Catterick Bridge Tips: Keyboard looks the type to improve over hurdles

There are just two jumps meetings taking place on Tuesday and the big guns are heading to Catterick, where they have seven races from 12:15 to 3:20. 

Willie Mullins, Jonjo O'Neill and in-form Warren Greatrex have charges heading to the North Yorkshire venue, with one of the latter's contenders being one of our picks on an exciting seven-race card.

12:15 - Kauto DAmour @ 11/2

The opening race at Catterick looks a cracker, with a number of exciting contenders battling it out over 3m1½f in an Amateur Jockeys' Hurdle. 

Apieceovfortune and Bollin Neil will be popular orders but the nod goes to Kauto D'Amour, who may still have a trick or two up his sleeve at the ripe old age of 10. 

The son of Anabaa Blue showed plenty of promise in his early career but has been lightly raced since, with this marking his first appearance since March. 

However, his last outing saw him finish third for the second race running and he is returning with his yard in fine form - Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith have operated at a 25 per cent strike-rate over the past fortnight. 

Improvement and a first win since 2021 is not out of the question and with Kauto D'Amour managing two seconds and two thirds in six good-ground runs, at the very least he represents a smart each-way play.

12:45 - Keyboard @ 7/4

The next race, a 1m7½f Juvenile Hurdle, looks similarly open but the quick ground makes Adam Nicol's pacey Keyboard the pick. 

The son of Teofilo showed plenty of pace on the Flat when third on his handicap debut at Redcar in November and improved on that by keeping on for second over hurdles at Musselburgh last month. 

Keyboard was ahead of a couple of these in Scotland and with trainer 3-8 and jockey Ryan Mania 2-8 over the past fortnight, he is in the right hands to progress. 

Two-time winner Manganese is the danger but the filly may find things tougher against males, especially as she will be carrying a penalty.

13:45 - Alba Crus @ 10/1

Greatrex is closing in on bettering last season's winners total of 30 and he can take another step towards that by landing a 27th success of the year thanks to Alba Crus. 

The son of Jimmy Two Times won a 2m1f bumper at Newton Abbott on his second start and while his follow-up effort, a seventh of 11 over hurdles at Newbury, was a disappointment, he should find this easier. 

Alba Crus went off 40/1 for that Newbury outing, highlighting the warmth of the race, and a subsequent wind operation should only improve his chances in this less competitive contest.

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