Racecards
17:35 Worcester
Connolly's Red Mills Conditionals' Novices' Handicap Hurdle (Class 5)
- 11 Runners
- Distance: 3m
- Going: Good to Soft, Good in places
- Surface: Turf
- £3,500 added
- Form 22P783
- Age 7
- Weight 11-12
- Official Rating 95
led, headed 6th, ridden 3 out, left 2nd, soon beaten
- Form 074241
- Age 6
- Weight 11-11
- Official Rating 94
- Trainer R Dickin
- Jockey Matt Crawley
held up, steady headway after 8th, ridden to lead 3 out, soon clear
- Form 65633P
- Age 6
- Weight 11-10
- Official Rating 93
- Trainer S E H Sherwood
- Jockey S P Jones
mid-division, headway approaching 7th, ridden to chase leaders 3 out, weakened soon after
- Form 07838P
- Age 10
- Weight 11-9
- Official Rating 92
- Trainer C T Pogson
- Jockey A Pogson
tracked leaders, ridden 8th, weakened next
Geneva Bay
26- Form 666
- Age 6
- Weight 11-9
- Official Rating 92
- Trainer N J Henderson
- Jockey Felix de Giles
in touch, ridden and weakened 7th
- Form P1-7835
- Age 8
- Weight 11-9
- Official Rating 92
- Trainer W A Murphy
- Jockey L Heard
towards rear, behind from 7th
- Form 0-69709
- Age 6
- Weight 11-8
- Official Rating 91
- Trainer Mrs A M Thorpe
- Jockey P J Tolman
pulled hard, tracked leaders after 3rd, led 6th, jumped right 9th, weakening and headed when fell 3 out
- Form R35565
- Age 8
- Weight 11-8
- Official Rating 91
- Trainer B G Powell
- Jockey S Walsh
held up, driven 5th, tailed off 7th
- Form 0780
- Age 6
- Weight 11-7
- Official Rating 90
- Trainer D McCain Jnr
- Jockey Paul Benson
held up, steady headway 7th, weakened after 4 out
- Form 1P-35PF
- Age 6
- Weight 11-7
- Official Rating 90
- Trainer Miss Joanne Priest
- Jockey L Treadwell
mid-division, headway 7th, outpaced 9th, chased winner from 2 out, no chance
- Form 1-706PU
- Age 6
- Weight 11-7
- Official Rating 90
- Trainer Miss V Williams
- Jockey Aidan Coleman
in touch, slightly hampered on bend after 4 out, slightly hampered 3 out, held
- Form P-70900
- Age 7
- Weight 11-10
- Official Rating 93
- Trainer R T Phillips
- Jockey Sean Quinlan
Nonrunner
In depth
Verdict
Artic Shadow can land the opener at the expense of Junctiontwentyfour and Geneva Bay. The selection is relatively unexposed with only eight runs under his belt. He now races off a nine pound higher mark since winning at Fontwell last month which will not make life any easier. The ground conditions are described as on the easy side which will help as his best form is on rain softened ground. With luck on his side and if able to recapture his form of last month he should take all the beating. Junctiontwentyfour reverts back to hurdles and takes the advantage of being favourably treated. He is a consistent sort who will always give punters a run for their money. His strike rate is not great but he was good enough to finish second in a chase at Cheltenham in December so if translating that form back over the smaller obstacles he would hold a decent chance. Geneva Bay comes from a top yard and has a good conditional booked. He is lightly raced but after three moderate runs is now handicapped. To have a mark of 92 and coming from such a high profile yard he has to be monitored in the betting market. But for the winner we return to Artic Shadow.
Formwatch
Junctiontwentyfour 7-2 (11-2) Led, jumped right 3rd and 9th, saddle slipped after 2 out, headed last, no extra, 3rd of 5, 10l behind Heart Springs (11-0) at Stratford 2m 7f nov hcp chs 0-110 (4) sft in Mar.
Arctic Shadow 3-1 (11-7) Held up, headway and not clear run approaching 8th, ridden 3 out, led after last, driven out, won at Fontwell 2m 6f cnd hcp hdl (5) hvy in Mar beating Little Rort (11-6) by 1l, 10 ran.
Millitant Man 9-2fav (11-2) Chased leader, ridden after 6th, soon weakened and pulled up 4 out in race won by Sir Peter (11-10) at Exeter 2m 6f nov hcp hdl 0-105 (4) sft in Mar, 15 ran.
Ravenscar 40-1 (10-4) Mid-division, not fluent 3rd, ridden after next, no chance from 10th, tailed off when pulled up 2 out in race won by Casalani (10-1) at Uttoxeter 2m 6f clm chs (3) sft, 12 ran.
Geneva Bay 66-1 (11-2) Towards rear, struggling from 7th, 6th of 10, well behind Very Cool (11-9) at Newbury 3m nov hdl (4) sft in Mar.
Sensible Jockser (IRE) 50-1 (11-1) Held up in touch, outpaced before 3 out, soon weakened, 5th of 7, 49l behind Companero (11-8) at Ayr 2m 4f nh nov hdl (4) hvy in Mar.
Talkingstick (IRE) 14-1 (11-0) Never better than mid-division, 9th of 16, 26l behind Rosoff (10-11) at Tramore 2m hcp hdl 0-95 gs in Aug.
Optimistic Alfie 12-1 (11-4) In rear, never a factor, 5th of 17, 40l behind Dundridge Native (11-3) at Folkestone 3m 1f hcp chs 0-90 (5) gs in Jan.
Huckleberry (IRE) 25-1 (10-12) Mid-division, weakened 7th, 10th of 12, 24l behind Quarry Town (10-12) at Ludlow 2m 5f nh nov hdl (4) gd in Nov.
History Master (IRE) 14-1 (11-5) In touch, chased winner from 11th, very tired when fell at the last in race won by Top Dawn (9-11) at Plumpton 3m 2f nov hcp chs 0-95 (5) sft in Mar, 6 ran.
No More Tom (IRE) 6-1 (11-0) Prominent from 3rd, led approaching 11th, headed before 2 out, beaten when blundered and unseated rider at the last in race won by Captain Aubrey (11-12) at Towcester 3m hcp chs 0-100 (4) sft in Mar, 10 ran.
Chancery Lad (IRE) 28-1 (10-12) Mid-division, raced keenly, ridden approaching 6th, weakened after, 11th of 14, 24l behind Warsaw Pact (11-7) at Stratford 2m 3f nov hcp hdl 0-110 (4) gd in Mar.