JUST Paul has shown an excellent attitude to strike at Catterick and Thirsk in recent weeks and is bound to have his supporters as he goes in search of the hat-trick at Beverley today.
The gelded three-year-old failed to make an impression in his first three outings as a juvenile, but fared better in a couple of nurseries to offer promise for the new campaign.
After looking in need of the run on his first couple of starts this year, Phil Kirby's charge finished with a rattle to get off the mark at Catterick and was similarly determined when triumphing in a barnstorming finish at Thirsk last time.
He is a difficult horse for the assessor to get a handle on, as he only appears to the bare minimum, and he can defy a small rise in the weights to score again in the seven-furlong handicap at 2.30.
The fixture kicks off with a seven-furlong maiden at 1.55, in which four horses bring placed form to the table. The best of that quartet could be Kevin Ryan's George The First, who may have bumped into a smart individual in Al Baz at Redcar last month and improvement would make him hard to beat.
The draw will be all importat in the five-furlong maiden at 3.05 and Tim Easterby will have been delighted to learn Bounty Girl is in stall one.
Third on her first two course appearances at Ripon last month, a bold bid looks assured from the daughter of Bushranger.
More established sprinters go to war over the minimum trip at 3.40, with seven of the 17 runners previous winners over the course and distance. One who is looking well handicapped is Tim Eherington's Burning Thread.
Tanawar gets the vote over Easterby's recent course scorer Nonotnow in the one-mile handicap at 4.15.
Isle Of Beauty should go well over a mile and a quarter at 4.50. Rock Up looks to have a good chance to get off the mark in the five-furlong maiden at 5.25.
SELECTIONS: 1.55 George The First, 2.30 JUST PAUL (NAP), 3.05 Bounty Girl, 3.40 Burning Thread, 4.15 Tanawar, 4.50 Isle Of Beauty, 5.25 Rock Up.
