Tide to turn for Fistral Beach at Taunton (From The Northern Echo)

Tide to turn for Fistral Beach at Taunton

12:20pm Thursday 19th January 2012 in Horse Racing News

FISTRAL BEACH is something of an in-and-out performer, but has been given plenty of time to recover from his latest disappointment ahead of the Betfairsponsored handicap chase at Taunton.

Paul Nicholls’ nine-year-old had a reputation for being difficult to win with early in his career, but looked a reformed character when bolting up by eight lengths on his seasonal debut at Wetherby.

Sent off favourite next time at Newbury, he clouted the first and was never on an even keel thereafter, with Ruby Walsh eventually pulling him up.

Freshened up since then - which appears the key to him - he has the talent to defy top weight.

Kid Cassidy could be pretty smart over fences and a clear round should suffice in the Clive Pavilion Beginners´ Chase at Ludlow.

Rated 144 over timber, he fell with the race at his mercy on his chasing debut.

Preuty Boy has made a bit of progress since being sent over fences, and looks the one in the Follow Us On Twitter Lingfieldpark Beginners’ Chase at Lingfield.

Henry Bee ran well enough on his debut to suggest he will take plenty of beating in the Call 01902 390000 To Sponsor A Race Median Auction Maiden Stakes at Wolverhampton.

Trained by Richard Fahey, Paul Hanagan will be in the saddle as he starts to warm up for the defence of the title he has won for the past two years.

Henry Bee has a mixture of speed and stamina in his pedigree so what trip he will eventually end up racing over is up for debate, but he showed enough over six furlongs first time up to suggest that is fine for now.

As could be expected, he was pretty slowly away but threatened briefly before his lack of experience told.

It is difficult to know what the form is worth as those who finished around him have yet to run, but the runner-up is rated in the 70s which suggests he could be above average.

La Estrella is virtually unbeatable in claimers on the all-weather and he gets to test that theory in the Dine In Horizons Claiming Stakes.

He is something of a course specialist at Southwell but he is just as adept at Wolverhampton, and his last win came there.

A thorough stayer, this onemile- six-furlong trip is no problem whatsoever and he is reunited with Dane O’Neill, who gets on incredibly well with him.

Archie Rice is another who handles Wolverhampton well, certainly better than Lingfield where he met with defeat two weeks ago.

He is back at Dunstall Park in the Follow Us On Twitter Bluesq Handicap, the track where he had won three in a row previously.