Racecards
16:10 Newmarket
Barclays Eastern Handicap (Class 4)
- 7 Runners
- Distance: 6f
- Going: Soft
- Surface: Turf
- £8,000 added
- Form 00-0255
- Age 3
- Weight 9-7
- Official Rating 80
- Trainer M L W Bell
- Jockey Hayley Turner
led, ridden, headed inside final furlong, kept on well towards finish
Usk Melody
44- Form 733-85
- Age 3
- Weight 9-5
- Official Rating 78
- Trainer G A Huffer
- Jockey T Quinn
held up, driven, headway over 2f out, soon chasing leaders, weakened final furlong
- Form 1
- Age 3
- Weight 9-3
- Official Rating 76
- Trainer Sir Mark Prescott
- Jockey E Ahern
held up in touch, switched left to challenge final furlong, stayed on well
- Form 12
- Age 3
- Weight 9-0
- Official Rating 73
- Trainer Dr J D Scargill
- Jockey Ted Durcan
in touch, driven to challenge over 2f out, soon every chance, led inside final furlong, soon edged right, kept on well
- Form 65231
- Age 3
- Weight 9-0
- Official Rating 73
- Trainer M R Channon
- Jockey T P O'Shea
tracked leader, ridden, every chance approaching final furlong, edged left under pressure, no extra close home
Leg Sweep
73- Form 423477
- Age 3
- Weight 8-9
- Official Rating 68
- Trainer D R C Elsworth
- Jockey T Atkinson
very awkward start, always behind
- Form 102945
- Age 3
- Weight 8-4
- Official Rating 63
- Trainer N A Callaghan
- Jockey W Buick
in touch, chased leaders over 1f out, stayed on strongly under pressure
In depth
Verdict
Bee Eater and Silca Elegance look the principals here, with the former preferred, while Big Noise looks best of the rest. Big Noise landed a gamble on his Yarmouth debut before running a good race in defeat in a decent Kempton contest last time. He is clearly useful, and should handle this easier surface. He is capable of exposing any flaws in the principals if they have an off day. Silca Elegance is more experienced, having lost his maiden tag at Redcar last time on soft ground, after two promising efforts in defeat. He has some quality and will be thereabouts. Bee Eater represents Sir Mark Prescott, and he landed a gamble on his Haydock bow, getting up in the final strides. The runner-up has since been turned over when made favourite, and Bee Eater's ability to handle an easy surface has to be taken on trust, being a son of Green Desert. Hopefully the ground will continue to dry out and enable Bee Eater too have too much of a sting for his rivals here.
Formwatch
King's Bastion (IRE) 12-1 (9-3) Raced stand side, held up, effort over 2f out, kept on same pace, 5th of 12, 6l behind Slate (9-7) at Folkestone 7f 3yo hcp (4) gd.
Usk Melody 8-1 (8-9) Mid-division, effort 3f out, kept on one pace, 5th of 10, 8l behind Fretwork (8-12) at Salisbury 1m 2f mdn fll (4) gs in May.
Bee Eater (IRE) 4-1 (8-11) Dwelt, headway over 3f out, ran on to lead final strides, won at Haydock 6f mdn stk (5) gf beating Jimmy Styles (9-2) by a hd, 9 ran.
Big Noise 8-1 (8-12) Held up, switched left 2f out, soon ridden and stayed on well to take 2nd close home, 2nd of 9, 1 1/2l behind Royal Rock (9-4) at Kempton 6f 3yo hcp (4) pol.
Silca Elegance 8-13fav (9-0) Held up in touch, led 3f out, driven clear over 1f out, comfortably, won at Redcar 6f mdn stk (5) sft beating Miss Taboo (8-9) by 4l, 10 ran.
Leg Sweep 16-1 (8-11) Close up, ridden and weakened over 1f out, 7th of 8, 7l behind Snaafy (9-0) at Newmarket 7f 3yo mdn (4) gf in Apr.
Comrade Cotton 7-1 (8-6) Held up, ridden halfway, soon beaten, 5th of 7, 5l behind Gold Digger Miss (9-6) at Brighton 6f 3yo hcp (5) frm.
Lord Theo 9-1 (9-3) Chased leaders, ridden well over 1f out, one pace, 4th of 8, 3l behind King's Apostle (9-2) at Ripon 6f 3yo hcp (4) gf.
Buxton 16-1 (9-7) Towards rear, ridden over 2f out, stayed on, 3rd of 8, 2 1/2l behind Mac Gille Eoin (9-9) at Kempton 6f 3yo hcp (4) pol.