Racecards
13:10 Folkestone
Eastwell Manor Beginners' Chase (Class E)
- 12 Runners
- Distance: 3m 1f
- Going: Heavy, Soft in places
Alpine Slave
20- Form 6F13-P
- Age 7
- Weight 11-3
- Trainer N J Gifford
- Jockey L P Aspell
in touch, mistake 9th, close up when blundered and lost place 15th, stayed on again from 2 out
Atlastaboy (IRE)
314- Form 2/33561-
- Age 8
- Weight 11-3
- Trainer T R George
- Jockey J M Maguire
held up and behind, headway 10th, challenged before 2 out where jumped left, weakened before last
- Form 32/004-6
- Age 8
- Weight 11-3
tracked leader until lost place 10th, soon driven along and weakened, tailed off
- Form RP64/2-5
- Age 8
- Weight 11-3
pulled hard, tracked leaders, behind from 12th, fell 14th
- Form 6FP-56
- Age 7
- Weight 11-3
- Trainer Miss E C Lavelle
- Jockey Timmy Murphy
raced wide in touch, headway to track leaders from 15th, left 2nd at 15th, weakened and lost 2nd before 2 out
Indeed (IRE)
296- Form F1/0F22-
- Age 9
- Weight 11-3
- Trainer N J Gifford
- Jockey M Bradburne
not fluent, behind, mistake 10th, fell 14th
- Form 11431-5
- Age 8
- Weight 11-3
- Trainer A King
- Jockey R Thornton
tracked leaders, mistake 8th, went 2nd before 2 out, soon challenged, led before last, stayed on well flat comfortably
- Form 1F02/3
- Age 8
- Weight 11-3
led, narrowly headed 13th, close up when mistake and unseated rider 15th
- Form 11-4
- Age 6
- Weight 11-3
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey Ruby Walsh
tracked leaders, went 2nd 10th, led narrowly 13th, not fluent 2 out, headed before last, one pace flat
Zen (IRE)
17- Form 55544/6
- Age 9
- Weight 11-3
- Trainer T McGovern
- Jockey M Batchelor
mistake 2nd, behind, steady headway to track leaders from 10th, driven 13th, losing touch when mistake next, pulled up before last
- Form 3F5-P
- Age 8
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer Mrs S Wall
- Jockey B Hitchcott
in touch, mistake 7th, weakened and behind from 12th, pulled up before 14th
In depth
Verdict
A wide open contest to work out here with many of the runners having shown very little. However the main protagonists look to be Stavordale Lad, Lords Best and Indeed and we will take a chance on Lords Best. The gelding from the bang in form Alan King yard ran as if in need of the outing when fifth behind Major Benefit. However he will strip fitter here and with the step up in trip sure to suit he will be hard to beat. Stavordale Lad rates the main danger he was a fair fourth behind shock winner Muck Savage last time. However that was only his first attempt over regulation fences and he is from a top yard so is sure to improve. Indeed is another that could go well he was a good second behind Extra Cache when last seen 296 days ago but he may just need the run after such a long absence. Atlastaboy has the scope to make a chaser and rounded off last season with a win over hurdles. However, he has yet to convince he stays this far. Of the remainder Alpine Slave would have a chance at his best but he showed virtually nothing on his only run to date this season so we are happy to side with Lords Best.