Sportingbet Open Handicap Chase 2m 4f

  • (4yo+, 2m 4f, Class 2, 10 runners)
  • Winner £25,024 2nd £7,392 3rd £3,696 4th £1,848 5th £924 6th £464
  • Going: Good to Soft
  • Surface: Turf
Sky Bet

125/1 Barry Geraghty to ride a Newbury four-timer this afternoon
Weighed In:
  • Winning time: 5m 9.90s
  • Off time: 15:16:23
Full result
Result 15:15 Newbury
Pos Horse Distance/th> Odds
1st 3 Bless The Wings 7/2
2nd 6 Mahogany Blaze nk 16/1
3rd 8 Prince Of Pirates 11 11/4f

Racecard

# Form Horse A Wgt Trainer Jockey OR Naps SP
1 2135/1-5
BLACK and WHITE (halved), RED sleeves and cap Tataniano (FR) 34
  • T:P F Nicholls
  • J:D A Jacob
  • Form: 2135/1-5
  • Age: 8
  • Weight: 11-12
  • OR: 160
  • Naps:
8 166 11-12 P F Nicholls D A Jacob 160 20/1
2 23201-P
WHITE, RED braces, EMERALD GREEN and WHITE check sleeves, WHITE cap, RED star Hector's Choice (FR) 34
  • T:R Lee
  • J:J E Moore
  • Form: 23201-P
  • Age: 8
  • Weight: 11-2
  • OR: 150
  • Naps:
8 156 11-2 R Lee J E Moore 150 16/1
3 1210-51
RED, BLACK star, striped sleeves, YELLOW cap, BLACK star Bless The Wings (IRE) 28
  • T:A King
  • J:W Hutchinson
  • Form: 1210-51
  • Age: 7
  • Weight: 10-11
  • OR: 145
  • Naps:
7 151 10-11 A King W Hutchinson 145 7/2
4 5/2100-8
LIGHT BLUE, DARK BLUE Cross of Lorraine, hooped sleeves, striped cap Giorgio Quercus (FR) 34
  • T:N J Henderson
  • J:B J Geraghty
  • Form: 5/2100-8
  • Age: 7
  • Weight: 10-11b1
  • OR: 145
  • Naps:
7 151 10-11 b1 N J Henderson B J Geraghty 145 14/1
5 1/15771-
Black and Beige (halved), chevrons on sleeves, Beige cap The Knoxs (IRE) 224
  • T:P F Nicholls
  • J:N Fehily
  • Form: 1/15771-
  • Age: 9
  • Weight: 10-9
  • OR: 143
  • Naps:
9 149 10-9 P F Nicholls N Fehily 143 3/1
6 63U/F-35
White, Emerald Green chevron, Royal Blue sleeves and cap Mahogany Blaze (FR) 34
  • T:N A Twiston-Davies
  • J:S Twiston-Davies
  • Form: 63U/F-35
  • Age: 10
  • Weight: 10-6p
  • OR: 140
  • Naps:
10 146 10-6 p N A Twiston-Davies S Twiston-Davies 140 16/1
7 U030U-8
YELLOW, ROYAL BLUE sleeves, YELLOW cap, ROYAL BLUE star Matuhi 27
  • T:D Pipe
  • J:T Scudamore
  • Form: U030U-8
  • Age: 9
  • Weight: 10-6t
  • OR: 140
  • Naps:
9 146 10-6 t D Pipe T Scudamore 140 25/1
8 61/8112-
Emerald green, yellow hoops, white cap Prince Of Pirates (IRE) 243
  • T:N J Henderson
  • J:A P McCoy
  • Form: 61/8112-
  • Age: 7
  • Weight: 10-4
  • OR: 138
  • Naps:
7 144 10-4 N J Henderson A P McCoy 138 11/4f
9 2/4356-1
YELLOW, BLACK chevron, check cap Pasco (SWI) 34
  • T:C L Tizzard
  • J:Brendan Powell
  • Form: 2/4356-1
  • Age: 9
  • Weight: 10-4
  • OR: 138
  • Naps:
9 144 10-4 C L Tizzard Brendan Powell (3) 138 6/1
10 2967F-7
Yellow, purple hoops and sleeves, hooped cap Pret A Thou (FR) 11
  • T:J Groucott
  • J:Harry Challoner
  • Form: 2967F-7
  • Age: 9
  • Weight: 10-3
  • OR: 137
  • Naps:
9 143 10-3 J Groucott Harry Challoner (5) 137 66/1

