Hot to Trot: Prescott about to hit full stride

Flat trainer:

Sir Mark Prescott

Whilst Sir Mark Prescott is usually a late starter, he often has plenty of horses wining on their returns - usually three-year-olds - by virtue of the fact they are so well handicapped compared to their rivals. That hasn't really been the case this year and he seems to have left plenty to work on with a number of his horses, however the floodgates could be about to open judged on recent results. Prescott had his first turf winner of the year when Time Warp won a Saint-Cloud listed race (admittedly on his reappearance) last Monday and the trainer has since saddled other three-year-olds Tenzing Norgay (second start back) and Tyrannical (second start back) and seven-year-old Pallasator (return) to win. Prescott has stacks of entries on Tuesday, including Tyrannical who could bid to follow up his Chelmsford success in another handicap at Redcar. Mystique Heights should benefit from his first start of the season (though has looked a bit quirky), as should Cape Crystal, Miss Marina Bay and Palisade, and the Prescott runners are worth monitoring closely in the coming days. 

Jumps Trainer:

Alan King

Alan King sits at the top of the Timeform jumps trainer rankings on recent form and his runners must be considered this week. King has saddled 15 winners already in May, from three-year-old Flat scorers Primitivo and Master Blueyes to veteran hurdler The Tourard Man (who's won twice this month), and he has plenty of arrows to fire in the coming days. Hindon Road may have been all out to hold on at Bangor recently but didn't need to improve to get off the mark over fences at the fourth time of asking and looks sure to go well again given the likely opposition at this time of year, while Alaskan Poet could be an interesting newcomer in a bumper as King trained his dam Takotna to run well in a couple of bumpers before winning over hurdles. Mia's Storm is another King horse who's won twice in May and she will have good claims of completing the hat-trick wherever she shows up next. 

Under the Radar:

Hughie Morrison

After failing to saddle a winner from March 3th to May 16th, Hughie Morrison has added three more since and has clearly turned a corner in his fortunes. The first of Morrison's four winners so far in May was Catalan who looks a fairly useful prospect after getting off the mark at the second time of asking at Redcar. She cost 120,000 guineas as a yearling (closely related to three winners, including smart winner up to a mile Hen Night) and hasn't been overburdened by her opening mark of 78. The similarly-named Atalan made an impressive winning return in a staying handicap at Nottingham and should also go on improving given his half-brother Vent de Force made the successful transition to group company as a four-year-old in 2015 for the same connections. Others to look out for from the yard include Ravens Quest, who has left the impression he's building to something, and the consistent Bahamian Boy.