14:40 Worcester

Tuesday 17 October 2017

All14:1014:4015:1015:4016:1016:4017:10

Central Roofing & Building Services Mares' Handicap Chase

Off time: 14:40 | Winning time: 5m 2.5s

Twenty Eight Guns^p¹⁷³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: R T Dunne| T: M Scudamore| OR: 128| D

9/1

Well placed to pick up three races over fences last term (all over similar trips to this with some cut), but her handicap mark took a mighty hit. Still 8lb above her last winning mark, and that's probably enough for her seasonal reappearance.

Form: 211473-

Song Saa^t¹⁸⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: P J Brennan| T: T R George| OR: 124| D

3/1

Picked up a couple of winnable contests in February (Huntingdon and Leicester), but seemingly held from higher marks subsequently. Versatile as such in terms of ground conditions and stays further than this trip of 2m4f.

Form: 7P1133-

Bon Chic^p⁵⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-4| J: W T Kennedy| T: James Moffatt| OR: 120| D

10/1

Yet to fully convince over fences (runs in snatches), and the long run-in at Cartmel has probably helped her finish in the frame on a couple of occasions over fences (2m5f). Beaten 10L by Brave Spartacus latest, and needs more for win purposes.

Form: P9-U362

Pemba^b¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-10| J: S Bowen| T: F O'Brien| OR: 112| BF

3/1

Dual hurdles winner for Alan King, who lost little in defeat when going down narrowly to Ashkova at Sedgefield in August (2m+ good), but wasn't quite as strong at Huntingdon latest. Worth a try over further as she seeks to break her chasing duck.

Form: 2F3-422

Viking Mistress^p,t²⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 10-5| J: R Johnson| T: M Keighley| OR: 107| CD

11/4

A C&D winner over hurdles (May 2017) who has run well on both of her starts over fences at this track (vastly differing trips). Beaten just 1¼L by Dotties Dilema over 2m7f here last month (good), and up 5lb, but with the champion aboard now.

Form: 6-11262

Prettylittlething⁸⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 10-5| J: T Scudamore| T: N P Mulholland| OR: 107

10/1

Has improved since switched to fences, winning three races from a lowly starting point and rising through the ranks. An 8L winner at Newton Abbot in late June (2m5f good), her strongest form is over further, so perhaps just a shade vulnerable today.

Form: 11-4154

Sheer Poetry^t⁴⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-3| J: James Best| T: R Woollacott| OR: 105

20/1

Dual hurdles winner who has experience of this track (short head runner up over hurdles in early July). No chance at the weights on her chasing debut at Newton Abbot, and whilst this is more realistic, it's still plenty tough enough.

Form: P7-0273

Rakaia Rosa¹⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 10-0| J: Dave Crosse| T: D L Williams| OR: 95| D

40/1

Won just once in 20 career starts, when bossing a small field to beat Barton Rose by 3¼L over fences at Towcester in May (2m4f good to firm). Plenty of runs since then, but with little end product, so couldn't be fancied today.

Form: 3P3635

Forecasts

Viking Mistress (11/4), Song Saa (3/1), Pemba (3/1), Twenty Eight Guns (9/1), Prettylittlething (10/1), Bon Chic (10/1), Sheer Poetry (20/1), Rakaia Rosa (40/1)

A few of these mares look a fraction vulnerable for various reasons including the returning pair of Twenty Eight Guns and Song Saa (high in the weights). Pemba was a beaten favourite at Huntingdon recently and she has yet to break her duck over fences, but having appeared a shade one paced is probably worth trying over further. However, VIKING MISTRESS looks the horse to side with given her previous course experience (hurdles and fences). This shorter trip of 2m4f promises to suit her well, and despite a 5lb higher mark, a similar effort to her latest start last month (2m7f) ought to prove good enough with the added bonus of the champion jockey Richard Johnson now being on her back.