In depth

Verdict

Pasco usually runs well here and made a winning reappearance at Aintree. Bless The Wings was impressive when winning a Listed handicap at Wetherby earlier this month and may be capable of better while Nicky Henderson runs the enigmatic Giorgio Quercus and Prince Of Pirates, who won at Doncaster and Leicester last season and has only had seven career starts. THE KNOXS is a bit more exposed than that but most of his runs have been in smart company. He's unlikely to fail here through lack of fitness and should take all the beating if reproducing the form which saw him win a competitive handicap at Ayr over this trip in the spring. Stablemate Tataniano may have a bit too much weight but Matuhi wouldn't be without a chance if rediscovering his best form.

Formwatch

Bless The Wings (IRE) 11-4fav (11-2) Blundered 1st, held up in mid-division, bumped 11th, headway to 2nd on bit just before 4 out, led narrowly 2 out, stayed on strongly from last, driven out, won at Wetherby 2m 4f listed hcp chs (1) gs beating Gansey (10-8) by 2 1/2l, 11 ran.

Mahogany Blaze (FR) 16-1 (10-4) In touch main group, close up 9th, chased leading pair when mistake 3 out, lost place next, soon weakened, 5th of 11, 38l behind For Non Stop (10-11) at Aintree 2m 4f ltd hcp chs Grd 2 (1) gd in Oct.

Prince Of Pirates (IRE) 4-5fav (11-8) Tracked leader, closed 12th, not fluent 13th, led after 3 out, ridden and headed before 2 out, soon beaten, no extra last, 2nd of 3, 21l behind Darna (11-8) at Ascot 2m 5f nov chs (3) gd in Apr.

Hector's Choice (FR) 9-1 (10-11) In touch main group, close up 9th, outpaced 5 out, weakened 3 out, soon pulled up, in a race won by For Non Stop (10-11) at Aintree 2m 4f ltd hcp chs Grd 2 (1) gd in Oct, 11 ran.

Giorgio Quercus (FR) 12-1 (10-8) Mid-division, outpaced 5 out, weakened 3 out, tailed off, 8th of 11, well behind For Non Stop (10-11) at Aintree 2m 4f ltd hcp chs Grd 2 (1) gd in Oct.

Matuhi 16-1 (10-2) Chased leaders, led 4th until 8th, stayed well there until weakened 2 out (normal 3 out), tailed off, 8th of 14, well behind Roberto Goldback (10-10) at Ascot 3m Grade 3 hcp chs (4yo+) (1) gs.

Tataniano (FR) 7-4fav (11-12) Slight lead but pressed, headed 7th, soon ridden and lost place before next, no chance when blundered last, 5th of 7, 40l behind Oiseau de Nuit (10-13) at Chepstow 2m hcp chs (2) gs in Oct.

Pret A Thou (FR) 33-1 (11-5) Took keen hold, led not fluent 1st or 2nd, headed before bypassing normal 2 out, weakened before last, 7th of 10, 15l behind Open Day (11-2) at Leicester 2m hcp hdl 0-125 (3) sft.

Pasco (SWI) 7-2 (11-9) Tracked leaders, went 2nd 12th, led going well 3 out, quickened clear approaching last, stayed on well, eased near finish, comfortably, won at Aintree 2m 4f hcp chs 0-135 (3) gd in Oct beating That's The Deal (9-10) by 3l, 6 ran.

The Knoxs (IRE) 5-1 (11-7) Tracked leaders, pecked 1st, with leader 8th, led 4 out, kept on well from last, driven out final 100 yards, won at Ayr 2m 4f hcp chs (2) gd in Apr beating De Boitron (11-2) by 1 1/2l, 10 ran.