Racecards
14:05 Haydock Park
Betfredcasino Handicap (Class 2)
- 8 Runners
- Distance: 5f
- Going: Good to Firm, Firm in places
- Surface: Turf
- £22,500 added
- Form 8-64704
- Age 8
- Weight 9-9
- Official Rating 104
- Trainer D Nicholls
- Jockey L Dettori
held up in touch, headway halfway, ridden and weakened inside final furlong
- Form 010465-
- Age 7
- Weight 9-9
- Official Rating 104
in touch, ridden entering final furlong, no extra
- Form 26010-1
- Age 4
- Weight 9-8
- Official Rating 103
- Trainer D Nicholls
- Jockey Adrian Nicholls
tracked leaders, ridden halfway, challenged 1f out, no extra inside final furlong
- Form 5/22200-
- Age 6
- Weight 9-7
- Official Rating 102
- Trainer H Morrison
- Jockey R L Moore
held up, ridden over 1f out, headway entering final furlong, ran on strongly towards finish, just failed
- Form 35-9207
- Age 6
- Weight 9-4
- Official Rating 99
held up, ridden and stayed on from over 1f out
- Form 250839
- Age 7
- Weight 8-11
- Official Rating 92
- Trainer W J Haggas
- Jockey Michael Hills
in touch and raced keen, ridden and not much room approaching final furlong, squeezed through inside final furlong, stayed on to lead towards finish, just held on
- Form 4209-53
- Age 6
- Weight 8-11
- Official Rating 92
- Trainer G R Oldroyd
- Jockey J P Spencer
tracked leaders, ridden inside final furlong, soon beaten
- Form 0739-06
- Age 4
- Weight 8-9
- Official Rating 90
- Trainer Paul Green
- Jockey F Norton
led, ridden over 1f out, headed well inside final furlong, kept on
- Form 213633
- Age 5
- Weight 9-0
- Official Rating 95
Nonrunner
In depth
Verdict
Northern Fling was seen to good effect on his seasonal reappearance and is taken to win again at the expense of Knot In Wood and Ebraam. The selection won nicely at a big price at Doncaster last month over this trip and is now seven pounds higher in the weights as a consequence. That said he looks a bigger and stronger horse than he was last year so could improve once again and develop into a tough handicapper. Knot In Wood is a little inconsistent and is not easy to win with. He won off a mark of 95 last summer at Hamilton and was raised in the weights thereafter. He has not really looked like winning since but if back to his best could pose as a danger. Ebraam may be a more reliable type having shown himself in good spirits last time out when finishing third of fourteen at Chester. He scored at Lingfield on the all weather in the winter and it wont be long before he is back in the winners enclosure this summer. But for the winner we return to Northern Fling.
Formwatch
Indian Trail 11-2 (9-0) In touch, headway over 1f out, weakened inside final furlong, 4th of 7, 8l behind Reverence (9-0) at Haydock 6f stk (2) gd.
Green Manalishi 20-1 (9-1) Chased leaders, ridden over 1f out, not clear run inside final furlong, kept on same pace, 5th of 13, 2l behind Judd Street (8-12) at Newmarket 5f lst stk (1) gd in Oct.
Northern Fling 20-1 (9-4) In touch, ridden over 1f out, led inside final furlong, stayed on, won at Doncaster 5f hcp 0-100 (2) sft in Apr beating Chief Editor (8-13) by 1/2l, 10 ran.
Intrepid Jack 16-1 (9-5) Slowly into stride, behind on stand's side, switched left and ridden 2f out, ran on final furlong, never troubled leaders, 10th of 27, 3l behind Zidane (9-1) at Goodwood 6f hcap (2) gf in Aug.
Knot In Wood (IRE) 25-1 (9-2) Raced stands side, held up, ridden and headway over 1f out, edged right and led stands side group inside final furlong, nearest finish, 7th of 25, 3l behind Off The Record (8-12) at Newmarket 6f hcap (2) gd.
Fyodor (IRE) 15-2 (8-13) In touch, kept on from over 1f out, 9th of 11, 2l behind Tournedos (9-3) at York 5f hcp 0-100 (2) gf.
Bond City (IRE) 14-1 (8-12) Tracked leaders, ridden and every chance over 1f out, kept on inside final furlong, 3rd of 9, 1l behind Chief Editor (9-3) at Nottingham 5f hcp 0-95 (3) gs in Apr.
Ebraam (USA) 12-1 (8-10) Tracked leaders, ridden over 1f out, chased winner inside final furlong until no extra towards finish, 3rd of 14, 2l behind Bertoliver (8-8) at Chester 5f hcap (2) gd.