Cave Article steps back up in trip to 3m2f at Uttoxeter this afternoon, as he looks to get back to winning ways at the Midlands track.

Read our Raceday LIVE Preview below and join us ahead of the race for all the build-up and live updates from the track across our social channels on X (@CRCofficial) and Instagram (@coralofficial).

Raceday LIVE Preview

Cave Article heads to Uttoxeter for the first time in his career this afternoon, as he takes on the staying trip of 3m2f for this first time since March.

Cave Article was sent off favourite for his last contest, after having won his race prior to that in convincing fashion under Jack Tudor. However, the going at Market Rasen caused all kinds of problems for him on that day, as the heavens opened halfway through the card which shifted the ground to heavy and leading to three of the fences being omitted. A juddering error at the fourth last on the day caused Cave Article to drop back quickly and with the testing conditions, Jack Tudor couldn't bring him back into the race and instead gave him an easy time getting home when it was clear that he wasn't getting back on terms with the leaders.

WATCH: Jack Tudor gives his immediate reaction to Cave Article's run at a sodden Market Rasen

That run was the first in Cave Article's eight race career over fences that he hasn't finished in the first three home, a run that started all the way back at Wincanton in November of last year. Two runs in that streak of podium finishes were over the extended 3m2f course at Sedgefield, where Cave Article was victorious on his final start of 2024 and finished third in March of this year. Both of those results came on soft ground, which won't be replicated this afternoon with the going set to be good. This won't necessarily be a bad thing however, as Cave Article has won twice on good ground, over distances beyond three miles. 

WATCH: Cave Article scores at Sedgefield on his second start over fences

Today's race should prove to be a competitive affair, with 11 horses set to line up versus Cave Article. Top weight Wheresmemoneygone scored a more than convincing 24-length win at Perth on his chasing debut, which was also his debut for trainer Ben Pauling, having competed in three point-to-point races between his final start over hurdles and that contest. He will have to defy a 24lb rise in the handicap for that win, but given the ease with which he won, it wouldn't be a shock to see him follow it up with another big effort. Of the other runners, School For Scandal and Deadly Missile arrive off the back of wins last time out, with the latter carrying a 7lb penalty as he won over course and distance nine days ago. School For Scandal has been put up 4lbs for his Worcester victory exactly a month ago, although he was pulled up in his prior contest which was over the same distance as today, off of a mark 2lbs lower.

Raceday Update from Christian Williams

"Cave’s been in great form at home since his last run. He hated the ground at Market Rasen, so hopefully today’s conditions will suit him better and he’ll put up a good performance."

Chris Dixon, Racing TV Analyst, previews today's contest and assesses Cave Article's chances

Cave Article turned in a rare poor effort at Market Rasen 19 days ago, left behind after a small mistake at the fourth last (usual fifth last) saw him go from moving well enough to looking in trouble in fairly short space of time. Clearly that error didn’t help, and he had made a couple of other minor mistakes on his way around, including when not entirely fluent over the first, but they didn’t look of enough significance to make a serious impact on his performance and a bigger factor was likely the worsening ground. Torrential rain had taken its toll and the ground, which was officially soft but was heavy based on times and deteriorating all the time. Although a winner on a slow surface at Sedgefield previously, this was much more testing and in a better race off a higher mark and ultimately the race proved an unsuitable test for Cave Article who has produced his best on a sound surface. On the forecast good ground at Uttoxeter the conditions will be much more suitable again here and for much of the race he looked in fair enough form. The runner up has given a boost to the race with a subsequent win and following a 1lb drop in the weights Cave Article is still competitively handicapped for a race of this nature and will have an each-way chance providing that latest run hasn’t left a mark on him short term.

A few of his opponents come into the race in good form, with School For Scandal, successful at Worcester last month and Deadly Missile who was behind him that day but successful over this course and distance since, both arriving on the back of a win. That was a first career victory for Deadly Missile and having got the better of Zofalee (in the field again here) who is a regular weak finisher, he doesn’t appeal as an obvious one to follow up. School For Scandal won back to back races last autumn and may be more likely to figure again but the one to beat looks like top weight Wheresmemoneygone. Lightly raced for Max Young, he showed little in four runs over hurdles but had found some form in point-to-points in the spring and built on those efforts when making a winning start for his new trainer Ben Pauling at Perth. A wide margin winner that day, the handicapper hasn’t missed him with a rise of 24lbs in the weights, but he did win with a load in hand and it may not be enough to stop him given there is potential for further progress in a similarly low grade race.

Trainer and Jockey Statistics