Racecards
16:20 Taunton
Izaby-Whites' Special Birthdays Handicap Hurdle (Class 4)
- 8 Runners
- Distance: 3m 110y
- Going: Good to Firm
- Surface: Turf
- £4,000 added
- Winner: £2,740
- 2nd: £799
- 3rd: £400
- Form P1U356
- Age 5
- Weight 11-12
- Official Rating 100
- Trainer N P Mulholland
- Jockey A Thornton
tracked leaders and keen, went 2nd before 3rd, reminders after 7th, hit 4 out, weakened next, pulled up before 2 out
- Form 11/4-479
- Age 7
- Weight 11-11
- Official Rating 99
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey Ruby Walsh
tracked leaders, lost place from 4th, headway before 3 out, went 3rd before next, kept on same pace from last
- Form P-08070
- Age 5
- Weight 11-9
- Official Rating 97
- Trainer J A T de Giles
- Jockey Gerard Tumelty
led and keen, headed before 4 out, quickly weakened, pulled up before last
- Form F-66665
- Age 10
- Weight 11-0
- Official Rating 88
- Trainer Mrs S Gardner
- Jockey Lucy Gardner
held up in rear and keen, blundered and unseated rider 4th
- Form 480055
- Age 4
- Weight 10-2
- Official Rating 85
- Trainer Mrs A M Thorpe
- Jockey J E Moore
mid-division, went 3rd approaching 8th, ridden to chase winner before 2 out, switched right before last, kept on towards finish
- Form 06-U676
- Age 11
- Weight 10-0
- Official Rating 64
- Trainer B Scriven
- Jockey M J Quinlan
held up towards rear, headway approaching 9th, led 3 out, ridden before last, kept on under pressure, driven out
- Form 09-00P
- Age 7
- Weight 10-0
- Official Rating 64
- Trainer C P Morlock
- Jockey Peter Toole
took keen hold, tracked leader until before 3rd, led before 4 out, headed next, weakening in 4th when mistake and unseated rider 2 out
- Form 646/8P9
- Age 12
- Weight 10-0
- Official Rating 59
- Trainer M Scudamore
- Jockey C O'Farrell
behind, reminders and weakened from 8th
In depth
Verdict
Shacklesborough will attract support simply because of his connections but he's shown nothing over jumps since making a winning bumper debut at Chepstow two years ago. Smoking has an even worse profile and though Orion Express has dropped to a lenient mark his latest form has been poor in the extreme. JEWELLERY has failed to trouble the judge in half-a-dozen starts over timber but her recent efforts suggest she has been waiting for this step-up in trip and she is the only one here with scope.
Formwatch
Iheardu (IRE) 50-1 (10-12) Badly hampered 1st, in rear and never on terms after, tailed off, 6th of 8, well behind Fin Vin De Leu (10-12) at Taunton 2m 7f beg chase (4) gs.
Shacklesborough (IRE) 15-2 (10-10) Pecked 1st, made most until headed 6th, led again 11th until before 4 out, weakened before next, tailed off, 9th of 12, well behind Sea Saffron (10-10) at Wincanton 3m 1f cnd hcp chs 0-115 (4) gs in Feb.
Smoking (FR) 25-1 (11-6) Mid-division, behind from 7th, tailed off, 10th of 18, well behind Pere Blanc (11-2) at Kempton 2m 5f nov hcp hdl 0-105 (4) gs in Feb.
Orion Express 14-1 (11-5) Held up mid-division, chased leaders approaching 3 out, weakened after 2 out, 5th of 12, 24l behind Northern Lad (11-9) at Exeter 2m 3f cnd hcp hdl 0-95 (5) gd in Oct.
Jewellery (IRE) 10-1 (10-12) Tracked leaders, ridden approaching 6th, outpaced after 3 out, stayed on same pace from 2 out, 5th of 15, 23l behind Emmaslegend (11-10) at Wincanton 2m 4f hcp hdl 0-90 (5) gf.
Drumbeater (IRE) 33-1 (9-7) Led until mistake 4 out, weakened next, 6th of 8, 30l behind Gilwen Glory (10-10) at Chepstow 3m hcp hdl 0-115 (4) gd.
Duffy Moon 200-1 (10-12) Always behind, tailed off when mistake 2 out (usual 3 out), soon pulled up, in a race won by Bottman (10-12) at Towcester 2m 3f nov hdl (4) sft in Jan, 14 ran.
Star Time (IRE) 22-1 (9-9) Chased leader until ridden after 7th, weakened rapidly before next, soon lost touch, tailed off, 9th of 10, well behind Captain Becket (11-2) at Taunton 3m hcp hdl 0-90 (5) gd.