Tuesday 18 December 2018 11:28, UK
Zorawar has yet to win for David O'Meara - but all hope is not yet lost and he gets another chance in the sunracing.co.uk Handicap at Lingfield.
The former French-trained gelding in fact only has one career success to his name, but a moderate race somewhere is surely within his capabilities.
He was sent off favourite at Wolverhampton last time out, but was slowly away and found himself at the rear and having to come round runners to make his challenge before running on into fifth.
Things probably need to fall right for him, but at the same time his mark of 55 is a winnable one - and going back up to seven furlongs will not hurt his chance.
Beehaar ran with a deal of promise first time out and is expected to be very much involved in division two of the EBF/Ladbrokes Fillies' Novice Stakes.
The John Gosden-trained youngster is a well-related sort and will have a learnt a good deal from her debut outing at Wolverhampton.
A bit like Zorawar, she was not the sharpest away and was in a far from an ideal position as the race hotted up, before making nice headway late in the day.
Gosden has three in the EBF / Ladbrokes Home Of The Odds Boost Novice Stakes, and Entitle may prove the best of them.
The Khalid Abdullah-owned filly has not been seen since June, when she caught the eye in a Newmarket maiden as one to do better in the future. She might need it, of course, having been off for such a period of time, but equally could just have a touch of class.
Woodside Wonder has to be the pick in the Ladbrokes Home Of The Odds Boost Nursery Handicap.
Keith Dalgleish's charge fairly whizzed in at Kempton last week, and the manner of that triumph suggests he can defy the mandatory 6lb penalty.
There is all-weather action too at Newcastle, where Battle Of Wills looks the one for the Ladbrokes Nursery Handicap.
Trained by James Tate, the Lawman colt goes handicapping for the first time on the back of three runs, most recently when a staying-on fourth at Wolverhampton.
Haighfield is another to be with at the Gosforth Park track, in the Ladbrokes Home Of The Odds Boost Novice Median Auction Stakes.
Chosen Path looks one of the better bets on the card at Newbury, where he goes in the Prodec Networks Chase.
Alan King's five-year-old took well to novice hurdling last season, so much so that he lined up for a Grade One event at the Grand National meeting.
He had a weighty burden for his chasing bow at Plumpton last month - and while he was never able to get in anything like a serious blow, he did make reasonable late progress and looks sure to be suited by the extra half a mile he faces here.
Molly The Dolly shapes as the one to beat for Dan and Harry Skelton in the Thoroughbred Breeders Association Mares' Chase.
She has looked the part in both outings over fences so far and well worth a shot at this Listed prize.
Mercian Prince should give a good account in the Tanners Wines Handicap Chase at Ludlow.
The seven-year-old has been a good servant to connections - and while he was only sixth last time out, that contest at Aintree last month was a hot one, with solid-looking form all round.
Fitness perhaps told from the second-last, which is not surprising because it was a first run since April, so he should come forward from that.
An added bonus is the handicapper has relented by a couple of pounds, which means he is back to his last winning mark.
SELECTIONS:
DUNDALK: 4.25 Dance Alone, 5.00 So Sensible, 5.30 Dark Honey, 6.00 Mr Ormsby, 6.30 Playa Del Puente, 7.00 Far Reach, 7.30 Black Noah, 8.00 Pedisnap.
LINGFIELD: 11.40 Zorawar, 12.10 Maximum Effect, 12.40 BEEHAAR (NAP), 1.15 Woodside Wonder, 1.50 Swiss Cross, 2.25 Entitle, 2.55 Kyoto Star, 3.25 Attain.
LUDLOW: 12.20 Good Boy Bobby, 12.55 Psychedelic Rock, 1.25 Mercian Prince, 2.00 Legends Gold, 2.35 Sumkindofthing, 3.05 Broughtons Admiral, 3.35 Parkin.
NEWBURY: 12.30 Style De Vole, 1.05 Rathhill, 1.40 Chosen Path, 2.15 Molly The Dolly, 2.45 Emitom, 3.15 Sir Egbert, 3.45 Little Lady Lu.
NEWCASTLE: 3.20 Illustrissime, 3.55 Battle Of Wills, 4.3 Haighfield, 5.05 Rich Approach, 5.40 Testa Rossa, 6.15 Etikaal, 6.45 Skyva, 7.15 Tadaany.
DOUBLE: Beehaar and Zorawar.