Titus backed to perform on return to six furlongs (From The Northern Echo)

Titus backed to perform on return to six furlongs

11:09am Thursday 26th January 2012 in Horse Racing News

TITUS GENT can feel the benefit of a return to six furlongs in the Florence Moore Big Birthday Handicap at Kempton.

The seven-year-old dropped back to the minimum trip at this track last time and he just looked to find the five furlongs a bit too sharp in finishing a close-up fourth.

He was staying on all the way to the line, but time ran out and he eventually finished a length and a half adrift.

Jeremy Gask sent him out to win twice over six last year, with his October triumph at Wolverhampton pushing him up to a rating of 82.

While he turned in two so-so efforts before his Kempton fourth, he was not beaten far on either occasion and is clearly in good heart.

Rasheed makes his first start of 2012 in the 32RedBet.com Handicap and he can pick up where he left off in December.

Winner of one of his two juvenile starts, Rasheed connections probably hoped he would fare a bit better than he actually did at three.

Three starts on turf failed to yield any joy, and he took a while to get going again when returned to the allweather.

Stepped up to a mile and a half for the first time at Kempton in December, the Oasis Dream gelding was pretty keen in first-time blinkers but saw the trip out well to repel multiple winner Dance For Livvy by a head.

A 4lb rise looks reasonable and while Rasheed is not one of John Gosden’s stable stars, he can notch another win here.

Something was obviously amiss with Nosecond Chance last time and he can make amends in the Trooper Richman 50th Birthday Novices’ Chase at Warwick.

Previously a winner at Hereford, he was pulled up at Ludlow just before Christmas but can get back on the right track here.

Allanard can notch up a quick-fire double in Newcastle’s Parklands Golf Course Handicap Chase.