15:05 Catterick

Tuesday 10 October 2017

All13:3014:0014:3515:0515:3516:1016:4017:10

Skyram Handicap

Off time: 15:07 | Winning time: 3m 38.50s

(1)

Becky The Thatcher²¹⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 9-10| J: P J McDonald| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 58| CD

13/2

Still a maiden on the Flat but going the right over hurdles won two from five in that sphere (including one here). Not seen on the Flat since this time last year when she ran a poor race over shorter here but this isn't that tough if she's fit enough.

Form: 422630-

(4)

La Bacouetteuse^b⁷

Age: 12| Weight: 9-7| J: A Mullen| T: I Jardine| OR: 55| D

33/1

Has struggled this season even at his favoured venue of Musselburgh and produced a very laboured effort last time out at Ayr. Fallen well below his last winning mark but would need to show more to be of interest.

Form: 057433

(7)

Adherence^p³⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: Barry McHugh| T: T Coyle & K Wood| OR: 55

18/1

Showed the best form of his career when winning at Wetherby in testing conditions earlier in the year (1m6f) ending a long losing run. Not shown anything approaching that sort of form since and now stepped back up in trip off his last winning mark.

Form: 5-08166

(6)

Jan Smuts^p,t³²

Age: 9| Weight: 9-7| J: Connor Murtagh⁽⁷⁾| T: W Storey| OR: 55| CD

10/1

Approaching the veteran stage now but should be capable of performing off this sort of mark although his form can be a little inconsistent. His last win came on the AW back in January and he's been running with credit since then; hard to totally ignore.

Form: 375724

(5)

In Focus^h²⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 9-6| J: Jamie Gormley⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs Dianne Sayer| OR: 54| C

7/1

Over two years since his last win he's bounced around a few yards since that victory but has run two decent races for this yard. After failing to build on a good debut effort for them he went with real zest against an improver last time at Carlisle; leading contender.

Form: 500282

(9)

Anne's Valentino⁷⁹⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 9-1| J: P Mulrennan| T: R Menzies| OR: 49| D

28/1

Previously with Malcolm Jefferson she starts life for her new yard off the back of second over C&D off this mark. Ought to be competitive again and will handle the ground for a yard that are making good strides with their Flat runners.

Form: 260942/

(2)

Allfredandnobell¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: S De Sousa| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 48| D

11/1

Rather like his stablemate he's been hurdling of late (won a juvenile hurdle) and returned to the Flat last time on the AW needing the run. Yet to win on the Flat his mark can't fall much further than has and looks the stable second string.

Form: 63826-0

(3)

Adrakhan¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 9-0| J: Sammy Jo Bell⁽³⁾| T: W Storey| OR: 48| D

17/2

Got back to winning ways on his penultimate start when beating the eminently beatable Tectonic who threw yet another race away. Back to 1m4f last time and folded up very quickly (possibly amiss) on the AW hard to know what to expect now.

Form: 316410

(10)

Patent^b²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 8-12| J: Jason Hart| T: P D Niven| OR: 46

15/2

Came back to form last time out from totally out of the blue having looked desperate all year despite a rapid fall in the weights. The 1m6f trip at Redcar looked to suit but he now has to back that up having never won on the Flat.

Form: 677863

(12)

Oracle Boy^b1,t1⁴³

Age: 6| Weight: 8-12| J: G Lee| T: M C Chapman| OR: 45

150/1

Was a relatively decent handicapper when with William Muir winning AW handicaps off 53 and 61 but has looked steadily regressive since those days. Has offered nothing in five runs for this yard and now finds himself down to a mark of 46 (62 was his first stable mark).

Form: 9/7P-809

(8)

General Allenby^b,e/s,h²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-8| J: Kieren Fox| T: H Tett| OR: 51

2/1

Not totally straightforward but that can be seen from the combination of headgear that he wears. Holding his form well though in this grade (only beaten by two progressive sorts last time) and may make his presence felt off this mark.

Form: 452423

Non-Runners

(11)

Dirty Randy¹

Weight: 9-3| Age: 3

T: K Dalgleish J: Rowan Scott

Forecasts

General Allenby (2/1), Becky The Thatcher (13/2), In Focus (7/1), Patent (15/2), Adrakhan (17/2), Jan Smuts (10/1), Allfredandnobell (11/1), Dirty Randy (12/1), Adherence (18/1), Anne's Valentino (28/1), La Bacouetteuse (33/1), Oracle Boy (150/1)

A bit of a rag, tag and bobtail bunch although they could produce a decent enough race for the grade with IN FOCUS looking interesting on his second to a progressive sort last time off what looks to be a workable mark for him now. Anne’s Valentino is another that needs to be respected on her last run with General Allenby for all his quirks capable of running to a decent level in this grade. A few of these would need to come back form to form to take a hand here or build on some weak form last time – that group would include Patent, Jan Smuts and Adrakhan.