Timeform Racing Radio Tips: White Fusion a value proposition

David offers you his best bets on Monday

After narrowly missing out on a treble on Saturday, David Cleary returns, this time offering you his two best bets at Catterick...

Not even Plumpton could survive well over an inch of rain in the last twenty-four hours, so jumping fans are left with just Catterick for this afternoon's action, with four handicaps sandwiched between a novice hurdle and a mares bumper. It doesn't look an afternoon to get too involved, the handicap hurdles making the most appeal from a punting point of view. Donald McCain trains the morning favourite in both, but his runners may be worth taking on.

Trend Is My Friend is his runner in the two-miler at 14.40, switched to handicaps after just two runs in juveniles. He's certainly been given a fair mark and less testing ground will help, but he's still spoilt his chance by pulling too hard previously and he wasn't a horse that always found much under pressure on the Flat. Of those against him, Alba King has solid form claims but hasn't been out since last spring, while Amok may improve on less testing ground but needs to off his current mark. White Fusion is the tentative suggestion against the favourite. He's on a workable mark on his best form last season and although his recent runs on the all-weather have seen him below his best, he shaped a lot better than the distances indicate at Southwell last week, finding the step up to two miles on the Flat too much for him. White Fusion was gambled on that day, his first run on fibresand for his current yard, and support again this afternoon would certainly increase confidence in his chance.

McCain's Mount Hope is the likely favourite in the 15.40. He ran easily his best race over hurdles here over two miles last time, seeing things out well on testing ground. Mount Hope will benefit from this return to a longer trip and may well win, but his jumping left a fair bit to be desired that afternoon and there is a decent option against him in the shape of Fairynuff. Fairynuff has solid handicap form to his name from last season, with Kate Walton at the time, and he runs under optimum conditions. Although he has form only right handed over hurdles, he won a bumper here, so going this way round shouldn't be a problem. If fit for his return, Fairynuff will at least make Mount Hope work harder than the market indicates.

Recommended Bets:

Back White Fusion @ 9.08/1 in the 14.40 at Catterick
Back Fairynuff @ 7.06/1 in the 15.40 at Catterick

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