Racecards
15:20 Plumpton
Express Chef Novices' Handicap Chase (Class 4)
- 8 Runners
- Distance: 2m 4f
- Going: Heavy
- Surface: Turf
- £5,000 added
- Form P/F-2P46
- Age 7
- Weight 11-12
- Official Rating 100
- Trainer Miss V Williams
- Jockey S Thomas
in touch, weakened 8th, blundered 10th, tailed off when pulled up before next
- Form 63PP14
- Age 12
- Weight 11-12
- Official Rating 100
- Trainer M Scudamore
- Jockey T Scudamore
behind, ridden, struggling 7th, tailed off when pulled up after 9th
- Form 3P6/456
- Age 8
- Weight 11-10
- Official Rating 98
- Trainer A King
- Jockey R Thornton
chased leader, blundered 9th, soon driven, lost 2nd, weakened soon after, tailed off
- Form 23FP31
- Age 7
- Weight 11-9
- Official Rating 97
led, clear 10th, mistake next, ridden, headed 3 out, soon no chance with winner
- Form 00/84-66
- Age 9
- Weight 11-8
- Official Rating 96
- Trainer D W P Arbuthnot
- Jockey S Durack
tracked leaders, went 2nd 10th, led 3 out, soon in command, stayed on strongly
- Form 842341
- Age 6
- Weight 11-7
- Official Rating 95
- Trainer R J Hodges
- Jockey Harry Skelton
held up in last pair, mistake 6th, headway from 9th, went 3rd 4 out, one pace from next, well held when not fluent last
- Form 784465
- Age 8
- Weight 11-7
- Official Rating 95
- Trainer R J Hodges
- Jockey Aidan Coleman
in touch, driven, struggling from 10th, tailed off
- Form 2-5635F
- Age 7
- Weight 10-9
- Official Rating 83
chased leaders, weakened under pressure approaching 4 out, tailed off
- Form 1-PU374
- Age 6
- Weight 11-7
- Official Rating 95
- Trainer Mrs L C Jewell
- Jockey Matthew Batchelor
Nonrunner
In depth
Verdict
Anchor Bridge is selected ahead of Marshalls Run and Tosula. The selection has shown enough in three runs over hurdles to suggest that he has a future at this game and he has always looked in need of a fence to jump. The handicapper hasn't taken many chances so he will need to improve but there's a fair chance that he'll be able to do so. Marshalls Run hasn't fulfilled his initial promise but he appeared not to stay 3 miles at Leicester on his chase debut and is certainly well handicapped on the form that he showed in bumpers. Tosula's better efforts have come on decent ground but some of her siblings have handled cut and she could be hard to keep out of the frame if handling it as well. Joli Classical won well over hurdles last time but has shown little in two previous attempts over fences; Premiership is not without claims having won over course and distance and one or two others can be given a squeak but we'll take Anchor Bridge to make his chase debut a winning one.
Formwatch
Anchor Bridge (IRE) 15-2 (11-2) Prominent, pushed along and chased leader approaching 8th, weakened approaching 2 out, mistake last, 6th of 14, 26l behind Tamadot (11-2) at Warwick 2m 5f mdn hdl (4) hvy in Mar.
Premiership (IRE) 11-2 (11-8) Prominent, ridden after 2 out, weakened last, 4th of 6, 14l behind Mylord Collonges (10-9) at Stratford 2m 4f hcp chs 0-105 (4) sft in Mar.
Marshalls Run (IRE) 11-2 (11-10) Mid-division, headway 5 out, ridden 3 out, weakened 2 out, 6th of 15, 40l behind Ballyvaden (10-2) at Leicester 2m 7f hcp chs 0-105 (4) gs in Feb.
Explosive Fox (IRE) 15-8 (11-0) Made all, pushed clear 3 out, ridden out, won at Fontwell 2m 4f beg chs (4) hvy in Mar beating Cava Bien (10-9) by 6l, 3 ran.
Forager 20-1 (11-11) Held up last, blundered 6th, soon no chance, 6th of 9, 50l behind Sporting Rebel (11-7) at Exeter 2m 7f nov hcp chs 0-110 (4) sft in Mar.
Joli Classical (IRE) 11-4 (10-12) Held up, headway after 9th, led 3 out, clear 2 out, ran on, won at Plumpton 2m 5f hcp hdl 0-110 (4) hvy in Mar beating Geography (10-13) by 19l, 5 ran.
Compton Star 16-1 (10-8) Behind, never on terms, tailed off, 5th of 9, well behind Sou'wester (11-11) at Wincanton 2m nov hcp chs 0-110 (4) sft in Mar.
Brave Jo (FR) 11-2 (10-7) Led, ridden and headed after 2 out, held when fell in race won by The Langer (11-0) at Taunton 2m 7f chs 0-90 (5) hvy in Mar, 8 ran.
Knock Boy (IRE) 33-1 (11-0) Held up, headway 12th, ridden and weakened last, 4th of 6, 21l behind Polinamix (10-11) at Folkestone 2m 5f nov chs (4) gs in Feb.
Tosula 12-1 (9-9) Towards rear, headway 11th, kept on from 2 out, nearest finish, 2nd of 8, 1l behind Kilrogan (11-5) at Wincanton 2m 5f nov hcp chs 0-115 (4) gd in Mar.
Almizan (IRE) 16-1 (10-8) Mid-division, mistake 4th, blundered 7th, behind from next, tailed off, 7th of 11, well behind Kew Jumper (11-2) at Lingfield 2m 4f hcp chs 0-115 (4) gd in Mar.
Lutin Collonges (FR) 20-1 (9-7) Took keen hold, led until headed 5th, dropped to last at 8th, soon struggling, tailed off when pulled up before 13th pulled up at the 13th in race won by It's My Party (10-7) at Plumpton 3m 2f nov hcp chs 0-95 (5) gf in Apr '07, 6 ran.