The Timeform Sprint Series Final, worth £40,000, takes centre stage at Chelmsford on Thursday (19:30).
The Final follows on from 12 qualifiers and provides the 14 handicappers with the opportunity to run for better prize money than is typically the case. With £40,000 on offer, it has unsurprisingly been keenly targeted by many trainers and has attracted a maximum field of 14.
View from Timeform's lead Flat analyst David Johnson
There is a good mix of in-form sorts, those coming here off tempting marks on their best form having not been fully firing of late and a sprinkling of improvers too, with a quartet of three-year-olds making the cut.
Mesaafi heads the weight-adjusted Timeform ratings having dropped back to the same mark as when winning over course and distance back in June and connections ought to be happy enough with his draw in stall 1. Justcallmepete comes here on a roll and is chasing a hat-trick after wins at Kempton and in one of the qualifiers over course and distance last month but Cherry Cobbler might just be the most interesting of all of them.
He’s contested two of the qualifiers, returning from a break when qualifying for the final back in October, and was doing some good late work over five furlongs here last time. A return to six furlongs will be in his favour and he looks to be coming to the boil at the right time.
View from the trainers
Tony Carroll, trainer of Justcallmepete and Charlie Mason:
The prize money is a big attraction. Both horses have nice form on the track and we just needed a little bit of luck with the draws, which we've got.
I've been pleased with the performances of both horses, and the yard is in good form, so I'm very happy where we are with them.
Justcallmepete has gone up in the weights a bit but has a bit of back form. He ran very well here when winning the other day - he was tough.
Richard Fahey, trainer of Havana Rum:
He's in good form but that draw [in stall 14] definitely hasn't helped.
His last run was probably the best performance of his life - he travelled and never looked like getting beat. The draw is frustrating but hopefully he can slot in and we'll pray for a bit of luck.
He won over five furlongs the other day which surprised us a bit - it's another string to his bow. We were keen to finish in the first six that day to qualify for this race as it's a great incentive for these all-weather horses to run in £40,000 handicaps.
Ross Burdon, trainer of Mesaafi:
Ever since we ran in the qualifier this has been the aim. He has good form on the track - he won a Sunday Series race there - and while the qualifying run wasn't his best, Jack [Mitchell], on ours, and Silvestre [De Sousa], on Emperor Spirit, got into a scrap up front which didn't suit either horse. It set it up for Evening Saigon and Charlie Mason.
He's in good form. When he has a break of more than a month his next run back is below his best, so I was keen to get a run into him two weeks before the final, and that's what we did at Kempton. It was as I expected, a bit below his best, but he was only beaten a couple of lengths and I was happy enough with him. I don't think Kempton plays to his strengths as much as Lingfield or Chelmsford as a sharp six is what he's best at.
He's back down to the mark he won off at Chelmsford in June so that's another encouraging point. I'm very happy with him. From the qualifying race we're better off with the third and the runner-up, so at the weights he should have a good chance.
My aim was to give him a holiday after the Chelmsford race that turned out to be a qualifier and bring him back early doors to get him qualified for AW Finals Day. But then when it was announced the Chelmsford race would be a qualifier for a series with a decent pot to aim at, it made sense to target the final.
Stuart Williams, trainer of Existent, Cherry Cobbler and Panelli:
We thought we'd try him over five last time and he ran a nice race, but they just went too quick for him. He's got a decent draw, we've got Sean [Levey] on board, who has won on him before, so there are plenty of positive for him. He hasn't got many miles on the clock and I still hope he's going to improve a little bit.
Existent is very frustrating. He's got all the ability in the world and could win any of these races if he wanted to. He's got a good draw and has a good jockey on board, so if things went right he could win, but I've been saying that for the last three years now and he hasn't managed to do it. One day he's going to pop up.
Panelli is new to us. Sean [Levey] thought he was a bit outpaced last time and a step up to seven would suit him better, but with this being such a nice prize we thought we'd roll the dice. He's drawn a bit wider than my other pair but we have Jack Dace taking off 5 lb which will help.
Existent would win if he wanted to, but I'd hope Cherry Cobbler has a good chance off this mark, in this grade, and should be competitive. It's obviously a competitive race, which it should be.
Jessica Macey, trainer of Dark Side Thunder:
I was hopeful until I saw the draw. He's in good order and won the qualifier quite well a couple of weeks ago, but being drawn 12 around there is a question mark. I don't think he's going to get his run of the race.
If they go a hard pace, which I imagine they will, he might be able to get in and pick them up. His normal style would be quite handy, but from there I wouldn't have thought he'll be able to get handy.
Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings
Timeform Pace Map
Video preview
Video form guide
5f handicap, Chelmsford, 4 December
1st Havana Rum, 5th Cherry Cobbler, 6th Panelli
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6f handicap, Chelmsford, 26 November
1st Justcallmepete, 2nd Existent, 3rd Em Four, 4th Tyger Bay, 6th Giant, 7th Sensorium, 10th General Assembly
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Discover Sporting Life Plus Benefits6f handicap, Chelmsford, 16 October
2nd Charlie Mason, 3rd Emperor Spirit, 4th Mesaafi
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