Racecards
19:30 Aintree
Ladbrokespoker.com Handicap Hurdle
- 10 Runners
- Distance: 2m 4f
- Going: Good, Good to Soft in places
- Surface: Turf
- Form 436100-
- Age 7
- Weight 11-12
- Official Rating 124
held up, ridden after 8th, soon weakened
- Form 00U30-4
- Age 8
- Weight 11-11
- Official Rating 123
- Trainer S Gollings
- Jockey R Johnson
held up and keen, headway 6th, led after 8th, headed 3 out, weakened 2 out
Prince Among Men
246- Form 212008-
- Age 8
- Weight 11-8
- Official Rating 120
- Trainer N G Richards
- Jockey A Dobbin
led to 2nd, pulled hard, stayed prominent, led again 7th to after 8th, weakened 3 out
- Form 472/11F-
- Age 8
- Weight 11-8
- Official Rating 120
- Trainer J & A O'Neill
- Jockey A P McCoy
with leaders, led 3rd to 5th, weakened next
- Form U1/0092-
- Age 6
- Weight 11-6
- Official Rating 118
held up and pulled hard, headway approaching 3 out, ridden and every chance from last, ran on
- Form 211/F64-
- Age 10
- Weight 11-0
- Official Rating 112
- Trainer N G Richards
- Jockey G Thomas
led 2nd to 3rd, with leaders to 8th, soon behind
- Form 16-F229
- Age 7
- Weight 10-10
- Official Rating 108
- Trainer M F Harris
- Jockey P J Brennan
prominent, switched left approaching 3 out, ridden before next, switched right approaching last, soon weakened
- Form 950P-33
- Age 10
- Weight 10-10
- Official Rating 108
- Trainer Miss Lucinda V Russell
- Jockey P Buchanan
very reluctant to race, tailed off, headway after 2nd, went prominent 5th, weakened 8th
- Form 30U9F/1
- Age 5
- Weight 10-8
- Official Rating 106
- Trainer Ian Williams
- Jockey D R Dennis
held up, headway 8th, led 3 out to 2 out, led again last, all out
In depth
Verdict
A highly competitive handicap hurdle with many with chances including Enhancer, Masters Of War, Kristofferen and Silver Charmer with the tentative vote going to the last named. Silver Charmer should have won more races than she has and was unlucky not to win a major prize over course and distance a couple of years ago. She won a listed contest at Cheltenham last year and she finished second in the same race last time out. She is still well treated and is given the nod. Enhancer has been knocking on the door with two recent seconds and will be thereabouts again as will Masters Of War who won back to back races this time last year but may improve for the run. Kristoffersen may pose the biggest danger to the selection with a comfortable win at Uttoxeter last time out he could be still one step of the handicapper. But for the winner we return to Silver Charmer.
Formwatch
Enhancer 9-2 (11-10) In touch, headway 3 out, challenged next, led last, no extra when headed close home, 2nd of 10, 1l behind Swift Swallow (11-11) at Wetherby 2m 4f hcp hdl 0-125 (D) gd in May.
Anatar (IRE) 25-1 (10-13) Mistakes, always behind, struggling 3 out, 12th of 17, 29l behind Yes Sir (11-9) at Sandown 2m 4f hcp hdl 0-140 (B) gs in Apr.
Castleshane (IRE) 6-1 (11-5) Led, ridden and headed approaching 2f out, weakened approaching last, 4th of 8, 7l behind Bogus Dreams (10-8) at Bangor 2m 1f hcp hdl 0-125 (D) gs in Apr.
Prince Among Men 20-1 (10-10) Held up towards rear, lost place from 4 out, last of 8, 36l behind Nawamees (11-6) at Wetherby 2m hcp hdl 0-140 (B) gd in Oct.
Masters Of War (IRE) 1-7fav (11-9) Mistakes, chased leaderds, ridden after 3 out, soon struggling, 3rd and held when fell at the last in race won by Wainak (10-4) at Market Rasen 3m nov hdl (D) gd in Aug, 5 ran.
Silver Charmer 14-1 (10-5) Held up, steady headway from 3 out, went 3rd after 2 out, switched left approaching last, chased winner flat, no extra final 50 yards, 2nd of 17, 3l behind Inch Pride (10-11) at Cheltenham 2m 5f mrs hcp hdl (A) gd in Apr.
Big Wheel 5-4fav (10-12) Held up in mid-division, headway 5th, effort when slightly hampered after 3 out, soon beaten, 4th of 10, 20l behind Hamadeenah (10-11) at Sedgefield 2m 1f clm hdl (F) gf in Sept.
Kristoffersen 25-1 (11-12) Held up, blundered 4th, headway after next, chased leader 3 out, hard ridden to lead near finish, won at Uttoxeter 2m 4f sll hcp hdl 0-100 (G) gd in May beating Linus (11-4) by 1l, 18 ran.