Racecards
15:55 Fontwell Park
Laurent Perrier Handicap Hurdle (Class D)
- 5 Runners
- Distance: 3m 3f
- Going: Good to Firm
- Form 4R/312-2
- Age 10
- Weight 11-12
- Trainer N M Babbage
- Jockey N D Fehily
led, headed after 3rd, chased leader, mistake and lost 2nd 3 out, weakened quickly
Darina's Boy
14- Form U1-3121
- Age 7
- Weight 11-6
- Trainer L Wells
- Jockey Mr J Morgan
soon in touch, mistake 2nd, led after 3rd, mistake 2 out, headed flat, kept on gamely, just held, dismounted (finished lame)
- Form 2-13313
- Age 7
- Weight 11-4
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey Ruby Walsh
ran in snatches, chased leader to after 3rd, remained prominent, driven 3 out, challenged last, led flat, driven out
- Form 141PP0
- Age 6
- Weight 10-3
held up, mistake 4 out, weakened next, tailed off before 2 out
- Form 04UF50
- Age 8
- Weight 10-0
- Trainer M Pitman
- Jockey Timmy Murphy
held up, mistake 9th, weakened 3 out
In depth
Verdict
Darina's Boy has looked a progressive type and is taken to notch his third success over timber. The Lawrence Wells-trained gelding is most effective from the front as he showed when landing a similar contest over three miles at Bangor earlier in the month and, with further improvement to come, he can offset a subsequent 10lb rise in this small field. Ennel Boy has been lightly campaigned over the last couple of years and has clearly not beeen easy to train but goes well fresh and has claims on his excellent effort when runner-up in a valuable handicap at Cheltenham in December. Howdydoody landed a novice event at Taunton in January but that was a weak affair and the handicapper looks to have his measure judged on his latest start while Silver Gift has been well below the form of his Huntingdon success in October.