Today's Racing Tips: O'Meara's veteran backed to find Gold at Catterick

Uttoxeter, 15.18 - Back Samuel Spade @ 11/43.75

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Samuel Spade (Ger)

• J: Beau Morgan
• T: Ben Pauling
• F: 7/9788-415

• SBK 5/2
• EXC 3.05

As I touched on in a column earlier this week, the start of races can have a huge impact on the result.

Supporters of Samuel Spade last time will certainly subscribe to that view as the seven-year-old was virtually wiped out at the first fence of the Summer Cup Handicap run at today's venue at the end of last month.

Rival Queensbury Boy dived violently right at the opening obstacle and in doing so pushed Hang In There into the path of the selection aboard whom rider Ben Jones did well to retain the association.

Understandably, that put Ben Pauling's gelding on the back foot from an early stage and, in the circumstances, he did exceptionally well to still be competitive heading to the final fence.

Today's event represents a much simpler assignment and I'm hoping the smaller field will place less of a stress on Samuel Spade's jumping which has occasionally looked suspect.

Catterick, 15.40 - Back Aberama Gold @ 5/23.50

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Aberama Gold

• J: Daniel Tudhope
• T: David O'Meara
• F: 54160352

• SBK 5/2
• EXC 4.1

Given this is his 120th career start, Aberama Gold is the very antithesis of an unexposed sprinter, however he arrives at this sprint handicap in good nick and might outclass his rivals.

Four of the veteran's career wins have been recorded when he has returned to the track between five and seven days (from 11 attempts) and his stats when running off a mark in the 70s read 4413141352 so he ought to be on the scene again.

A fast track like Catterick suits the selection well and he looked a little unfortunate to run into a resurgent Ancient Times at Epsom last time as his conqueror had been bang out of form prior to winning for the first time in more than 12 months.

Bizzarely, the minor event that Aberama Gold won in April has worked out remarkably well with Rosenpur winning subsequently at Chester, third-home Vingegaard scoring at 40/1 and Dorney Lake, last to cross the line, obliging at Doncaster recently.

Fingers crossed, that is a good omen for David O'Meara's durable speedster to follow up here.  

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