18:55 Chelmsford City

Thursday 2 November 2017

All17:2517:5518:2518:5519:2519:5520:3021:00

Get In! Breeders' Cup Special Friday On ATR Handicap

Off time: 18:56 | Winning time: 2m 58.05s

(1)

Watersmeet¹⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-1| J: J Fanning| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 106| C| D

9/4

Boasts an impressive 50% strike rate on the AW (8 from 16), and is a three time Chelmsford winner. His latest course success (2m) came in March, and he has kept strong company since, including in the Cesarewitch.

Form: 311260

(6)

Battersea⁴⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 9-9| J: J Mitchell| T: R Varian| OR: 100| D

7/2

Finished fourth to Heartbreak City in the 2016 Ebor at York, and has been raced sparingly since, including when eighth to Nakeeta in the 2017 renewal. Runner up over this trip at Salisbury latest (soft). AW debut.

Form: 545-682

(2)

Lord George⁴⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-5| J: George Wood⁽³⁾| T: J R Fanshawe| OR: 96

7/2

Beaten under 1½L when fourth of 20 to stablemate Higher Power in the 2017 Northumberland Plate, and fully respected on that showing. Not quite so effective on turf since, but much more expected now returned to synthetics.

Form: 9-33487

(3)

Aussie Reigns¹⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 9-4| J: H Crouch⁽³⁾| T: G & J Moore| OR: 95

33/1

Back in England following a spell in Ireland with Willie Mullins, and has proved himself as a classy performer in his more formative years. Tailed off on soft ground at Goodwood recently and now switches to the AW for the first time in two years.

Form: 5970/68

(4)

High Secret¹³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 9-4| J: Megan Nicholls⁽⁵⁾| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 95| C| D

9/1

Successfully switched to hurdles last winter following some time off the track after leaving Sir Mark Prescott for 65,000 gns in October 2015. Absent on the Flat since June (Royal Ascot), and fitness taken on trust on return to action.

Form: 1405/29

(5)

Barye¹²

Age: 6| Weight: 9-1| J: S W Kelly| T: R Hughes| OR: 92| C

12/1

Dual course winner (1m2f) from much lower marks in early 2015, but has kept on improving and won twice more over 1m4f at Lingfield around the turn of 2016. Handicapped out of things since, and slowly easing, but this looks a tough assignment.

Form: 556796

(7)

Joshua Reynolds^b²⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 8-9| J: R Havlin| T: J & T Gosden| OR: 92| D

9/2

Stepped forward markedly once switched to handicaps, winning in lesser company during the summer months at Newmarket (1m5f) and Sandown (1m6f). The handicapper has slowed his progress more latterly, so further improvement is needed on his AW debut.

Form: 531170

Forecasts

Watersmeet (9/4), Lord George (7/2), Battersea (7/2), Joshua Reynolds (9/2), High Secret (9/1), Barye (12/1), Aussie Reigns (33/1)

The clear highlight of the evening with a number of useful stayers locking horns after contesting much stronger events earlier in the season. Watersmeet is a standing dish on the AW, and was a runner up in the Marathon Series on AW Finals Day at Lingfield in April, and has had a quiet season since; slightly out of his depth in both the Chester Cup and the Cesarewitch. That last named contest will have brought him forward for a winter campaign (his first start for five months), but in both Battersea and LORD GEORGE he faces a couple of rather thorny opponents. Battersea hasn't disgraced himself in the Ebor's of 2016 and 2017, and looks set for a busy winter on the AW following a relatively light turf campaign, whilst the selection has shown his strongest AW form on the Tapeta at Newcastle. His 2017 Northumberland Plate fourth to stablemate Higher Power represents rock-solid handicap form, and a reproduction of that effort (from the same mark) will see him go mightily close to winning tonight.