Monday Racing Tips: Makalu stands out on ratings say Timeform

• Makalu makes appeal on back of narrow defeat

• Hortzadar is in form and fairly treated

• Grey Leader is back on the right track

• Champions Full Gallop: Six-part docuseries coming soon to ITV

Makalu has strong claims on the figures

The thriving Makalu registered his third win of the year when doing well to come from a long way back at Beverley last month and he went really close to following up at Ripon last time but was denied by the narrowest margin.

Makalu, who was again ridden with patience, travelled strongly and was delivered with a powerful challenge that looked set to carry him to a decisive victory (he traded at 1.01 in running), but the front-runner dug deep and found plenty to prevail by a nose.

Makalu may have had to settle for second behind the well-backed favourite, but he pulled three and three-quarter lengths clear of third to underline that he's an in-form and well-handicapped horse. He has strong claims off the same mark in a lower grade here - he's 5 lb clear on Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings - and can quickly return to winning ways.

Hortzadar can strike off last winning mark

Hortzadar disappointed on a few occasions earlier this season but he fell in the weights as a result and is now lurking on a dangerous mark.

Hortzadar took a big step back in the right direction when runner-up at Hamilton on his penultimate start, and he confirmed that return to form at Ripon last time when again denied by just half a length in second behind a much younger rival.

He's edged up 2 lb since his latest effort but he won off this mark at Newcastle last season so is clearly competitively treated. He ought to give a good account at a track where he won and finished runner-up twice from four starts last season.

Grey Leader can launch another bold bid

Grey Leader enjoyed a productive campaign last year, winning a maiden and a couple of conditions races, but he was handed a stiff-looking opening mark and as a consequence struggled to make an impact in the early part of this season.

He was quickly given some slack by the handicapper, though, and produced a much more encouraging effort when finishing third at Leopardstown on Thursday.

Grey Leader, who was fitted with a hood for the first time, stuck to his task well in that big-field handicap and pulled four lengths clear of the fourth, which suggests that he's dropped to a very fair mark and is back in the same sort of form he showed last season. He's 2 lb clear on Timeform's weight-adjusted figures for this contest and has a strong chance if running to a similar level as on Thursday.

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