Martin Dixon of the Horse Watchers, the ownership group sponsored by Timeform, provides a positive update on the team's two upcoming runners.
Heathen - 17:45 Southwell, Friday
Heathen won really nicely last time. We feel like he's a horse that benefits from not being over-campaigned and he seems to go very well when he's fresh. We've given him a little bit more than a month since that race he won so timing-wise it should be fine for him.
He seems very fresh and happy with himself, David [O'Meara] and his team are very happy with him, and looking at the way he won last time, and the way he quickened up and finished off his race, we would be pretty confident that on the all-weather tracks he'll be effective at two miles.
It looks like it could be a messy race with the small field, but as long as he relaxes through the first half of the contest then he's got a big chance and he should be thereabouts.
Royal Zabeel - 18:45 Southwell, Saturday
First time out we were very pleased with Royal Zabeel when he was runner-up at Newcastle. He'd been doing everything right going into that race to suggest he was up to being competitive and he ran accordingly.
He was just a little too fired up on the back of a five-month break and it wasn't until Ali [Rawlinson] was able to get him on the back of Zip, who went on to win, that he dropped his head and relaxed. I think that race will have taken a bit of the sting out of him and he'll definitely have come on for it fitness-wise as he took a big blow inside the final furlong, and he'll be better for it.
His last couple of bits of work have been positive. Mick [Appleby]'s horses have been quiet enough recently which would be a bit of a question, but he's working well, seems to have benefited from his last run and we'd expect that there's some more improvement in him.
It's a competitive race but it looks as if it's going to be run at a fast gallop which should suit, he's got a good draw and I don't see why he shouldn't be involved.
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