Hot To Trot: Botti hot spell Crowned by Eagle

Jumps trainer: Oliver Sherwood

There are now only four weeks left of the National Hunt season and Oliver Sherwood will be hoping to make hay between now and the final day at Sandown. The trainer has saddled 19 winners so far this term, a tally that is down on recent years, but the horses are in good form at present and Versifier would appear to hold sound claims of going one better than last time at Wincanton on Tuesday. She ran her best race yet after three months off and a breathing operation at Huntingdon, and could be up to defying a 5 lb rise in the weights if building on that.

Got Away and Rayvin Black are both entered in the novices' chase on the same card, with the former perhaps the more interesting if taking her chance. She was disappointing when pulled up at Huntingdon last time, but is clearly better than that, having produced a useful effort to win a listed event at Leicester the time before. Meanwhile, Robinsson proved he retains all of his ability after 22 months off when third at Fontwell last time and, given plenty of time to recover since, the eight-year-old holds entries at Chepstow and Fontwell next week.

Flat trainer: Marco Botti

Crowned Eagle capped a fine spell for Marco Botti with a game victory in the Roseberry Handicap at Kempton on Saturday, making most of the running under Daniel Muscutt to resume winning ways on just his third start for the yard. He was seemingly held in high regard by John Gosden last season (ran in the Derby) and should continue to give a good account, unlikely to go up too much in the weights after his win by three quarters of a length from Kelly's Dino.

Crowned Eagle wins the Matchbook Betting Podcast Rosebery Handicap in style for trainer Marco Botti, at 6-1 pic.twitter.com/Vq58exKphl

— Kempton Park (@kemptonparkrace) March 31, 2018

Three-year-old Lady Al Thumama is another who has not been with the yard long, having left Charlie Fellowes since finishing fourth at Kempton in December. She could make her handicap bow over six furlongs at Lingfield on Wednesday and will be worth a market check, starting out from what looks a potentially lenient mark. Sweet Symphony will also be of interest on the same card, having shaped better than the bare result when third at the track last time, running on late having been shuffled back three furlongs out. She will be suited by the step up to 1m on that evidence and looks sure to go well again from the same mark (also entered later that day at Kempton). Meanwhile, Volevo Lui holds a choice of engagements in the coming days and looks one to keep onside. He showed much improved form to get off the mark at Chelmsford last time and could yet have more to offer, still lightly-raced after all.

Under the radar: Michael Herrington

Michael Herrington has his small string in terrific form at present, with only two of his 12 runners in March failing to finish in the first four. Newstead Abbey was one of three winners in that time, staying on strongly to score over five furlongs at Wolverhampton, and could drop back into a claimer at Lingfield on Wednesday, a race that could also feature stablemate Mishaal. The latter appears to hold the best chance of the pair on weight-adjusted ratings, but he shaped as if amiss when last of seven at Newcastle last time and, with no such questions marks over Newstead Abbey, it is that one that makes most appeal.

Finally, Street Poet remains a maiden after 16 starts on the Flat, but he is at least consistent having filled the runner-up spot on each of his last four outings. He can race from the same mark as last time at Chelmsford on Friday and it will be interesting to see if connections try him in headgear again, the five-year-old having wandered under pressure at times.