A busy week leading up to Easter

We were delighted to see The Lost Sock bounce back to form with third place on Wednesday evening at Wolverhampton, having been too keen to do himself justice on his return at Kempton.

This assignment at Dunstall Park was a drop back to the bare five furlongs, as he has always shown good speed (and indeed won over that trip at Catterick last August). Roger Varian feels he will get six furlongs when he learns to relax, but the return to five allowed him to settle in a race which would have more pace to aim at. That is how it worked out and, having sat on the inside in mid pack for much of the race, he produced a change of gear in the home straight to finish strongly for third. He pressed the top weight, a solid yardstick in second, to the line and the winner had shown useful form on her final start last season at Thirsk, so hopefully the form is strong.

Rounding off the week are Marlacoo and Robusto. The former is set for his next start at Chepstow this afternoon, the same venue at which he made a highly promising seasonal reappearance in the autumn. He has been a little in and out since, but returned to form with a good third at Haydock last time and will hopefully back that up.

Robusto is also returning to a venue that has suited him in the past, as he goes to Lingfield for the 5pm tomorrow on Good Friday. He was a winner over course and distance for previous connections, but hasn’t run there so far for RaceShare. He wears a first time visor and Jack Nicholls, claiming 3lbs, takes the ride, so a few changes which will hopefully yield a good result, albeit from a tricky outside draw.