Purple Martini can stir the emotions as Redcar kicks off Straight Mile Series

REDCAR stages the start of the popular Woodsmith Construction Straight Mile Series on Monday – and it’s a chance to raise a glass to injured jockey Graham Lee.

Graham, who was left paralysed by a fall at Newcastle in November, rode one of his last winners at Redcar on Purple Martini in April 2023.

And the filly, trained at Middleham by Ben Haslam, is a leading fancy for the Woodsmith Construction Straight Mile Fillies Handicap, which is the highlight of the eight-race card.

The four-year-old was a promising second at Musselburgh last time despite losing ground at the start. Claimer Andrew Breslin retains the ride and Purple Martini would be a poignant winner in front of members of Graham’s family.

His wife, Becky, and son, Robbie, will be at Redcar to watch Craig Lidster’s We’ve Got This make her debut for the Graham Lee Racing Club in Division Two of the racingtv.com EBF Restricted Maiden Stakes half an hour earlier.

The club costs £17 to join, with proceeds going towards Graham’s care, and Phil Hawthorne, CEO of The Good Racing Club – the driving force behind the charitable initiative – reports that the filly been going “extremely well” on the gallops. Tom Eaves is in the saddle.

Redcar’s second meeting of the season gets underway at 2pm with Division One of the racingtv.com EBF Restricted Maiden Stakes and it looks to be at the mercy of George Boughey’s Newmarket raider Dolce Vitta, ridden by Pat Cosgrave.

The Cotai Glory filly was a promising third on her debut at Ascot earlier this month , despite running green, and she can build on that with her trip north.

County Durham trainer Michael Dods has his string in cracking form – with a four-timer at Thirsk on Saturday – and Cuban Storm is worth another chance in the Join Racing TV Now Handicap.

Dods won the race with Zuffolo last year and Cuban Storm drops back to five furlongs after weakening in the final furlong to finish last over six at Newcastle last time, having been prominent.

The Havana Grey gelding didn’t show much at two but had clearly been showing up on the gallops because he started his three-year-old campaign as hot favourite in a Newcastle handicap in mid-April, finishing second. He may well bounce back over the shorter trip under Connor Beasley.

The famous all-blue colours of Godolphin will be gracing the Redcar turf when Arctic Mountain lines up in the Watch Racing TV In Stunning HD Handicap under three-pound claimer Christian Howarth. The Nathaniel gelding, trained by Saeed Bin Suroor, has been placed in all four starts so far, finishing third of eight at Bath last time, and this could be an opportunity to lose his maiden tag.

Another Newmarket raider, Teddy Brown – trained by Marco Botti and ridden by Marco Ghiani – will be well fancied in the racingtv.com Handicap (Division 1). The gelding’s four starts so far have all been on all-weather tracks and he wasn’t beaten much last time out when fourth over a mile at Kempton in April. He tries the turf for the first time and drops back to seven furlongs as he tries to break his duck.

Division Two looks wide open but Mayo County, trained by Julie Camacho and ridden by Ryan Sexton, looks to have the best form, having been placed on her last two runs at Newcastle and Southwell.

The card concludes at 5.30pm with the Watch Racing TV On Sky 424 Handicap and The Crafty Mole, trained by David O’Meara and ridden by talented claimer Mark Winn, can defy a penalty for winning last time out at Wetherby.

The Crafty Mole dug in well that day, appearing to relish the step up in distance to a mile and six furlongs, and will be a popular choice to make it back-to-back victories over the same trip.