Timeform 1-2-3 Tips / Simon Baker / 14 February 2011 /

Three to start the week from the Timeform Free Form site...

Fujin Dancer barely stays a mile and a quarter on the Flat, so it's no surprise that in a relatively light career over hurdles he has shaped as if likely to prove best at two miles with the emphasis on speed. A bit of overnight rain means the going at Catterick today is officially Good to Soft, Soft in places, but even so it rarely gets all that testing there, and it's essentially the sort of track that ought to play firmly to Fujin Dancer's strengths, which bodes well for his chances in the handicap hurdle at 14:50. Fujin Dancer made his debut for Brian Ellison at Market Rasen last month and shaped really well under today's rider to finish third, despite getting caught up in some carnage two out. He is 5 lb higher in the weights today than at Market Rasen, but remains potentially very well treated on his Flat form and is worth backing at around [7.0] to prove the point.

The Mark Johnston production line of winners has cooled off slightly this month, at least compared to the frankly ridiculous strike rate he maintained through January, but there's no reason to think that there aren't plenty more winners in the pipeline, hopefully starting with School For Scandal in the 15:40 at Wolverhampton. School For Scandal has had four runs in maidens, running his best race when third at Kempton on his most recent start back in December. He again shaped as if likely to be suited by a stiffer test of stamina that day, so improvement very much looks on the cards up in trip ahead of his handicap debut today. None of his four rivals has School For Scandal's potential, so prices around the [2.8] mark look fair.

Back at Catterick, Lennon and King Benny currently dispute favouritism for the handicap hurdle at 15:50. The handicapper has given the former a real chance, even though he's clearly no longer the force of old (Timeform rating of 151 in his pomp over fences), but Lennon is essentially a horse on the downgrade, unlike King Benny, who has improved since joining Elliott Cooper this season. King Benny won a two-and-a-half mile handicap at Wetherby in January, and ran about as well as could be expected in a stronger race at Doncaster four days later, despite seeming unsuited by a step back to two miles. That Doncaster form has a very solid look to it, so King Benny looks the one to side with back up in trip today from just a 1 lb higher mark.

Recommendations

Back Fujin Dancer @ [7.0] Catterick 14:50
Back School For Scandal @ [2.8] Wolverhampton 15:40
Back King Benny @ [7.6] Catterick 15:50

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