15:55 Uttoxeter

Saturday 6 May 2017

All13:4014:1014:4515:2015:5516:3017:0517:40

bet365 Staffordshire Plate (Open Handicap Chase)

Off time: 15:55 | Winning time: 6m 6.2s

Shuil Royale^p,t³⁴

Age: 12| Weight: 11-12| J: N D Fehily| T: H Fry| OR: 148

14/1

Goes well in these sort of races and won a Listed contest over 3m2f here in 2015 from 18lb lower. Good ground has been the key to his best efforts and he will need a career-best to be winning from this mark after disappointing on his last two starts.

Form: 1P21P9-

Pair Of Jacks¹⁹⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 10-13| J: Jamie Hamilton⁽³⁾| T: J M Jefferson| OR: 135

16/1

Won in a lower grade from this mark at Cartmel last season. Stays well and at his best on good ground or slower. Returns after a winter break and has yet to win when fresh, so that has to be a concern in addition to whether he is quite good enough.

Form: 217526-

Kilfinichen Bay^t⁵¹

Age: 9| Weight: 10-12| J: R Johnson| T: C E Longsdon| OR: 134

10/1

Forecast conditions look ideal for this 10-time winner who goes into this on a mark 4lb lower than when scoring here on heavy (2m4f) last season. Not seen much action since then and can go well when fresh, so after two months off he looks likely to have a say.

Form: 2214F0-

Minellacelebration¹⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-11| J: Benjamin Poste⁽³⁾| T: Katy Price| OR: 133

11/1

Consistent enough at around the 130 mark in handicaps and won one at Chepstow last time (2m7Vf, good) from a mark of 128. 5lb rise today will make it tougher and although likely to be competitive, his profile suggests that this will be just a little too tough.

Form: 2F341-1

Join The Clan^p¹⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-10| J: Aidan Coleman| T: J & A O'Neill| OR: 132

11/2

Won for the first time over fences at the eighth attempt when 8L clear at the Fakenham winning post (3m, good). 8lb rise for that looks fair enough and now that he has got that success under his belt, he may well go on. Should be thereabouts.

Form: 0299F1-

Silver Man^b⁴⁹

Age: 10| Weight: 10-10| J: N de Boinville| T: J Hughes| OR: 132

5/1

Has often been competitive over fences, winning two and being placed in nine others from 20 starts in this sphere. Best winning mark was 121 a couple of years ago and has gone up in the weights despite that string of defeats. Likely to find something to beat him.

Form: 3233P-6

No Planning²¹

Age: 10| Weight: 10-9| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 131

17/2

Good strike rate over fences, winning 7-29. Stays well and also had the pace to win over 2m4f last time. Forecast ground not a problem and back in this grade he looks a leading player, with not much to find.

Form: 6F3416-

Berea Boru^t,v⁷⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 10-9| J: S Bowen| T: P & M Bowen| OR: 131

11/1

All five of his career wins have been on heavy, so will struggle to produce his best on today's forecast ground and has been out of sorts on all of his last four starts. Back on a winning mark as a result, but one way or another it takes a leap of faith to support him today.

Form: 11P/P5P-

Set List^v¹⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 10-7| J: D A Jacob| T: Miss E C Lavelle| OR: 129

11/2

4lb higher than when winning a Stratford chase over further last summer. Stays this far, though is yet to win over 3m, but not a lot wrong with his last two runs and should be better for the most recent of them coming into this. Contender.

Form: 31F422-

Belmount^p¹⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 10-5| J: G Sheehan| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 127

4/1

Goes into this on the same mark as when last successful, at Hereford in October (3m1f, good). Trip and going ideal and came back to form at Cheltenham last time, so if repeating from 3lb higher he can go close.

Form: 660P52-

Forecasts

Belmount (4/1), Silver Man (5/1), Join The Clan (11/2), Set List (11/2), No Planning (17/2), Kilfinichen Bay (10/1), Minellacelebration (11/1), Berea Boru (11/1), Shuil Royale (14/1), Pair Of Jacks (16/1)

A competitive event and several have claims, including No Planning, Set List, Join The Clan and Belmount. However, preference is for KILFINICHEN BAY, who has conditions and trip to suit, course-winning form and goes well when fresh. Add to that the presence of the champion jockey and a persuasive case can be made for Charlie Longsdon's nine-year-old.