Horses In Focus / Timeform / 30 December 2008 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

Timeform take a close look at a horse who is beginning to hit the heights...

Herefordshire handler Richard Lee has a good record in improving horses from other yards, and appears to have repeated the trick with Heathcliff, who was bought out of Keith Reveley's yard for £28,000 at Doncaster's May Sales.

The six-year-old gelding is two from two for Lee, adding success at Chepstow on Welsh National day to his win at Huntingdon in November. At Chepstow, Heathcliff readily beat Another Brother by three and a quarter lengths (the runner-up was duly seven lengths clear of the remainder) despite making several mistakes over the three-mile contest. Heathcliff's amateur rider Oliver Greenall kept him well placed throughout, racing handily as few got into the race from off the pace. Nevertheless, Heathcliff appears to be a performer on the up and is worth keeping on-side when next seen in a handicap.

Hot Diamond remains a maiden over hurdles after seven attempts, though the way in which he shaped on his latest start suggests that he should not be long in gaining his first success. He was last seen in the opening contest at Kempton on Boxing Day, in which Michael Flips enhanced his reputation with a taking win.

Hot Diamond had travelled smoothly from the back of the field and looked set to pose more of a threat when short of room and forced back after three out, staying on once clear and briefly taking second at the last before finishing third. The performance was as good as Hot Diamond had shown previously, and would most likely have represented improvement had he not met the aforementioned interference. With his best form to date all coming on good or good to soft ground, similar conditions should present Hot Diamond with a good opportunity to break his duck over timber.

A recent recruit from Martin Brassil, Silent Wind made an eye-catching British debut at Leicester on Sunday for new trainer Gary Moore. With the blinkers and tongue tie he had been tried in of late removed, Silent Wind was also ridden more patiently than usual under trainer's son Jamie. Having travelled comfortably, Silent Wind finished strongly to be nearest at the line with Moore junior seemingly not getting to the very bottom of him. Although doubts about Silent Wind's resolution remain (he has been known to flash his tail), such is Gary Moore's record with similar types it would be no surprise to see him go well in the course of his next few starts for the yard.