Racecards
14:40 Southwell
Happy New Year From Star Sports Handicap Hurdle (Class 5)
- 7 Runners
- Distance: 2m
- Going: Good to Soft, Soft in places
- Surface: Turf
- £2,250 added
- Winner: £1,541
- 2nd: £449
- 3rd: £225
- Form 23-4447
- Age 8
- Weight 11-12
- Official Rating 95
chased leaders on inside, mistake and reminders 3 out, soon ridden and outpaced, went 3rd after next, kept on same pace, never on terms
- Form 312-P
- Age 5
- Weight 11-11
- Official Rating 94
- Trainer Jim Best
- Jockey Matthew Batchelor
mistakes, chased leaders, reminders from 3rd, dropped to rear 5th, tailed off when pulled up after 3 out
- Form 09-P47
- Age 5
- Weight 11-11
- Official Rating 94
- Trainer C C Bealby
- Jockey T Messenger
raced keenly, led 2nd to 4th, hung right and reminders soon after, chased leader, lost place 3 out, soon weakened, tailed off when pulled up before last
- Form 2-34543
- Age 9
- Weight 11-10
- Official Rating 93
led to 2nd, tracked leader, led again 4th, headed before 2 out, soon beaten
- Form 414-P66
- Age 5
- Weight 11-5
- Official Rating 88
- Trainer K A Morgan
- Jockey James Reveley
held up behind in touch, headway 4 out, went 2nd next, led before 2 out, soon clear, stayed on well
- Form 096-347
- Age 5
- Weight 10-13
- Official Rating 82
- Trainer Evan Williams
- Jockey Paul Moloney
tracked leaders, ridden after 3 out, went 2nd next, kept on same pace, no chance with winner
- Form 1U4-P4F
- Age 11
- Weight 10-0
- Official Rating 66
- Trainer John R Upson
- Jockey Sam Twiston-Davies
held up behind in touch, ridden 3 out, soon weakened, tailed off
In depth
Verdict
Blinkers could wake up My Les, who is lightly-raced over timber, while Bromhead is also tried in a new version of headgear. Silver Steel is rated 11lb higher over fences but has been below his best for a while so preference is for SONIC ANTHEM. John Mackie's nine-year-old gradually seems to be finding a bit of form and is now 5lb lower than his last winning mark. This won't take much winning and he looks a better bet than the maiden River Rhapsody at the weights.
Formwatch
Silver Steel (FR) 7-1 (11-10) Held up towards rear and keen, blundered badly 8th, soon lost place, tailed off, 7th of 9, well behind Amalfi Coast (11-12) at Sedgefield 2m 4f hcp chs 0-110 (4) gd in Sep.
My Les 11-2 (11-12) Mid-division on outside, reminders 5th, headway after next, weakened approaching 3 out, pulled up before 2 out, in a race won by Babilu (11-8) at Uttoxeter 2m hcp hdl 0-95 (5) hvy in Oct, 12 ran.
Cherokee Story 80-1 (10-10) Held up towards rear, reminders after 6th, soon weakened, tailed off, 7th of 8, well behind Risaala (10-3) at Huntingdon 2m 4f mares NH nov hdl (3) gs in Nov.
Sonic Anthem (USA) 5-1 (11-7) Led, not fluent 2nd, ridden and headed 2 out, weakened approaching last, 3rd of 10, 9l behind Nouailhas (10-11) at Bangor 2m 1f hcp hdl (4) gd in Dec.
Bromhead (USA) 28-1 (11-7) Took keen hold in rear, closed approaching 3 out, no impression before 2 out, hit last, 6th of 10, 20l behind Amuse Me (11-9) at Huntingdon 2m hcp hdl 0-95 (5) gs in Oct.
River Rhapsody (IRE) 9-1 (11-4) Mid-division, ridden and outpaced 4 out, never near leaders, 7th of 17, 26l behind Black Phantom (11-7) at Chepstow 2m hcp hdl 0-90 (5) sft in Nov.
Wishes Or Watches (IRE) 8-1 (10-7) Held up, mistake and fell 2nd, in a race won by Roc De Guye (11-7) at Fakenham 2m cond hcp chs 0-85 (5) gs in Nov, 7 ran.