Timeform Horses In Focus: Ferro a cast-iron horse to follow

Timeform Features / Keith Melrose / 29 November 2010 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

Emma Lavelle’s Tocca Ferro should continue to progress

“Perhaps it’s no surprise that a switch of stable from Ben de Haan to David Pipe has been followed by improvement, but even so Matuhi (c135) has taken off for his new yard in the past couple of weeks and is no doubt one to side with in the near future.”

They may not get the chance to shine in the coming weeks judging by the weather forecast, but we’ve identified a couple of jumpers to keep an eye on near to hand. It’s probably best we throw in an all-weather horse too, just in case.

Diamond Harry quite rightly captured the headlines on Saturday with his coming-of-age performance in the Hennessy, but another winner on the card may have slipped under the radar resultantly and makes even more appeal looking forward. Tocca Ferro (Timeform Rating h145p) stamped himself as one of the most progressive hurdlers around in winning the listed Gerry Fielden Intermediate Hurdle, a limited handicap, by just over two lengths from Rebel Dancer. That margin tells only part of the story, however, as the manner in which Emma Lavelle’s charge went about his success would suggest that there’s plenty more to come from him, tanking all over a field which contained a number of unexposed sorts and needing only nudged out to make sure from the last. An out-and-out two-miler, there are plenty of good opportunities in top handicaps for the likes of Tocca Ferro during the winter and although the competition won’t get any easier, he is most likely to remain ahead of the handicapper next time at least.

Perhaps it’s no surprise that a switch of stable from Ben de Haan to David Pipe has been followed by improvement, but even so Matuhi (c135) has taken off for his new yard in the past couple of weeks and is no doubt one to side with in the near future. A ready winner over Five Dream on his reappearance, Matuhi found only the extremely well-handicapped Aigle d’Or too good at Newbury on Friday, encouragingly seeing things out much better than had often been the case for his former stable, finishing clear of a couple of unexposed sorts in First Point and Call Me A Legend into the bargain. Given he’s going to be 4 lb higher in future than he was for that race, connections may decide against pitching Matuhi into the ultra-competitive December Gold Cup at Cheltenham, especially considering the yard also have Great Endeavour engaged in the race, and there’s no reason to believe he’s not up to adding to his Ascot success back in less exalted company.

Meanwhile back on the Flat, we’ve indentified Lowther (101) as one who’s well worth keeping onside in some of the better handicaps coming up in the next few weeks. Very much unexposed on the all-weather, Alan Bailey’s charge came back to his best when winning at Lingfield earlier in November, looking a natural on the surface as he travelled into things easily and soon put the race to bed once shaken up a furlong out. Turned out under a penalty on Friday, Lowther ran respectably when a fast-finishing fourth behind Arteus at the same course, beaten less than two lengths in the end and shaping as though there are more races to be won with him from similar marks. Clearly well suited to the distinctive all-weather course at Lingfield, Lowther will command respect next time, whether it be over seven furlongs or dropped back to six.

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