BEVERLEY RACES : Little Jo Bids For Beverley Glory

Rookie trainer Gemma Tutty is optimistic about claiming the first winner of her fledgling career when Little Jo runs at Beverley on Bank Holiday Monday.

Tutty is still waiting to get off the mark after taking over from her mother, Karen, at Trenholme House Farm in Northallerton.

Little Jo was Gemma Tutty’s first runner as a trainer and came within a length and a quarter of giving her a dream start when second to Stately Home at Pontefract in April.

The eight-year-old gelding now bids to go one place better in the Brian Dixon Memorial Handicap at 3.51pm.

Gemma Tutty said:

“I rode him last season when he finished third behind Zihaam in this race, so he knows the track well.

“Pontefract is not too dissimilar to Beverley, so that last run also bodes well.

“We were probably a little bit unlucky at Ponte last time as the winner was thrown in at the weights, so hopefully there won’t be one in there like that at Beverley.

“He could do with some rain, to be fair, as he does like to get his toe in. I wouldn’t be too confident with him on quicker ground.

“Either way, he’ll take his chance and a case can be made for him based on his Pontefract form.

“It’s also good that Ben Robinson has got the ride as he knows the horse really well.”

Little Jo is one of 11 declared runners in the eight-and-a-half-furlong handicap, in which six-times Beverley scorer Zihaam shoulders joint-top weight along with Poet’s Dawn.

The latter is also a maestro on the Westwood, having won at the track four times for Tim Easterby. The Great Habton handler is double-handed with Motarajel, who was victorious here last summer.

Strangerontheshore (Nigel Tinkler) dead-heated for first place with Holy Endeavor in an epic encounter at Beverley’s first meeting of the season and attempts to double up in what is a fascinating encounter.

Tutty also saddles Fomo in the five-furlong Kiplingcotes Restricted Novice Stakes – the opening heat on a seven-race card that begins at 1.31pm – but the North Yorkshire trainer accepts the filly has it all to do on her debut.

Tickets for Beverley’s Bank Holiday Family Funday are still available at the gates or online, but the pre-paid course enclosure parking area has reached maximum capacity – with an overflow car park in operation.