Racecards
15:00 Stratford
Totesport.com Beginners' Chase
- 7 Runners
- Distance: 3m
- Going: Good to Firm (Chase: Good (Good to Firm in places))
- Surface: Turf
- Form 237648
- Age 7
- Weight 11-2
- Trainer H J Manners
- Jockey J A Jenkins
held up rear, reminder at 5th, lost touch 10th, pulled up before 12th
- Form 4P03F4
- Age 6
- Weight 11-2
- Official Rating 91
- Trainer J R Cornwall
- Jockey A Pogson
held up, slow jump 2nd, lost place, mistake 4th, ridden when pecked 9th, soon behind
- Form 1R3452
- Age 8
- Weight 11-2
- Official Rating 92
- Trainer R H Buckler
- Jockey B Hitchcott
hampered 1st, tracked leaders, weakened after 11th
- Form 121/2-U
- Age 11
- Weight 11-2
- Trainer H D Daly
- Jockey M A Fitzgerald
jumped left throughout, led 2nd, narrowly headed when fell 2 out
Pollensa Bay
39- Form 042544
- Age 6
- Weight 11-2
- Official Rating 83
- Trainer S A Brookshaw
- Jockey L P Aspell
tracked leaders, close order 9th, awkward and weakened 13th
- Form 144-533
- Age 6
- Weight 11-2
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey Christian Williams
held up, headway to chase leader 14th, ridden 3 out, slight lead when left clear 2 out, kept on
- Form 2-33123
- Age 9
- Weight 10-9
- Official Rating 117
- Trainer J G Cann
- Jockey Miss P Gundry
led and bumped 1st, headed 2nd, driven along and outpaced 13th, stayed on when left 2nd 2 out, not reached winner
- Form 4P0-042
- Age 7
- Weight 11-2
- Official Rating 78
- Trainer Mrs A Barclay
- Jockey C Llewellyn
Nonrunner
In depth
Verdict
Sweet Diversion returns to action following a three-month break and comes here fresher than most but the Paul Nicholls-trained gelding will need to step up on recent form to get the better of Mrs Be, who gets the vote ahead of Five Alley. The selection has been highly tried in his last two starts, finding just the evergreen Earthmover too good in a hunter chase at Fontwell before finishing a creditable third behind Spot Thedifference in the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. A reproduction of that effort back over regulation fences may suffice. Five Alley showed promise in a maiden chase at Plumpton last month and warrants respect along with Henry Daly's unexposed Pharly Star. Smurfit is another worthy of a mention but Mrs Be sets a fair standard and gets the vote.