Racecards
14:00 Uttoxeter
Wiser Than Most Beginners' Chase (Class 4)
- 7 Runners
- Distance: 3m
- Going: Good to Soft, Soft in places
- Surface: Turf
- £8,500 added
Carnival Town
309- Form 263/229-
- Age 7
- Weight 11-4
- Official Rating 130
- Trainer J & A O'Neill
- Jockey N D Fehily
took keen hold, held up, lost touch with leading trio 10th, soon reluctant to race, tailed off 11th, pulled up after 13th
- Form 212110-
- Age 5
- Weight 11-4
- Trainer M Bradstock
- Jockey Matthew Batchelor
led, headed 2 out, still upsides when mistake last, no extra towards finish
Hopkins (IRE)
197- Form 225/114-
- Age 7
- Weight 11-4
- Trainer H D Daly
- Jockey D Elsworth
held up in last pair, hit 9th, reminder after 10th, soon lost touch with leading trio, tailed off from next
Pancake (FR)
251- Form 1510/33-
- Age 5
- Weight 11-4
- Trainer P Hobbs & J White
- Jockey R Johnson
chased leader, not fluent 3rd, blundered 13th and lost 2nd, weakened next, remote when jumped left 4 out
- Form 97657-
- Age 5
- Weight 11-4
- Trainer G R I Smyly
- Jockey M Bradburne
held up, lost touch with leading trio from 10th, tailed off next
- Form 3/43123-
- Age 7
- Weight 11-4
- Trainer Miss R Curtis
- Jockey Nick Scholfield
held up in last pair, lost touch with leading trio from 10th, tailed off next
What A Friend
231- Form 1213P-
- Age 5
- Weight 11-4
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey S Thomas
chased clear leading pair, closed 10th, went 2nd 13th, slight lead 2 out, shaken up to assert flat, stayed on
- Form 88/4232-
- Age 7
- Weight 11-4
- Official Rating 120
- Trainer V R A Dartnall
- Jockey Aidan Coleman
Nonrunner
Previous results
In depth
Verdict
A mouthwatering contest that can go the way of PANCAKE although the claims of Carruthers, Hopkins and Carnival Town must be taken seriously. The selection is a popular sort due to his flashy markings and it helps that he's not short of ability either. His two chase runs came in Grade 2 company last season and he got to within a length and a half of the Galway Plate winner Oslot on the second of them which suggests that a first win over fences will come his way sooner rather than later. Carruthers enjoyed something of a fairytale season despite coming up short in the Spa Hurdle at Cheltenham. He achieved a smart level of form over hurdles and has the scope to do the same over fences. Hopkins progressed with experience over hurdles and appeared to have been aimed at a valuable race over the brush hurdles at Haydock which is a track where his owner enjoys having winners. He duly won that race albeit a shade fortuitously but he should be seen to even better effect now chasing. He's a half-brother to the smart Billyvodan and has to be on the short-list. Carnival Town disappointed on his most recent start but had shown promise prior to that whilst it would be folly to dismiss What A Friend given that he got to within four lengths of Aigle D'Or in a Grade 2 Hurdle on his penultimate start. It's not easy to choose between the main protagonists but the toss came down in favour of Pancake. (Ian Ogg)
Formwatch
Carnival Town 11-2 (11-0) Mid-division, headway 8th, ridden to chase leaders 13th, 6 lengths 3rd when blundered 4 out, weakened, 9th of 14, 47l behind Le Briar Soul (10-11) at Chepstow 3m beg chs (4) sft in Dec.
Carruthers 9-2jt-fav (11-7) Led, ridden and headed before 2 out, weakening when mistake 2 out, 11th of 18, well behind Nenuphar Collonges (11-7) at Cheltenham 3m nov hdl Grd 1 (1) gs in Mar.
Hopkins (IRE) 6-1 (11-1) Mid-division, headway after 3 out, ridden 2 out, held when mistake last, 4th of 13, 8l behind Jug Of Punch (10-0) at Cheltenham 3m hcp hdl 0-145 (2) gd in Apr.
Pancake (FR) 10-1 (10-12) Behind, never jumped well, detached with the circuit to go, 15 lengths adrift when left in remote 3rd 3 out, stayed on well flat, 3rd of 5, 1 1/2l behind Oslot (11-0) at Kempton 2m 4f nov chs Grd 2 (1) gd in Feb.
Plum Pudding (FR) 10-1 (10-11) In touch, ridden and weakened 2 out, 7th of 11, 17l behind Critical Stage (11-12) at N Abbot 2m 6f hcp hdl 0-115 (4) gs in Apr.
Tarsus (12-0) won at The Pigeons 3m ire ptp gs in Mar beating Big Hughie (12-0) by 3l, 14 ran.
What A Friend 25-1 (11-7) Mid-division, blundered 9th, soon no impression, well behind when pulled up at the last in race won by Nenuphar Collonges (11-7) at Cheltenham 3m nov hdl Grd 1 (1) gs in Mar, 18 ran.
Double Intruder (IRE) 7-4 (10-12) Prominent, raced keenly, hit 10th, kept on approaching last, no chance with winner, 2nd of 14, 29l behind Spare Cash (11-1) at Uttoxeter 3m mdn hdl (4) sft in Apr.
Grey Kite 250-1 (10-13) Held up, pushed along 6th, soon behind, tailed off, 12th of 14, well behind Sa Nau (10-7) at Fakenham 2m 4f mdn hdl (4) gs in Jan '07.
The Accordion Man (IRE) 16-1 (10-12) Led, headed 2nd, weakened 11th, behind when pulled up at the 13th in race won by Herecomesthetruth (10-12) at Chepstow 3m nov chs (3) gd, 7 ran.