Skip to content

Racecards

14:30 Stratford

Evening Mail Novices' Chase (Class D) (Class D)

  • 7 Runners
  • Distance: 3m
  • Going: None specified
Weighed In
  • Winning Time: 9m 11.90s
  • 7 Ran
Go to Full Result
1
Silk -

First Ballot (IRE)

4/5

    2
    Silk -

    Lord of Illusion (IRE)

    9/4

      1
      Silk - Dark Green, White seams, White sleeves, Dark Green armlets, White cap

      First Ballot (IRE)

      26
      4/5
      • Form 0/23-P11
      • Age 8
      • Weight 11-13

      led 2nd, clear from 4 out, hit last, easily

      2
      Silk - Emerald Green, White chevrons, White sleeves, Emerald Green stars, Orange and White quartered cap

      Lord of Illusion (IRE)

      28
      9/4
      • Form 20/U3-11
      • Age 7
      • Weight 11-13

      behind, headway to chase winner approaching 11, blundered and lost place 14th, rallied to go 2nd again after 3 out, no impression

      3
      Silk - White, Red and White hooped sleeves, Red cap

      Sohapara

      41
      15/2
      • Form 12-2113
      • Age 9
      • Weight 11-2

      led to 2nd, prominent, 4th and weakening when mistake 11th, soon pulled up lame

      4
      Silk - White, Red diamond, Red sleeves, White armlets, hooped cap

      Benova Boy

      25 v
      66/1
      • Form F436-3P
      • Age 12
      • Weight 11-1

      prominent, lost place 3rd, behind 5th, soon tailed off, took poor 3rd after 2 out

      5
      Silk - DARK BLUE, YELLOW cross belts, RED and WHITE striped cap

      Ham Stone

      32
      100/1
      • Form 0/00-5
      • Age 6
      • Weight 11-1

      mistake 9th, always towards rear, tailed off when pulled up before 12th

      6
      Silk - Dark Blue, Mauve triple diamond, Mauve cap

      Millennium Gold

      16 v
      66/1
      • Form 45P-P20
      • Age 9
      • Weight 11-1

      not fluent, soon tracking leader, ridden after 10th, soon weakened, tailed off when blundered 13th

      7
      Silk - Black, Emerald Green chevron, Emerald Green sleeves, Black armlets, Emerald Green cap

      One For Me

      42
      14/1
      • Form 1100-34
      • Age 6
      • Weight 10-10

      held up, headway 12th, went 2nd 14th until after 3 out, 3rd and weakening when stumbled and unseated rider 2 out

      In depth

      Verdict

      First Ballot has an obvious chance and is taken to complete a quick hat-trick over fences with Sohapara and Lord Of Illusion most likely to be fighting out minor honours. The selection was much the best of these over hurdles and has taken well to the larger obstacles with wins at Bangor and Newton Abbot in his last two starts. David Elsworth's gelding has 20lbs in hand over Lord Of Illusion on official BHB ratings and should be too good for Tom George's gelding, who has also won his last two starts but has not faced opposition of the calibre of the selection. Former hunter and point-to-point winner Sohapara faces no easy task in a decent novices' chase but warrants respect. He rates a bigger threat than One For Me, who showed fair form over hurdles but has yet to reproduce that over fences. The remainder look to be out of their depth in a race that is taken to go to First Ballot.