Racecards
19:10 Fontwell Park
Yeomans Nissan Yeomans.co.uk Claiming Hurdle (Class 5)
- 8 Runners
- Distance: 2m 4f
- Going: Good to Soft, Good in places
- Surface: Turf
- £2,400 added
- Form 55/121-2
- Age 6
- Weight 12-0
- Official Rating 125
- Trainer G & J Moore
- Jockey J E Moore
held up, smooth headway from 7th, led 3 out, found little under pressure run-in, headed towards finish
- Form 2P564P-
- Age 8
- Weight 11-7
- Official Rating 102
- Trainer Mrs A M Thorpe
- Jockey Felix de Giles
chased leaders until ridden and weakened 3 out
- Form 623468-
- Age 8
- Weight 11-6
- Official Rating 102
- Trainer M Madgwick
- Jockey W P Kavanagh
chased leaders, ridden and outpaced from 3 out
Bold Trump
93- Form 2/14590-
- Age 7
- Weight 11-4
- Official Rating 92
- Trainer Mrs N S Evans
- Jockey J Mogford
led, hit 4th, ridden and headed 3 out, weakened rapidly, pulled up before 2 out
- Form 20P/R0R-
- Age 10
- Weight 11-2
- Official Rating 100
- Trainer Mrs P Townsley
- Jockey Bdr Jody Sole
chased leaders, ridden after 6th, soon weakened, tailed off and pulled up before 2 out
- Form 36P0FP-
- Age 5
- Weight 11-2
- Official Rating 90
- Trainer P Butler
- Jockey R Lucey-Butler
held up, moderate headway after 3 out
- Form 142/PPP-
- Age 8
- Weight 11-0
- Official Rating 117
- Trainer Evan Williams
- Jockey Paul Moloney
held up, smooth headway from 7th, chased winner from 3 out, hit 2 out and last, driven ahead near finish, won going away
- Form 26/1243-
- Age 7
- Weight 10-9
- Official Rating 97
- Trainer B J Llewellyn
- Jockey Miss Isabel Tompsett
chased leader, hit 4 out, dropped to 3rd 3 out, soon one pace, no chance with front pair when edged left run-in
In depth
Verdict
Prime Contender is the best horse in the line-up and Gary Moore's gelding gets the vote ahead of potential fly-in-ointment Highland Games. The selection has bags in hand on official ratings with most of the field, and comes here on the back of a decent second to the classy Pepperoni Pete. They were some way clear of the third horse home and assuming that the ground doesn't deteriorate too much, then he should prove hard to beat. Highland Games has shown nothing in three recent starts, and is obviously nowhere near as good as he was. However the drop in class today may make life easier, although to back him you would have to be very trusting. Cusp disappointed when last seen but there may have been a reason for that, although the application of first-time blinkers doesn't exactly instil confidence. At a price Sonnengold could hit the frame off his light racing weight, however it is Prime Contender who is taken to oblige.
Formwatch
Prime Contender 3-1 (12-0) Took keen hold, tracked leaders, narrow lead 3 out, headed last, not quicken flat, 2nd of 16, 2l behind Pepporoni Pete (11-10) at Ludlow 2m clm hdl (4) gd in Apr.
Cusp 16-1 (10-6) Mid-division, headway approaching 9th, hit 11th, weakened 12th, tailed off when pulled up at the last in race won by Casalani (10-1) at Uttoxeter 2m 6f clm chs (3) sft in Apr, 12 ran.
Harcourt (USA) 25-1 (11-2) Mid-division, weakened 5th, 8th of 17, 24l behind Kerriemuir Lass (11-4) at Towcester 2m hcp hdl 0-110 (4) gs in Apr.
Bold Trump 25-1 (11-5) Mid-division until weakened after 3rd, tailed off, 13th of 15, well behind Mungo Jerry (11-5) at Exeter 2m 1f hcp hdl 0-95 (5) gs in Jan.
Dauphin Des Carres (FR) 25-1 (11-3) Held up, ridden 8th, weakening when refused in race won by Najca De Thaix (10-11) at Plumpton 2m 1f hcp chs 0-110 (4) sft in Mar, 7 ran.
Night Groove (IRE) 16-1 (11-7) Behind, ridden, struggling from 5th, tailed off when pulled up 2 out in race won by Slo Mo Shun (10-3) at Towcester 2m sll hcp hdl 0-95 (5) gd in Apr, 16 ran.
Highland Games (IRE) 40-1 (11-1) Chased leaders, losing place when mistake 6th and pulled up 5 out in race won by Rathcor (10-9) at Chepstow 2m 4f hcp hdl 0-125 (3) gd in Apr, 14 ran.
Sonnengold (GER) 10-1 (11-0) In touch, lost place after 4th, well behind after next, stayed on again from 3 out, 3rd of 10, 16l behind Councillor Jack (11-2) at Stratford 2m 3f sll hdl (4) gs in Mar.