Racecards
20:10 Fontwell Park
Friends From Flanders Maiden Hurdle (Class 5)
- 14 Runners
- Distance: 2m 4f
- Going: Good, Good to Firm in places
- Surface: Turf
- £4,000 added
- Form 6-
- Age 6
- Weight 11-0
- Trainer Miss Z C Davison
- Jockey Gemma Gracey-Davison
held up towards rear, headway from 4 out, chased leaders after next, ridden to challenge 2 out, every chance flat until one pace towards finish
- Form 5223F2/
- Age 9
- Weight 11-0
- Trainer Jim Best
- Jockey Matthew Batchelor
always behind, ridden and struggling 6th, tailed off when hit 3 out
- Form P/P0-
- Age 6
- Weight 11-0
- Trainer Mrs L C Jewell
- Jockey Joshua Moore
always in rear, ridden and struggling before 4 out
- Form 222630-
- Age 7
- Weight 11-0
- Official Rating 110
- Trainer G & J Moore
- Jockey J E Moore
led until fell 1st
- Form 7-
- Age 5
- Weight 11-0
- Trainer B G Powell
- Jockey Jimmy McCarthy
took keen hold, left in lead 1st, ridden and headed 2 out, soon weakened
- Form 9-
- Age 6
- Weight 11-0
- Trainer P Sharp
- Jockey E Dehdashti
hampered 1st, in touch, hit 6th, struggling next, weakened soon after
- Form P879P3-
- Age 7
- Weight 11-0
- Official Rating 82
- Trainer P Sharp
- Jockey Sam Hanson
always in rear
- Form 8-
- Age 4
- Weight 10-9
- Trainer P G Murphy
- Jockey C Bolger
chased leaders, weakened 6th, tailed off when pulled up before 3 out
- Form 05U-
- Age 4
- Weight 10-9
- Trainer Miss J R Tooth
- Jockey L Heard
held up in rear, headway after 4 out, ridden and weakened soon after 2 out
House of Tudor
207- Age 4
- Weight 10-9
- Trainer David Pinder
- Jockey D Laverty
mid-division, weakened 4 out
- Age 4
- Weight 10-9
- Trainer C J Mann
- Jockey Paul Moloney
chased leaders, slightly hampered 1st, went 2nd 4 out, led going well 2 out, ridden and strongly pressed after last, driven and stayed on to assert towards finish
- Form 077-
- Age 6
- Weight 10-7
- Trainer G Wareham
- Jockey A Thornton
in touch, headway to chase leaders approaching 2 out, kept on well to take 2nd towards finish
- Form 700-
- Age 6
- Weight 10-7
- Trainer N B King
- Jockey Alex Merriam
chased leader, hit 5th, lost 2nd 4 out, weakened soon after next
- Form 4/064-
- Age 5
- Weight 10-7
- Trainer B G Powell
- Jockey K Renwick
in rear, headway after 3 out, weakened and no impression on leaders next
In depth
Verdict
Cavallini will have his supporters here along with Viva Colonia, but we will side with ASPIRING ACTOR as the pick. Jim Best has his string in decent form and this lightly-raced 9-year-old has got some decent form over hurdles. He has clearly had his problems as he has been off the track since the end of 2005, and if he is fit enough to do himself justice on his return to action then he can get his head in front. Cavallini will certainly have a race fitness edge on our selection and this is nowhere near as competitive as the race he ran in last month at Cheltenham. Viva Colonia is making his British debut but Charlie Mann has got his string in really good form at present so he has to enter calculations. So Extreme ran well on his return form a break last time so he could go well at a price, but in a race where the market may provide the clues, we will stick with Aspiring Actor as the choice.
Formwatch
Ashmolian (IRE) 20-1 (10-7) Always in rear, losing touch when mistake 8th, 6th of 11, 42l behind Caragh Bridge (11-0) at Fontwell 2m 6f nh nov hdl (4) gd in Apr.
Aspiring Actor (IRE) 4-6fav (12-0) Ww; hdwy 13; led aft 2 out; hdd & nt qckn flat, 2nd of 10 Heavenly Grey (11-0) at Larkhill 3m ptp gd in Feb '07.
Bunglasha Hall (IRE) 100-1 (10-8) Mid-division until weakened over 3f out, 10th of 13, well behind Lush Life (10-13) at Kempton 2m mdn NH flat (6) gd in Apr.
Cavallini (USA) 25-1 (11-6) Soon mid-division, headway after 9th, ridden after 3 out, weakened next, 10th of 17, 50l behind Picture This (11-1) at Cheltenham 3m nov hcp hdl 0-120 (3) gd in Apr.
Crystal Crown (IRE) 50-1 (10-13) Mid-division, ridden 6th, soon held, 7th of 13, 35l behind Pterodactyl (11-6) at Towcester 2m nh nov hdl (4) gd in Apr.
It's Basil 100-1 (10-7) Raced wide, in touch, ridden 8th, soon struggling, tailed off, 9th of 11, well behind Caragh Bridge (11-0) at Fontwell 2m 6f nh nov hdl (4) gd in Apr.
So Extreme 100-1 (10-7) Rear, ridden and stayed on after 3 out, went 3rd flat, never near front pair, 3rd of 11, 13l behind Caragh Bridge (11-0) at Fontwell 2m 6f nh nov hdl (4) gd in Apr.
Always Certain (USA) 16-1 (10-12) Always in rear, blundered 3rd, hit 5th, tailed off, 8th of 9, well behind Tobago Bay (11-12) at Plumpton 2m 4yo nov hdl (4) gd in Apr.
Buck The Trend 66-1 (10-7) Held up last, mistake 1st, jinked left and unseated rider 3rd, in a race won by Blazing Desert (11-2) at Fontwell 2m 6f mdn hdl (5) gd in Mar, 7 ran.
House of Tudor 40-1 (9-0) Always rear, driven and struggling 4f out, 14th of 16, 38l behind Highland Homestead (8-11) at Windsor 1m 2f 3yo sll (6) gs in Oct (flat).
Viva Colonia (IRE) (9-0) 3rd of 8, 5l behind Westfalensturm (8-12) at Leipzig(GER) hcp Grp 2 gd in Oct (flat).
Newsday (IRE) 50-1 (10-3) Held up in rear, ridden and struggling over 6f out, tailed off, 7th of 10, 44l behind Divy (10-10) at Plumpton 2m 2f mdn NH flat (6) gd in Mar.
Sophisticated Lady 100-1 (10-9) Soon in touch, weakened after 6th, 10th of 13, well behind Daurica (11-0) at Southwell 2m 4f mdn hdl (5) gd in Apr.
Springtree (IRE) 14-1 (11-0) Held up in last place, some headway 5f out, ridden 3f out, no impression final 2f, 4th of 7, 18l behind Katmai (10-11) at Fakenham 2m mdn NH flat (4) gd in Apr.