Racecards
16:25 Uttoxeter
Britannia Building Society National Handicap Chase (listed) (Class 1)
- 15 Runners
- Distance: 4m 110y
- Going: Good to Firm
- Surface: Turf
- Form 350F1-4
- Age 10
- Weight 11-12
- Official Rating 146
- Trainer P & M Bowen
- Jockey J M Maguire
prominent, hampered and unseated rider 17th
- Form 112221-
- Age 7
- Weight 11-8
- Official Rating 142
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey Ruby Walsh
held up, headway 18th, led 4 out to 3 out, soon ridden, weakening when not much room approaching last
- Form 10531-5
- Age 9
- Weight 10-11
- Official Rating 131
- Trainer D Pipe
- Jockey A Glassonbury
always behind, tailed off when pulled up before 19th
- Form UP3U2-4
- Age 7
- Weight 10-10
- Official Rating 130
- Trainer P & M Bowen
- Jockey A P McCoy
held up, mistake 10th, steady headway 16th, ridden 4 out, pulled right and led approaching last, driven out
Calvic (IRE)
72- Form 5331F1-
- Age 8
- Weight 10-9
- Official Rating 129
- Trainer T R George
- Jockey Wayne Hutchinson
always towards rear, tailed off when pulled up before last
- Form 215P4-P
- Age 8
- Weight 10-6
- Official Rating 126
- Trainer P & M Bowen
- Jockey J E Moore
led and jumped left, ridden and headed approaching 4 out, weakened quickly, tailed off when pulled up before 2 out
- Form 1411F6-
- Age 10
- Weight 10-4
- Official Rating 124
- Trainer Nick Williams
- Jockey G Lee
held up and keen, headway 18th, led on bit 3 out, ridden and headed approaching last, no extra towards finish
- Form 2R06-64
- Age 8
- Weight 10-1
- Official Rating 121
- Trainer P Hobbs & J White
- Jockey R Johnson
prominent, jumped right and mistake 17th, hit 19th, led briefly approaching 4 out, weakened 3 out
- Form U07-3F5
- Age 11
- Weight 10-0
- Official Rating 120
keen, tracked leaders, ridden after 19th, weakened approaching 4 out
- Form R5/4BP-1
- Age 10
- Weight 10-0
- Official Rating 120
- Trainer T R George
- Jockey P J Brennan
tracked leaders to 18th, soon weakened, tailed off when pulled up before 3 out
- Form 7423-34
- Age 9
- Weight 10-0
- Official Rating 118
- Trainer J & A O'Neill
- Jockey S Durack
mid-division, mistake 12th, weakened 17th, tailed off when pulled up before 20th
- Form 77630-5
- Age 12
- Weight 10-0
- Official Rating 117
- Trainer K G Reveley
- Jockey James Reveley
soon well behind
- Form 210/B11
- Age 10
- Weight 10-0
- Official Rating 117
- Trainer J Parkinson & S Smith
- Jockey D O'Meara
mid-division, headway 8th, outpaced after 3 out, stayed on flat, not troubled winner
- Form 225-131
- Age 8
- Weight 10-0
- Official Rating 115
- Trainer Evan Williams
- Jockey T J O'Brien
towards rear, hit 14th, headway and hit 18th, ridden 20th, soon weakened
- Form 32416F-
- Age 8
- Weight 10-0
- Official Rating 113
- Trainer W K Goldsworthy
- Jockey T Messenger
mid-division, ridden and last place 15th, tailed off and pulled up before 20th
- Form P/PP4-5P
- Age 8
- Weight 10-0
- Official Rating 116
- Trainer A W Carroll
- Jockey T Messenger
Nonrunner
In depth
Verdict
Sweet Diversion looks the part here and can take this valuable prize, with Ballycassidy, Burwood Breeze and Calvic just a few worthy opponents. Paul Nicholls has had this contest in mind for Sweet Diversion for some time, and with Ruby Walsh keen to make the journey over to partner the seven-year-old, he is selected to prove that he stays four miles. He has done nothing but improve since having a wind operation, loves fast ground and beat some decent opponents on his last outing in the Golden Miller Chase at Cheltenham in April. Rested since with this in mind, he lines up fit and fancied. Ballycassidy was making them all go when coming to grief in the Grand National, and has since made amends before finishing fourth here last time. He has plenty of weight but is a class-act at his best and will be a big danger if getting his momentum going. Burwood Breeze and Calvic give Tom George a strong hand here, and of the pair, preference is just for Calvic who displayed plenty of stamina when scoring over 27 furlongs at Ayr. He too has been off since, no doubt with this in mind, and along with Ballycassidy's stablemate Mckelvey, can make his presence felt. It should be an exciting spectacle, at the end of which, Sweet Diversion can lead then home.
Formwatch
Ballycassidy (IRE) 2-1fav (11-13) Prominent, hit 10th, soon ridden, outpaced 12th, rallied after 2 out, kept on flat, 4th of 8, 5l behind Sir Rembrandt (11-12) at Uttoxeter 3m hcp chs 0-145 (2) gf in May.
Sweet Diversion (IRE) 9-2fav (11-2) In touch, headway 15th, ridden to join leader 2 out, led last, ran on, won at Cheltenham 3m 1f hcp chs 0-140 (2) gd in Apr beating Parsons Legacy (10-10) by 6l, 17 ran.
Kisslain Des Galas (FR) 5-1 (11-9) Mid-division, headway to track leaders 10th, chased leaders 3 out, weakening when mistake 2 out, 5th of 8, 32l behind Fool On The Hill (11-3) at Stratford 2m 5f hcp chs 0-140 (2) sft in May.
Calvic (IRE) 14-1 (11-10) In touch, led 5 out, clear from next, won at Ayr 3m 3f hcp chs 0-120 (3) gs in Apr beating Clemax (10-8) by 10l, 12 ran.
Dunbrody Millar (IRE) 5-1jt-fav (11-2) Chased leaders, stumbled on bend approaching 5th, driven along from next, lost place after 9th, tailed off when pulled up 4 out in race won by Burren Moonshine (10-8) at Stratford 3m 3f hcp hdl 0-120 (3) gf in Jun, 14 ran.
Tribal Venture (FR) 11-2 (11-12) Led, driven along and headed approaching 17th, weakening when jumped slowly 3 out, 4th of 10, 41l behind Elvis Returns (10-13) at Stratford 3m 4f hcp chs 0-125 (3) sft in May.
Burwood Breeze (IRE) 6-1 (11-8) Always prominent, headway to lead 2 out, stayed on well, won at Perth 3m hcp chs 0-115 (4) sft in May beating Very Very Noble (10-13) by 9l, 12 ran.
Omni Cosmo Touch (USA) 7-2 (10-11) Held up, reminder after 3rd, headway after next, led 10th, headed approaching 3 out, regained lead 2 out, pushed out flat, won at Uttoxeter 3m 2f hcp chs 0-125 (3) gd in Jun beating Elenas River (11-6) by 4l, 8 ran.