Royal display should ensure Shyrl gets Spencer off to Catterick flyer

11:25am Wednesday 2nd July 2008

REIGNING joint champion jockey Jamie Spencer is a welcome visitor to Catterick where the Newmarket-based rider should be amongst the winners.

Spencer's first mount, Shyrl (3.00), looks to be a straightforward tap-in given her massive superiority according to the BHA official ratings.

It's rare that Royal Ascot class runners appear at the track, so parade ring fans should be in for a real treat when Shyrl is led round in the preliminaries.

Mark Wallace's filly was only beaten by a whisker in the Group 2 Queen Mary at the Royal meeting, an outstanding performance.

The Wallace/Spencer combo team up again later on in proceedings via Lavande (4.00), another for whom the speed figures speak most favourably.

The daughter of Tipsy Creek posted a couple of decent second places during the first part of her 2007 campaign, prior to a ending the season in disappointing fashion.

The mere fact that her able trainer has waited until now before sending Lavande back to the well suggests he has every confidence in the selection.

Returning from a 254-day break is never easy, nonetheless in these days of man-made exercise surfaces, getting thoroughbreds 100 per cent fit at home is far less problematical.

William Muir has his string in cracking form, but to date this term one of his horses which hasn't enjoyed the rub of the green is Carmenero (3.30).

The five-year-old twice suffered the heartbreak of occupying second-spot, then had to settle for fourth at Warwick when unsuited by a funereal early pace.

Although on the latter occasion Carmenero was making ground up hand over fist inside the final-furlong, it was all too late as the leaders had flown.

Pace is often the key to the outcome of races, and with confirmed trail-blazer, Nuit Sombre, in the line-up, this time an end-to-end gallop is almost assured.

The six-furlong Handicap may fall to Hotham (4.30), coming nicely to the boil judged by his latest York third.

There was a thrilling bunch finish to that contest on the Knavesmire where Hotham was only beaten by a matter of inches, very much indicating his turn is soon to come.

Peter Niven was king of the castle for many years in the ranks of northern jump jockeys, sadly though his training career has never really taken off.

In his defence you can't do the job without the right tackle and in the main Niven must try to make silk purses out of sow's ears.

There is however some hope with Fistral (5.00), successful over hurdles at Wetherby in May and now fancied to open his account on the Flat.