Captain Cattistock

Captain Cattistock ran better than the form of his run suggests in the 3m handicap hurdle. Always handy, he travelled really well and his jumping was very good, fast and accurate. He travelled like the likely winner into the home straight, but he got tired from the third last flight. He was probably booked for fourth place, but he didn’t deserve to fall at the final flight.

Paul Nicholls’ horse was stepping up in trip here from intermediate distances to an extended 3m and, while he did win over two miles and five and a half furlongs at Wincanton last March on heavy ground, he may be at his best over intermediate trips. He will probably be effective over 3m in time but, for now, he will be interesting again now over around two and a half miles, ideally on soft ground and ridden forward, off this handicap rating of 138. He is only five and there should be lots more to come. The Lanzarote Hurdle over 2m 5f at Kempton in January would be a good target for him. He has never run at Kempton, but he is three for three at Wincanton, which is a flat right-handed track, not dissimilar to Kempton.

Haydock, 24^th November 2018