13:20 Leicester

Monday 30 October 2017

All12:1512:4513:2013:5514:3015:0515:4016:10

Sir Gordon Richards Handicap

Off time: 13:20 | Winning time: 2m 34.07s

(3)

Master The World^p⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 9-12| J: Jim Crowley| T: D R C Elsworth| OR: 107

8/1

Ran well to finish fourth in a Group 3 over 1m1f at York (good) in August but well held in competitive handicaps the last twice. Steps up in trip today.

Form: 214400

(1)

Top Tug⁶⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 9-10| J: M Dwyer| T: A King| OR: 105| D

6/1

Victorious over 1m6f at Goodwood (good-to-firm) in May and ran well in similar conditions at Ascot the following month. Unraced since finishing well beaten in the Ebor and drops in trip today.

Form: 30-2140

(5)

Arthenus^p²³

Age: 5| Weight: 9-8| J: George Wood⁽³⁾| T: J R Fanshawe| OR: 103

7/2

Placed twice in Listed company this year including over 1m2f at Saint-Cloud (good) last month. Well held in a Group 3 at Ascot (good-to-soft) last time and well over a year since he last contested a handicap.

Form: 602637

(6)

Captain Morley⁴⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 9-4| J: Fran Berry| T: D M Simcock| OR: 99| D

50/1

Won three times so far but racing over jumps in the main of late. Finished third off this mark in a 1m2f handicap at Salisbury (soft) in September last year and making his first Flat appearance since then today.

Form: 61/6853-

(2)

Rock Steady²⁵⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 9-4| J: K Shoemark| T: H & R Charlton| OR: 99| D

9/1

Victorious three times on the Flat most recently over 1m4f at Wolverhampton last November. Making his first start since finishing fifth of six at Lingfield in February.

Form: 2212-25

(7)

Dance The Dream²⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 9-3| J: Tyler Saunders⁽⁷⁾| T: M P Tregoning| OR: 98| CD

5/2

Successful over C&D on good-to-soft ground in October last year. Races off a 16lb higher mark today but running well of late and finished second over this C&D earlier this month.

Form: 171-362

(9)

Noble Gift³⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 9-2| J: Callum Shepherd⁽³⁾| T: W J Knight| OR: 97| BF| CD

25/1

Finished fourth of eight on the AW at Chelmsford over 1m2f last time out and likely to appreciate this return to 1m4f having won four times over this trip in the past.

Form: 230504

(8)

Gawdawpalin²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-1| J: Mitch Godwin⁽³⁾| T: S Kirk| OR: 96| D

8/1

Disappointed upped to 1m6f at Salisbury (soft) last time out. In decent form prior to that and rated just 3lb higher than when winning over this trip at Ascot (good-to-soft) in July.

Form: 912446

(4)

Marmajuke Bay^p³²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-1| J: Nicola Currie⁽⁷⁾| T: M D I Usher| OR: 96| D

7/1

Three of his five victories so far have come at Haydock and was successful over an extended 1m3f on good-to-soft ground there in September. Races off a 3lb higher mark today having finished well beaten last time out.

Form: 014715

Forecasts

Dance The Dream (5/2), Arthenus (7/2), Top Tug (6/1), Marmajuke Bay (7/1), Gawdawpalin (8/1), Master The World (8/1), Rock Steady (9/1), Noble Gift (25/1), Captain Morley (50/1)

With a soft lead likely and the step back up in trip to suit NOBLE GIFT can take his career wins tally double figures in this Class 2 handicap contest. The selection has put in some decent efforts so far this term and can repeat his win in this race in 2015 today. Dance The Dream has been in good form of late and is taken to claim third on this occasion while the filly Rock Steady is another to consider with the ground and trip both positives today.