friend is incredibly consistent and never really runs a bad race.

“I think they’re both in particularly good order, it’s a valuable pot and I’d like to win it.”

Dan Skelton is another double handed with top weight Boombawn and Hoe Joly Smoke, the mount of Harry Skelton.

“I’ve had this race in mind all season for Hoe Joly Smoke to be honest,” Skelton told Ladbrokes.

“Three miles on this track is absolutely ideal for him. We’ve put a pair of cheekpieces on him as well. Obviously, this one is worth a lot of money and we felt it was worth laying him out for it, so we’ve done that, and his work has been good. The ground should be ideal, I’m really positive about the whole thing, to be honest. Hopefully he goes really well.

“Boombawn doesn’t look that well-handicapped, but he knows how to run well in big races, so that bit of class is there, and we get 7lb off as well as we’re using young Harry (Atkins). Whilst not well handicapped he does run well at Kempton.”

At the other end of the weights is Sean Bowen on the Emmet Mullins-trained Rising Dust, winner of five of his last six races.

“Rising Dust runs in the Ladbrokes Trophy and it’s always interesting when Emmett Mullins sends one over,” Bowen told Coral. “He’s been a revelation since joining the yard and he’s done nothing but win.

“The question now is how far he can go. He started off on a mark in the high 80s and now he’s up above 127, so life is only getting tougher. He’s gone up plenty in the weights and he’s going to have to keep improving, but when horses get on a roll like he has, you never quite know where the ceiling is.”