Captain Cat kicks off campaign in Winter Derby

Flat racing's Pattern season gets underway in the United Kingdom Lingfield

Saturday with the running of the £100,000

Winter Derby (Eng-G3), where Roger Charlton's dual Group 3 winner Captain Cat

(Dylan Thomas) bids to add another feather to his cap.

The six-year-old gelding really came into his own last season, finishing in

the money in all bar one of his nine outings. He opened his account at pattern

level when landing the Sovereign S. (Eng-G3) in August and was back for more in

the Superior Mile (Eng-G3) September 6. He also achieved a creditable fifth to

Charm Spirit in the Queen Elizabeth II S. (Eng-G1) on British Champions Day, but

connections were at loss to explain his below-par performance on his final start

of the season, when he finished last of 10 in the Hong Kong Mile (HK-G1).

"Captain Cat seems in good form," Charlton told Sky Sports. "He has had no

setbacks and has been doing regular exercise. This race has been the plan for a

while.

"Lingfield suits him. There may be fitter horses in the race, but he seems

good. I think he can hold his own at this level. He made terrific improvement

last year and was not beaten far in a Group 2 and ran well in a Group 1, but he

needs to improve again."

Captain Cat's 10 rivals include Godolphin's Tryster (Shamardal), who is

unbeaten in three starts this year, all in handicap company. His latest effort

at Kempton earned him a 100 official rating.

Trainer Charlie Appleby commented, "Tryster goes into Saturday's race with a

nice, progressive profile. He has come out of his last win at Kempton Park very

well, has a decent draw in stall four and a mile and a quarter is a great trip

for him."

Another with progressive form to his name is Marco Botti's Grendisar

(Invincible Spirit), who scored in his last two starts including the Winter

Derby Trial S., in which he had Cloudscape (Dansili), dual Grade 2 winner and

multiple Grade 1-placed Grandeur (Verglas) and Afonso de Sousa (Henrythenavigator)

behind him.

The winner of the Winter Derby is awarded an automatic and free berth in the

£200,000 All-Weather Championships middle

distance final, to be staged over the same course and distance on Good Friday,

April 3.

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