Racecards
13:15 Sandown Park
Betfair Fighting Fifth Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1)
- 4 Runners
- Distance: 1m 7f 216y
- Going: Heavy
- Surface: Turf
- £80,000 added
- Winner: £45,016
- 2nd: £16,960
- 3rd: £8,488
- 4th: £4,240
- Form 12352-4
- Age 7
- Weight 11-10
- Official Rating 152
- Trainer G & J Moore
- Jockey N F Houlihan
led, headed and remained close up 2nd, led again next, hit 3 out, pushed along and headed before 2 out, kept one pace before last
- Form 155/355-
- Age 11
- Weight 11-10
- Official Rating 151
- Trainer H Morrison
- Jockey S Bowen
handy, shaken up and led before 2 out, soon faced challenge, pushed along before last and forged away, stayed on strongly run-in
- Form 12/1126-
- Age 7
- Weight 11-3
- Official Rating 153
chased leaders in rear, cajoled along at times, pushed along 3 out and no real progress, rallied approaching 2 out, ridden and chased leader before last, kept on but no impression
- Form 12115-1
- Age 6
- Weight 11-3
- Official Rating 140
- Trainer Jamie Snowden
- Jockey G Sheehan
prominent, led 2nd, headed next and tracked leader, lost position 4 out, switched right and headway into 2nd before 2 out, soon pushed along and pressed leader, hung left and held before final flight, kept on same pace
- Form 11/1111-
- Age 6
- Weight 11-10
- Official Rating 175
- Trainer N J Henderson
- Jockey N de Boinville
NonRunner
- Form P/3121-R
- Age 9
- Weight 11-10
- Official Rating 163
- Trainer N J Henderson
- Jockey James Bowen
NonRunner
In depth
Verdict
Not So Sleepy won on the Flat in September but was no match for CONSTITUTION HILL in this last year nor when the latter won the Champion Hurdle in March. It will be a major surprise if Nicky Henderson’s six-year-old loses his unbeaten record here. Shishkin was a smart hurdler and is a top-class chaser but blotted his copy book when refusing to race at Ascot on his reappearance and he hasn’t run over the smaller obstacles since winning the Supreme Novices’ in March 2020. Goshen has as many bad days as good but Love Envoi and You Wear It Well are both tough mares with the former finishing second in the Grade 1 Mares’ Hurdle at The Festival last season and the latter winning the Grade 2 Dawn Run and making all at Wetherby on her comeback.
Formwatch
Goshen (FR) 7-1 (11-6) Tracked leaders, pushed along 3 out, weakened next, 4th of 5, 17l behind Blueking D'oroux (10-13) at Ascot 2m 3f (1) gd in Nov.
Not So Sleepy 25-1 (9-9) Held up towards rear, headway out wide chasing leaders 4f out, ridden inside final 3f, weakened final furlong, 7th of 31, 7 3/4l behind The Shunter (9-1) at Newmarket 2m 2f hcp (2) sft in Oct.
Love Envoi (IRE) 13-8jfav (11-7) Tracked leaders, 2nd after 4th, slight mistake next, pushed along and lost place on outer entering straight, soon no extra in rear, weakened, last of 6, 37l behind Echoes In Rain (11-7) at Punchestown 2m 3f (1) Good - Yielding in Apr.
You Wear It Well 2-1 (11-3) Made all, ridden after 2 out, not fluent last, ridden run-in and stayed on well, always doing enough, won at Wetherby 2m lst (1) sft in Nov beating Luccia (11-2) by 3l, 6 ran.
Constitution Hill 2-15fav (11-10) Jumped well, made all, clear 6th until before 3 out, quickened clear after 2 out, nudged out final 100 yards, easily, won at Aintree 2m 4f (1) gs in Apr beating Sharjah (11-10) by 3l, 6 ran.
Shishkin (IRE) 8-13fav (11-10) Reluctant to line up, whipped round start, refused to race, at Ascot 2m 5f (1) gd in Nov.