Racecards
15:50 Towcester
Mount Pleasant Gold Club Handicap Hurdle (Class 4)
- 16 Runners
- Distance: 3m
- Going: Heavy
- Surface: Turf
- £5,000 added
- Form 324-40P
- Age 9
- Weight 11-12
- Official Rating 104
- Trainer P G Murphy
- Jockey Wayne Hutchinson
held up towards rear, ridden 6th, stayed on after 3 out, chased leaders and jumped right 2 out, took 2nd close home
- Form PUP909
- Age 9
- Weight 11-8
- Official Rating 100
- Trainer Miss C Dyson
- Jockey Miss C Dyson
in rear, steady headway 7th, led on bit 2 out, ridden approaching last, ran on
- Form 6UP-34P
- Age 7
- Weight 11-6
- Official Rating 98
- Trainer M McGrath
- Jockey N D Fehily
in touch, took closer order 7th, weakened 9th, pulled up before next
- Form 841
- Age 6
- Weight 11-6
- Official Rating 98
- Trainer A J Honeyball
- Jockey J Tizzard
tracked leaders, ridden 9th, weakened next, pulled up before 2 out
- Form 4/68-423
- Age 8
- Weight 11-5
- Official Rating 97
- Trainer Mrs A M Thorpe
- Jockey S Durack
in touch and never going, soon driven along, chased leaders 3 out, weakened soon after, pulled up before last
- Form 7PP-F4P
- Age 6
- Weight 11-3
- Official Rating 95
- Trainer N & W Twiston-Davies
- Jockey M Goldstein
in touch, ridden 6th, weakened 8th, behind when unseated rider 3 out
Fabrezan (FR)
612- Form 7P22/P0-
- Age 8
- Weight 11-3
- Official Rating 95
- Trainer C N Kellett
- Jockey Jimmy McCarthy
led 1st, headed next, weakened after 4th, lost touch 7th, pulled up before 2 out
Radnor Lad
23- Form 8F8134
- Age 7
- Weight 11-2
- Official Rating 94
- Trainer Mrs S M Johnson
- Jockey R Johnson
led after 1st, ridden when headed 2 out, weakened last
- Form 5/0625
- Age 9
- Weight 11-2
- Official Rating 94
- Trainer Noel T Chance
- Jockey W T Kennedy
held up towards rear, headway 4 out, ridden and weakened 2 out
Omikra (GER)
66- Form 48809
- Age 5
- Weight 11-1
- Official Rating 93
- Trainer Gerard Cully
- Jockey D Flannery
always in rear, tailed off when pulled up before 4 out
- Form PP-535P
- Age 9
- Weight 10-12
- Official Rating 90
- Trainer Mrs C J Ikin
- Jockey G Supple
in touch, weakened 3 out, pulled up before next
- Form 250406
- Age 14
- Weight 10-10
- Official Rating 88
- Trainer Dr P Pritchard
- Jockey Dr P Pritchard
in touch, lost place after 6th, stayed on from 3 out, in 4th and held when mistake last
- Form 87P-355
- Age 11
- Weight 10-9
- Official Rating 87
- Trainer John R Upson
- Jockey C Poste
mid-division, ridden 6th, weakening when hampered 3 out
- Form 23-8883
- Age 8
- Weight 10-4
- Official Rating 82
- Trainer D J Wintle
- Jockey T Siddall
mid-division, ridden 7th, soon weakened, pulled up before 2 out
- Form 0-6077P
- Age 6
- Weight 10-0
- Official Rating 75
- Trainer D McCain Jnr
- Jockey Stephen Craine
towards rear, headway 8th, ridden to chase leaders 3 out, weakened soon after
In depth
Verdict
A big field for this handicap contest but not too many are likely to be involved in the closing stages. Classic Fair, Moorlands Return, Radnor Lad and Montecorvino could find themselves battling this out and we take the latter to come out on top. Nigel Twiston-Davies is in form at present and Montecorvino seems to enjoy himself around here, notching up his only win to date in a two mile novices' hurdle in January of last year. He enjoys getting his toe in, was unlucky last time, and in the hope that first time blinkers will do the job we will take a chance on him. Classic Fair will be popular after winning at Taunton last time but has to prove that he really gets this trip in heavy ground and with a doubt over that will will just oppose. Moorlands Return has form with the recently red hot Schuh Shine at Warwick on New Year's Eve and was not far away at Newbury last time so is not passed over lightly, while Radnor Lad will enjoy a trip and some bottomless ground, but he just looks to have a few pounds too many and we prefer to take a chance on Montecorvino.
Formwatch
Eurocelt (IRE) 14-1 (10-5) Mid-division, reminders before halfway, 7th 6 out, soon weakened, pulled up before 4 out pulled up in race won by Walk Over (11-6) at Punchestown 2m 6f hcp chs 0-109 sft in Nov, 14 ran.
Green Prospect (FR) 4-1 (11-6) Close up, ridden 7th, soon struggling, tailed off and pulled up 2 out in race won by Come Bye (11-8) at Folkestone 2m 6f sll hdl (5) sft in Jan, 8 ran.
Classic Fair 6-1 (11-2) In touch until 5th, soon driven along, steady headway under pressure from 3 out, stayed on led near finish, won at Taunton 3m mrs mdn hdl (4) gs in Dec beating River Tigris (11-2) by a nk, 14 ran.
Moorlands Return 5-2fav (10-11) Mid-division, driven along from 6th, headway into 5th 2 out, stayed on, 3rd of 15, 3l behind Knighton Lad (11-9) at Newbury 3m cnd hcp hdl 0-110 (4) hvy in Jan.
Montecorvino (GER) 6-1 (11-7) In rear, hampered 2nd, ridden and not fluent 6th, no chance when pulled up 5 out in race won by Ikemba (9-9) at Hereford 3m 2f hcp hdl 0-100 (4) sft in Jan, 13 ran.
Radnor Lad 9-2 (11-3) Led, headed 6th, ridden and outpaced 3 out, stayed on approaching last, 4th of 13, 3 1/2l behind Ikemba (9-9) at Hereford 3m 2f hcp hdl 0-100 (4) sft in Jan.
Lissara (IRE) 14-1 (10-2) Mid-division, struggling after 6th, stayed on approaching last, 5th of 17, 11l behind Or Jaune (11-0) at Sandown 2m 4f nov hcp hdl (3) gs.
Royal Niece (IRE) 33-1 (10-7) Behind, headway 3 out, outpaced next, headway and mistake last, stayed on, 3rd of 12, 5l behind Alderbrook Girl (10-4) at Huntingdon 3m nov hcp chs 0-105 (4) sft in Jan.