16:45 Wincanton

Thursday 2 February 2017

All13:2514:0014:3515:1015:4516:1516:45

Carling Standard Open NH Flat Race

Off time: 16:47 | Winning time: 3m 57.70s

Blanville⁸⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: Mr B Paris-Crofts⁽⁷⁾| T: S D Dixon

150/1

Showed little encouragement for punters to get involved judged on his C&D debut run in November and is going to need plenty of improvement to figure.

Form: 5

Celebre D'Allen³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: T Scudamore| T: D Pipe

5/1

Not a typical jumping pedigree but showed promise on his Bangor bumper debut before fading late on. Likely to progress when stepped up in trip, but can still have a say today having learned plenty last time.

Form: F33

Cogburn⁵⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Wayne Hutchinson| T: A King

5/2

Made a green enough debut at Warwick in December, finishing quite well when the penny began to drop. Any improvement is likely to see him emerge as a leading player here.

Form: 372-

Lalor³⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: T J O'Brien| T: R Woollacott

8/1

Decent debut effort to be runner-up over C&D on Boxing Day (soft) when unfancied. Secret is now out, but no reason why he can't improve and take a close hand again.

Form: 2

Sam Brown³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: N D Fehily| T: A J Honeyball

4/1

Bags of stamina in his pedigree and yard also going well, so there are positives for this debutant, who has to prove himself in the conditions. Market check is advised.

Form:

The Great Raymondo

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Jack Sherwood⁽³⁾| T: K Bishop

50/1

Debutant from a yard with few recent runners and probably best watched this time.

Form:

Victarion³⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: R Johnson| T: P Hobbs & J White

7/1

Has the best part of six lengths to find with Lalor on their Boxing Day running over C&D, though not to say that she can't bridge that gap. Likely to do better over further and an obstacle.

Form: 542

Rosemary Russet¹⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-10| J: N P Madden| T: H Fry

12/1

Good stamina-laden jumping pedigree, though she failed to ignite buyers at the sales. Nonetheless, she is with a yard on the up that has a 38% strike rate in bumpers here, so any market confidence may well be significant.

Form: U

Chief Sittingbull⁵⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: D A Jacob| T: Miss E C Lavelle

25/1

Was getting the hang of things towards the end on his Lingfield AW debut in December. Has what looks more like a Flat pedigree and yard not red hot, though trainer has a 23% strike rate here in this sphere, so a market check is again the best advice.

Form:

Flo'sboy Sam²²

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: James Best| T: R Walford

25/1

Stamina on the dam's side of his pedigree, though yard not noted for its bumper winners here and he is likely to need this introduction.

Form:

Understatement³²

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: G Sheehan| T: W Greatrex

9/1

Stable has a superb 29% strike rate in bumpers over the past five seasons, though is 14% at this track. By a Derby winner and with speed on his dam's side this representative has something to work with and a good account can be anticipated, though has to prove he handles the forecast conditions.

Form:

Non-Runners

Dark Invader

Weight: 11-3| Age: 5

T: P F Nicholls J: Sam Twiston-Davies

Forecasts

Cogburn (5/2), Sam Brown (4/1), Dark Invader (4/1), Celebre D'Allen (5/1), Victarion (7/1), Lalor (8/1), Understatement (9/1), Rosemary Russet (12/1), Chief Sittingbull (25/1), Flo'sboy Sam (25/1), The Great Raymondo (50/1), Blanville (150/1)

Another intriguing contest to conclude proceedings and it would be no surprise to see any one of half the field come home in front, though we will side with COGBURN. Alan King has plenty of winners in this sphere and after the penny appeared to be dropping on his Warwick debut, his charge can step up this time. Dark Invader is the most interesting among the newcomers and success for him would hardly be a shock, while Lalor, Rosemary Russet and Understatement are others to note. 1. Cogburn 2. Dark Invader 3. Understatement