'I've always liked him' - Rabaah warms up for turf campaign with first success

Wednesday: Lingfield

Rabaah was third behind subsequent Group 2 runner-up Show Respect on his only two-year-old start at Leicester in May and the Charlie Hills-trained colt built on that promising debut to take the 6f novice.

Jim Crowley never looked overly concerned aboard the son of Dubawi, who justified 10-11 favouritism with a two-length success.

“I’ve always liked him,” Hills said. “He ran a nice race back in May but unfortunately had an injury so has had a good bit of time off, but it was nice to get him back.

“I was quite conscious to try and give him a run over the winter to get him on the road for the turf."

Hills has won handicaps with Rabaah’s half-brothers Rewaayat and Tanmawwy, and when asked how far the Shadwell-owned winner could progress in the spring, he said: “As long as he goes the right way mentally, then quite far.

“He’s a little immature and I’m sure racing is going to do him the world of good as he carries on his career. There’s not much point running him now, we’ll just wait a few months and keep him in a nice routine until the turf.”

Base brilliance

Base Note was beaten a head by Milton Harris’s Triumph Hurdle hope Scriptwriter at Wolverhampton last time, but the Simon and Ed Crisford-trained gelding was not to be denied this time as Harry Burns landed the feature 1m4f handicap aboard the fast-finishing four-year-old.

Happy Horse Watchers

Daniel Muscutt endeared himself to members of The Horse Watchers syndicate as he helped steer the ownership group's favourites Starshiba and Politics to wins in the mile and 7f handicaps respectively.

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