Racecards
17:20 Folkestone
Romney Marsh Handicap (Class 5)
- 7 Runners
- Distance: 1m 4f
- Going: Soft
- Surface: Turf
- £4,500 added
- Form 437216
- Age 6
- Weight 9-11
- Official Rating 69
- Trainer Jean-Rene Auvray
- Jockey Jim Crowley
made all, driven over 1f out, in command final furlong, stayed on well
- Form 053-117
- Age 4
- Weight 9-9
- Official Rating 67
- Trainer A P Stringer
- Jockey T P Queally
held up in rear, lost touch final 3f, tailed off
Act Three
23- Form 60-9227
- Age 4
- Weight 9-8
- Official Rating 66
- Trainer Mouse Hamilton-fairley
- Jockey W Buick
settled 3rd after 2f, chased winner over 2f out, driven head high over 1f out, no impression, lost 2nd final 100 yards
- Form 901-663
- Age 3
- Weight 9-3
- Official Rating 68
- Trainer H J L Dunlop
- Jockey I Mongan
took keen hold tracking leaders, pushed along 3f out, driven and beaten over 1f out
- Form 7-66165
- Age 3
- Weight 9-0
- Official Rating 65
- Trainer G & J Moore
- Jockey P J Dobbs
held up, effort on outside when carried left from 2f out, no chance after
- Form 205150
- Age 3
- Weight 8-13
- Official Rating 64
- Trainer C Hills
- Jockey James Doyle
held up in touch on inside, headway over 1f out, stayed on to take 2nd final 100 yards, not reach winner
- Form 456360
- Age 3
- Weight 8-11
- Official Rating 62
- Trainer A M Balding
- Jockey M Dwyer
tracked winner after 2f, hung left from 3f out, wide into straight, continued to hang left, no chance from 2f out
- Form 353335
- Age 9
- Weight 9-8
- Official Rating 66
- Trainer Miss T Spearing
- Jockey Dane O'Neill
Nonrunner
Freedom Song
78- Form 244-7
- Age 3
- Weight 9-5
- Official Rating 70
- Trainer H & R Charlton
- Jockey Richard Hughes
Nonrunner
In depth
Verdict
LOVE AND GLORY may be able to take the honours from Pocketwood and Fourth Dimension. Support for Me Fein would be ominous whilst it's hard to know what the roots of Freedom Song's absence are and it will also be interesting to see if the market speaks in her favour; she's well bred and has some fair form in the book. Fourth Dimension ideally needs further but wasn't beaten far over course and distance on his penultimate start and could lay down a challenge. There's not a great deal to choose between Act Three and Pocketwood on the form that they showed when fighting out the finish at Newbury in July and both make the short-list. Love And Glory has an absence and stamina queries to overcome but he was running well enough in middle distance handicaps when last in action to be worth risking in a contest where few boast outstanding claims. Granary Girl has only finished out of the frame once in four visits here and represents a fairly solid option whilst headgear may bring about some improvement from the relatively lightly raced pair Desert Thistle and Abstract Colours. There's several with plenty to prove in this line-up; Love And Glory is taken to hold sway.
Formwatch
Pocketwood 4-1 (9-5) Close up, ridden over 4f out, weakened 3f out, last of 6, 13l behind Monfils Monfils (9-7) at Leicester 1m 4f hcp 0-85 (4) gd in Aug.
Me Fein 16-1 (9-1) Tracked leaders until lost place over 3f out, soon behind, tailed off, last of 7, well behind Hits Only Vic (10-0) at Haydock 1m 6f hcap (4) hvy in Sept.
Act Three 17-2 (9-1) Took keen hold, ridden 3f out, weakened 2f out, 7th of 11, 15l behind Go Amwell (7-11) at Goodwood 2m hcap (5) sft in Sept.
Desert Thistle (IRE) 9-2 (9-4) Never travelling in rear, headway, pressure over 3f out, went moderate 3rd over 2f out, 3rd of 6, 7l behind Fearless Warrior (8-11) at Folkestone 1m 4f 3yo hcp (5) sft in Sept.
Love And Glory (FR) 8-1 (8-7) Held up in touch, ridden over 2f out, weakened over 1f out, last of 5, 9l behind Inchwood (9-7) at Lingfield 1m 5f 3yo hcp (4) pol in Jul.
Xtravaganza (IRE) 11-1 (9-3) Tracked leader, pressed winner 4f out, soon ridden, weakened 2f out, last of 10, 21l behind Megalala (8-12) at Newbury 1m 3f hcp 0-70 (5) gs in Aug.
Abstract Colours (IRE) 11-2 (7-13) Led, headed over 5f out, weakened over 1f out, last of 10, 18l behind Pseudonym (9-4) at Bath 2m 1f hcp 0-75 (5) gf in Sept.
Fourth Dimension (IRE) 12-1 (9-12) Held up towards rear, headway and hung right from 2f out, stayed on final furlong, not reach leaders, 5th of 12, 2 1/2l behind Colonel Flay (9-9) at Salisbury 1m 6f hcp 0-70 (5) gf in Aug.
Freedom Song 16-1 (9-6) Behind, pushed along 4f out, never a factor, 7th of 11, 6l behind Rescue Me (8-8) at Windsor 1m 3yo fll hcp 0-100 (5) gf in Jul.
Valdan (IRE) 6-1 (9-2) Tracked leaders until weakened over 2f out, 10th of 13, 24l behind Alfie Tupper (9-5) at W'hampton 1m 1f hcap (5) pol in Sept.
Tayman (IRE) 5-1fav (11-1) Tracked leader, ridden over 3f out, one pace, 4th of 15, 5l behind Mad Professor (10-5) at Chepstow 1m 4f amt hcp (6) gf in Jul.
Granary Girl 16-1 (9-4) Held up mid-division, ridden 2f out, one pace from over 1f out, 7th of 12, 4l behind Swords (9-1) at W'hampton 1m 4f hcp 0-70 (5) pol in Aug.