16:45 Ascot

Saturday 18 February 2017

All13:1513:5014:2515:0015:3516:1016:45

Neptune Investment Management Mares' Standard Open NH Flat Race

Off time: 16:46 | Winning time: 3m 51.30s

Dont Tell Val^t1¹²²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: P J Brennan| T: F O'Brien

7/2

Won her previous bumper start at Fontwell and the second has come out and won again since. That effort can be upgraded considering she made all and raced wider than the rest of the field so she could prove hard to beat here if she handles conditions.

Form: 014

Lady Valerie²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: C Gethings⁽⁵⁾| T: R Stephens

8/1

20/1 winner of a Southwell bumper on only start to date and the form of that race is working out well. Does have a break to overcome but she won well enough on her sole start and she's a player if ready to go.

Form: 150

Sweetlittlemystery⁶⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: Brendan Powell| T: B G Powell

9/2

Won a Towcester bumper on sole start and the second from that race threw a race away when clear at Fakenham yesterday. Jockey has a good record in bumpers and for this trainer so should be competitive.

Form: 11

All Currencies²⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: J E Moore| T: G & J Moore

12/1

Point-to-point winner and has first start for this yard after finishing tailed off on debut under rules behind Sweetlittlemystery. Yard only had one bumper winner in the last year and she's hard to fancy here.

Form: 1-036

Fortunello

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: R Johnson| T: Tim Vaughan

10/1

Debutant who cost £20,000, and with the Champion Jockey booked, a market check is essential for this daughter of King's Theatre.

Form: 7

Quine des Champs⁴⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: N de Boinville| T: D Loder

25/1

Tailed off last time and merely travelled past beaten rivals to finish fourth of eight. Should improve but will certainly need to.

Form:

Storm Patrol^t³¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: Jack Sherwood⁽³⁾| T: Miss S Smith

5/2

Showed promise to finish second on debut but outclassed in a a Grade 2 contest last time and while this won't be quite as hot, she will have to step up on all known form so far.

Form: 20-

Cadeaux's Fire

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: Wayne Hutchinson| T: A King

6/1

Yard have a fine record in this sphere but probably wouldn't want soft conditions to turn it into a true stamina test. Market likely to reveal expectations.

Form: 6

Non-Runners

Reine Des Miracles⁹⁰

Weight: 10-7| Age: 4

T: J & A O'Neill J: Aidan Coleman

Forecasts

Storm Patrol (5/2), Dont Tell Val (7/2), Sweetlittlemystery (9/2), Reine Des Miracles (5/1), Cadeaux's Fire (6/1), Lady Valerie (8/1), Fortunello (10/1), All Currencies (12/1), Quine des Champs (25/1)

The three carrying a penalty at the top of the card look the one's to beat with DONT TELL VAL narrowly preferred after a knuckling down well to win at Fontwell last time out and the second winning since. Lady Valerie won well on her only start and can continue to progress provided she's ready to go after a break and Sweetlittlemystery's form was franked in unconventional fashion yesterday when the second from her win at Towcester threw away a race at Fakenham when looking a sure winner but no doubt should have won. 1. Dont Tell Val 2. Lady Valerie 3. Sweetlittlemystery