Fallon hopes to land his double ton

Kieren Fallon will have his fingers firmly crossed that Catterick survives a 7.30 a.m

Kieren Fallon will have his fingers firmly crossed that Catterick survives a 7.30 a.m. inspection as he heads into today's meeting on the 199-winner mark for the year.

The champion jockey flies out to the United States for the Breeders' Cup on Thursday and will not want to depend on rides at Musselburgh tomorrow to notch his double ton.

If Catterick gets the green light, Fallon should banish that worry as he looks set for a good day.

The £10,000-added 49's Handicap, run over Catterick's sharp seven furlongs on what is sure to be very testing ground, is as difficult a contest as one could wish for.

READ MORE

But top-weight Further Outlook, who has both the assistance of Fallon and a perfect rails draw in stall two, has good prospects.

Placed in Group One company in Italy when with Sir Michael Stoute as a two-year-old, he was sold for 160,000 guineas to Amanda Perrett but did not progress as expected.

But he at least managed some decent handicap form this year, finishing third of 13 to Free Option at Newbury.

On his latest start, in a classified stakes on soft ground at Brighton, Further Outlook was just denied, going down by a short-head to Sharp Cracker.

He has since joined David Nicholls, who is a past master at revitalising horses who have lost their way.

Shalimar Garden could be the one to take Fallon to 200 in the Hambleton Maiden. Luca Cumani's filly was a shade disappointing on her latest start behind Dato Star at Ayr but is the clear form pick on her earlier placed form in three Newmarket maidens.

She ought to win this, but must not be backed at very short odds to do so as this could turn into a real slog and there are outside possibilities about the likes of Nip In Sharp and Country Orchid.

Fallon signs off for the day on Dancing Cavalier in the Oliver Cromwell Handicap.

Exeter offers a very tricky feature in the £30,000 William Hill Haldon Gold Cup Chase. Several promising young chasers line up and it is hard to predict which will have made the most progress over the summer. The suggestion is Edredon Bleu.