Racecards
16:05 Cheltenham
Abacusglobal.Com Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle (Class E)
- 24 Runners
- Distance: 2m 5f
- Going: Good
- Form 5-21111
- Age 6
- Weight 11-12
- Trainer C L Tizzard
- Jockey K Burke
with leaders until approaching 3 out, tailed off
- Form 6630-65
- Age 8
- Weight 11-12
- Trainer R Stronge
- Jockey James Davies
held up, some headway when mistakes 7th, no danger after
- Form 51623-F
- Age 6
- Weight 11-10
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey Christian Williams
held up, slipped up bend after 2nd
- Form 1-20212
- Age 5
- Weight 11-8
- Trainer J & A O'Neill
- Jockey E Cooper
prominent, led approaching 3 out, soon headed, still every chance when ran out 2 out
- Form 12P6-11
- Age 6
- Weight 11-8
- Trainer Noel T Chance
- Jockey W T Kennedy
mid-division, headway approaching 5th, ridden 2 out, no extra flat
- Form 0-2
- Age 4
- Weight 11-5
- Trainer Miss V Williams
- Jockey S Thomas
held up in touch, weakened approaching 6th, tailed off
Henry Island (IRE)
1092- Form 122004/
- Age 11
- Weight 11-4
- Trainer Mrs A Bowlby
- Jockey S Walsh
led 1st, prominent until after 3rd, behind from 5th, tailed off when pulled up before last
- Form 300444
- Age 7
- Weight 11-3
- Trainer John Joseph Murphy
- Jockey W O Callaghan
held up, headway approaching 3 out, went 2nd last, no impression on winner
- Form 2432-34
- Age 6
- Weight 11-2
- Trainer V R A Dartnall
- Jockey Andrew Tinkler
held up in touch, headway 6th, led 3 out, not fluent and headed 2 out, no extra flat
- Form 0P-62S1
- Age 4
- Weight 10-13
held up, mistake 3rd, headway 4th, prominent when blundered and unseated rider 6th
- Form 5P60-43
- Age 7
- Weight 10-13
- Trainer J Parkinson & S Smith
- Jockey T Halliday
in touch, ridden and weakened when hampered 6th
- Form 5/21-0
- Age 5
- Weight 10-13
- Trainer J Candlish
- Jockey A O'keeffe
hampered bend after 2nd, always behind, tailed off when pulled up before 3 out
- Form 331/12-
- Age 7
- Weight 10-13
- Trainer P Hobbs & J White
- Jockey P J Brennan
held up, headway approaching 3 out, kept on flat
- Form 5024-5
- Age 4
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer N & W Twiston-Davies
- Jockey M Goldstein
led 2nd, mistake 4th, headed approaching 3 out, behind when hit 2 out
- Form 1/3403P-
- Age 5
- Weight 10-11
- Trainer Ferdy Murphy
- Jockey K Mercer
held up, slightly hampered bend after 2nd, headway approaching 3 out, weakened 2 out
Just Kate
136- Form 451-216
- Age 5
- Weight 10-11
- Trainer A King
- Jockey Wayne Hutchinson
in touch, led 2 out, soon ridden and headed, one pace
- Form 0-03243
- Age 5
- Weight 10-10
- Trainer R Osborne
- Jockey Robert Colgan
held up, some headway when mistake 7th, behind when jumped left 2 out
- Form 430P0-1
- Age 5
- Weight 10-8
- Trainer Thomas McCourt
- Jockey D F O'Regan
mid-division, headway after 7th, in touch when fell 3 out
- Form 66-6322
- Age 5
- Weight 10-6
- Trainer D Ffrench Davis
- Jockey Stephen Craine
brought down, held up, brought down bend after 2nd
- Form PU/0155
- Age 6
- Weight 10-4
- Trainer R Phillips
- Jockey G Carenza
held up, headway after 5th, every chance 3 out, weakened approaching last
- Form 03-0210
- Age 4
- Weight 10-1
- Trainer E McNamara
- Jockey B Byrnes
mid-division, headway after 7th, led after 2 out, soon ridden, clear last, ran on well
In depth
Verdict
You could make a case out for a number of these in this competitive finale to day one of the Open Meeting and we will take Freedom Now to defy topweight and complete a fantastic five-timer, with Blue Americo, Direct Flight and Yourman likely to emerge as the main rivals. Freedom Now is no good thing, despite those impressive form figures, as lumping 11st 12lb around Cheltenham has posed problems for better horses than him. However, he is improving, stays well, loves this decent ground, and has bags of confidence at present, and he can raise his game again to take this. Blue Americo is arguably well handicapped with the selection here, and he too is getting better. A faller when looking likely to challenge the winner last time, if he can put that behind him then he won't be too far away again, and he can give the selection most to do. Direct Flight is another going the right way and Noel Chance is a past master at placing his runners to good effect and running up a sequence. A winner at both Kelso and Fakenham already this autumn, he has not found a serious challenger in either contest and it will be a surprise if he is not bang there at the last. Of the remainder, Moscow Whisper will win more but will have to improve to land this, while Yourman finally got off the mark at Chepstow last time out and with trip and ground to suit again here, he can make his presence felt. Even so, Freedom Now is in the form of his life and he can complete the nap hand here.