Hornby hoping Sam Cooke is on song for traditional Flat finale on Town Moor

Betfair November Handicap | 1m4f | 3yo+ | ITV4/SKY

This race has been won by some rapidly improving handicappers and Royal Line certainly fit that bill when he was successful two years ago for John Gosden. It’s Ralph Beckett who saddles the progressive horse this year, though – Sam Cooke.

The lightly raced four-year-old will be having only his seventh outing and just his second run this year, and his close second at Ascot last time was a major improvement.

He was beaten only a nose by Jeremiah in that 1m4f handicap and is up just 3lb, but that was in July, so he hasn’t been seen for 104 days. Is the absence a worry?

Sam Cooke evidently hasn’t been the easiest to train, but Beckett has had him right whenever he's made it to the track and he defied a 209-day break when winning his only start of last season at Chester’s May meeting. That was a career best at the time, so he is fine fresh.

This appears to have been the plan for this soft-ground lover and it’s all systems go.

Joseph Tuite won this in 2015 with the improver Litig. He came into the contest having won four of his previous five starts with the defeat having been on his latest outing.

Tuite’s representative this year, Surrey Pride, might not be quite so progressive. But he has won two of his last four and appeared on the upgrade when winning at Chester in September.

Joe Tuite: won the November Handicap in 2015 and saddles Surrey Pride this timeCredit: Edward Whitaker

He also caught the eye when a staying-on fifth of 17 at Newmarket last month, but needs to bounce back from a heavy defeat at Newbury last time when he was 2-1 favourite.

The ground that day was extremely testing, though, and the drop to a mile and a quarter might also not have been ideal. Those are possible legitimate reasons for the poor run.

There has been a recent shift towards higher-rated runners. Three of the last four winners were rated between 105 and 107, but only three runners line up with a mark higher than 100.

Euchen Glen heads the weights off a mark of 109, with Raymond Tusk (108) and Glencadam Glory (103) the other pair, and two of those three met in the Ebor at York in the summer.

Glencadam Glory finished nearly five lengths ahead of Euchen Glen when they were second and fifth on that occasion and Glencadam Glory is 3lb better off at these weights.

Their subsequent starts have gone in different directions, with Euchen Glen winning three of his last four and Glencadam Glory being beaten a total of 35 lengths in his two runs.

However, Glencadam Glory is an inconsistent type who sometimes follows a good run with a poor one before bouncing back again, and he is a big player judging on his Ebor form.
Analysis by Graeme Rodway

Hornby up for busy weekend

Rob Hornby is on track for one of his biggest wins to date on ante-post favourite Sam Cooke, which will kick off a busy weekend as the jockey is also riding in Germany on Sunday for which he was having a Covid-19 test on Friday.

Ralph Beckett provides both mounts, including Sam Cooke, who must come from the widest draw of all in stall 20 if he is atone for his narrow defeat when last seen at Ascot in July.

Hornby said: "Sam Cooke looks to have a huge chance and hopefully I can get the weekend off to a flyer before I fly to Germany on Sunday where I'm riding Antonia De Vega in a Group 1. I've ridden Sam Cooke at home and although he has a wide draw to overcome, hopefully he can jump and travel into the race."

What they say

Tim Palin, racing manager to Middleham Park Racing, owners of Raymond Tusk, Glencadam Glory and Beechwood Jude
It was a toss up which one was going to wear the first colours but we've gone with Beechwood Jude who is very much in form. It was a close run thing but Glencadam Glory wears the second colours in the race and if he could come back to the form of his second in Ebor he would have a good shout. Raymond Tusk wears the third colours and if he ran his race he would have a live chance as he's a class horse and Richard Hannon says he's flying at home.

Alan King: trains On To Victory, who runs in this race before going back over hurdlesCredit: Edward Whitaker

Alan King, trainer of On To Victory
He's been running well on the Flat and goes for this before returning to hurdles. He was going to be second when he unseated his rider on his hurdles debut and then ended up on the floor at Kempton, so hopefully this will sharpen him up.

David Elsworth, trainer of Dash Of Spice
I'd say I'm cautiously optimistic about his chances. He's not been the easiest this year but he ran a great race to be second there the other day and he has seemed in good shape since. He has a sporting each-way chance.

Shaun Lycett, trainer of Torcello
Ideally, he wants the ground even softer than it is, but we were thrilled with his comeback run at Newbury the other day and the winner has won again since. Looking at the stats, his wide draw is a positive.

Ian Williams, trainer of Everything For You and Kingbrook
We had Everything For You primed for the race last year when it was abandoned but I'm rueing missing a prep run with him this time around. Kingbrook won very well at Newmarket last time and will probably be suited by a strong run race. His draw is not ideal but if he overcomes that I would expect him to be competitive.

John Ryan, trainer of Hiroshima
He ran the race of his life when third at Doncaster last time and this looked the obvious race for him after that. He's back in trip but hopefully his wide draw will help him drop in rather than using his speed early from a lower stall.

Joe Tuite, trainer of Surrey Pride
We're happy to have the services of Ray Dawson and hopefully he can bounce back after getting bogged down in very deep ground at Newbury last time.

Hugo Palmer, trainer of Strawberry Rock
He's running from 2lb out of the handicap but will enjoy the soft ground and should appreciate this drop in trip. Luke Morris should suit the horse and he deserves to take his chance.
Reporting by David Milnes

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