Brian’s snail pace is still too quick for his opposition London

Brian The Snail can make a winning return to action on his first start for Godolphin in the 1200m handicap at Pontefract.

Unbeaten in two outings for Richard Fahey last year, it was announced recently that he has been purchased by Sheikh Mohammed’s operation. He was a winner on debut in September at this track, so we know he handles the course as some horses can find it tricky, he looked a smart prospect next time out.

Fahey sent him to Catterick for a little novice stakes but he absolutely bolted up by seven lengths. Handed a rating of 95 after that, Fahey would have been within his rights to aim at some form of Guineas trial but he sees him purely as a sprinter so he starts off at this level.

He is giving lumps of weight away to all his more experienced rivals but whether they will be able to cope with his class is another matter.

Fahey has obviously spoken highly about the son of Zebedee in Godolphin meetings and you’d have to think a crack at the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot in June is the big target. After a recent spin on the allweather Cote D’Azur can return to winning ways in the feature 25,000-pound handicap over 2000m. Les Eyre’s stable star ran no sort of a race at Wolverhampton but his starting price suggested he would be in need of the run.

Eyre achieved the near impossible last season in improving a horse from Sir Mark Prescott but when he joined his new yard he was rated 79 and he went up to 96. He won at Ripon and was second in the Silver Cambridgeshire as well as being fourth at York off 96.

With 1kg off his back for this engagement we know he is capable of going close from around this rating and with a run under his belt he has a fitness edge over many of his market rivals. Daimochi can make a winning return to action in the 1600m maiden at Lingfield. Only eighth of nine in a Newmarket maiden on his debut in October, he stepped up markedly on that at Lingfield in November.

Beaten into third, just 0.75 lengths behind the winner, he looked to have learned plenty from his initial outing. Saeed bin Suroor’s Team Meeting, a winner on his sole start to date, begins life handicapping off a feasible mark of 70 and should remain unbeaten in the 1200m handicap.

Wishfull Dreaming looked like winning at Taunton last time out when he fell and should make amends in the 3200m handicap hurdle at Exeter.

Philip Hobbs will be pleased the handicapper left his mark alone. – Press Association