Racecards
18:35 Fontwell Park
Philippa Niel-mee Memorial Novices' Hurdle (Class 4)
- 6 Runners
- Distance: 2m 4f
- Going: Good to Firm, Good in places
- Surface: Turf
- £4,000 added
- Form 63531-1
- Age 4
- Weight 11-8
- Official Rating 106
- Trainer G & J Moore
- Jockey J E Moore
mid-division, not fluent 2nd, headway and hit 6th, ridden and mistake 3 out, went 2nd and carried right from 2 out, kept on, not pace of winner
- Form 23/379-P
- Age 5
- Weight 11-0
- Trainer Tim Vaughan
- Jockey L P Aspell
held up, ridden and effort 3 out, kept on one pace from 2 out
- Form 4327-32
- Age 5
- Weight 11-0
- Trainer J W Mullins
- Jockey W P Kavanagh
led to after 2nd, chased leader, ridden and led after 3 out, hung right from 2 out, driven out flat
- Form 2
- Age 5
- Weight 11-0
- Trainer Mrs A M Thorpe
- Jockey S Durack
chased leader, led after 2nd, hit 7th, ridden and headed after 3 out, one pace from 2 out
Little Alf
58- Form 0083-
- Age 5
- Weight 11-0
- Trainer B G Powell
- Jockey T Siddall
in touch, ridden and lost place after 4th, pulled up before 7th
- Form 9PPP-10
- Age 7
- Weight 11-0
- Official Rating 78
- Trainer C L Popham
- Jockey L Heard
held up last, mistake 6th, soon ridden and lost touch, tailed off from 3 out
In depth
Verdict
Insignia gets a narrow vote over Cockatoo and Forest Silver in the opener at the Sussex track. Alison Thorpe has her team in good form at present, and it will not be too long surely before she places Insignia to good effect judged on his first outing over timber at Worcester recently when the ex-Mark Brisbourne gelding was second to Pigeon Island. A maiden on the level, he can make the most of the weight that he receives from Cockatoo to oblige. The latter represents the powerful local combination of Gary Moore and son Jamie and lines up on the back of two wins over hurdles, the latest of which was here, and he is even fitter from a spin on the Flat at Goodwood six-days ago. He will be a tough nut to crack, but there could be value in opposing him. Forest Silver was pretty one-paced when second over three miles at Uttoxeter last time and will do well to figure over this shorter trip, with preference for Insignia.
Formwatch
Cockatoo (USA) 4-1 (11-5) Tracked leaders, led 2 out, in command when hit last, ridden out, won at Fontwell 2m 2f 4yo hdl (4) gf in May beating Polinamix (11-12) by 4l, 5 ran.
Brinkmanship (USA) 40-1 (11-2) Always behind, struggling after 8th, tailed off when pulled up 2 out in race won by Noble Action (11-2) at Bangor 3m mdn hdl (4) gd in May, 9 ran.
Forest Silver 25-1 (10-7) Held up towards rear, headway 7th, hung left after 3 out, went 2nd last, no chance with winner, 2nd of 12, 10l behind Gone To Lunch (10-9) at Uttoxeter 3m nov hdl (4) gf.
Insignia (IRE) 14-1 (11-2) Chased leader, led 4th to 6th, went 2nd last, no chance with winner, 2nd of 13, 9l behind Pigeon Island (10-12) at Worcester 2m 4f mdn hdl (5) gd.
Little Alf 14-1 (10-11) Disputed lead until over 3f out, soon wandered under pressure, kept on same pace final 2f, 3rd of 5, 11l behind Lit Up (10-11) at Exeter 2m 1f nhf (5) gf in Apr.
Thunder Child 8-1 (9-7) In touch, went prominent and not fluent 6th, weakened after next, tailed off, 11th of 13, well behind Pantherus (11-1) at Exeter 2m 3f nov hcp hdl 0-100 (4) gd in May.