17:35 Ascot
Friday 12 May 2017
All17:3518:0518:4019:1519:5020:20
Wood & Wood Signs Apprentice Handicap
- 4YO plus | Class 3 | 1m 7f 209y | Good to Firm | 10 Runners | Turf | Weighed In
- Off time: 17:35 | Winning time: 3m 31.37s
Cloth number
Odds
Horse A-Z
Show odds
Beaten 8¼L by Swashbuckle (third) when finishing fifth at Newbury last time out and is dropped only 1lb by the handicapper. Did put together some good form over these sorts of trips last year, but is now higher in the weights and on the available evidence he's arguably better later in the year.
Won a competitive 2m handicap on Flat debut in that sphere last year but put in a tame showing afterwards having been put up 6lb and remains on the same mark here. Entitled to need some more help from the handicapper.
Narrowly beaten favourite in a close finish (for a stayers' race) at Newbury last time and steps down slightly in trip here. That should suit though he's 2lb higher in the weights and has had plenty of opportunities to win a race such as this by now, not quite getting home each time.
Won well at Doncaster last time on his first start in a Flat turf race since October 2015. Has run some good races in hurdles in the meantime and though his Flat mark is now 5lb higher, the up-and-coming apprentice more than compensates for that.
Consistent type but is proving a little hard to win with recently, having not won a race since June 2015. Steps up to 2m for the first time now, and has looked as if this increase in distance could bring about some improvement, off what should be a workable mark.
No win on the turf since July 2014 and it seems fair to say he prefers a synthetic surface. Handicap mark is slightly lower here than on the all-weather but not by enough for him to get competitive in this.
Looks weighted to his best following a hat-trick last year and has been well beaten on all of his three most recent starts by a total of 80L. Something else will be required here.
Struggled with a higher handicap mark through much of the back-end of 2016 having won back-to-back races. Slowly going back down to the second of those winning marks and has shown he has the ability to win a race such as this.
Only moderate form over shorter than this recently, and looks fully exposed. Didn't seem to stay this trip on his only other start over it and looks set for a minor role here.
One of the few in the field to be consistently campaigned over staying Flat trips but hasn't won since June 2015 an has too many questions to answer surrounding his handicap mark and level of ability. Best avoided.
Forecasts
Swashbuckle (9/4), Graceland (9/2), Handiwork (9/2), Oceane (11/2), Arthur Mc Bride (12/1), Daisy Boy (12/1), Medburn Cutler (16/1), Hatsaway (20/1), See And Be Seen (25/1), Royal Marskell (28/1)
It looks as if GRACELAND has been crying out for this step up in trip recently. Though the number of occasions on which she has filled the places without getting her head in front recently is a small concern, she tries 2m for the first time here and has looked like it would suit her down to the ground, doing much of her best work late in recent races and she goes off a similar mark now. She can see off the challenge of Swashbuckle, who is clearly talented and has been going fairly well recently, and Handiwork, who is making a rare start on the level but has been running with some credit in harder races than this over hurdles in addition to a recent Flat win at Doncaster.
- Graceland
- Swashbuckle
- Handiwork
Prize Money
1st: £7,763.002nd: £2,310.003rd: £1,154.004th: £577.00
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