CAPTAIN CAT can secure his place on all-weather finals day next Easter by winning the Cash Out On The Betdaq+ App/EBF Stallions Hyde Stakes at Kempton.
The one-mile affair is a fast-track qualifier for the main event on Good Friday, a race in which Captain Cat emerged victorious back in April.
That win prompted Roger Charlton to raise his sights with the Dylan Thomas gelding and he duly enjoyed a late summer campaign that yielded plenty of success in Group company.
Captain Cat's Sovereign Stakes win marked his first in Pattern company and he may well have made it two in the Celebration Mile had he not been left with far too much to do.
A cosy Group Three success at Haydock made up for that disappointment, while there was little shame in giving best to an in-form Custom Cut in the Joel Stakes at Newmarket.
Charlton was possibly aiming a touch too high when pitching Captain Cat into the Group One QEII on Champions Day, but he was only beaten four lengths in fifth behind Charm Spirit and he pitches up here on a mark of 115.
That puts him 1lb clear of fellow top weight Graphic, with the conditions of the race giving Captain Cat even more of a pull with his rivals. Proven on the surface and favoured at the weights, it's hard to go against him.
While Captain Cat can do the business for Charlton at Kempton, Major Jack should also strike Lingfield gold for the Beckhampton handler.
The three-year-old hails from the family of the admirable Al Kazeem and although he is clearly short of that level, he has proved sharp enough to win two of his seven starts to date.
Successful over six furlongs at this track back in July, he was last seen scoring over that trip at Kempton in September, shrugging off a career-high mark of 82.
He lines up off a 4lb higher rating here but Charlton has clearly got nowhere near the bottom of this Kheleyf gelding yet and he can continue on an upward swing.
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