13:10 Sedgefield

Sunday 28 January 2018

All13:1013:4014:1014:4015:1015:4016:10

Crescent Homecare Ltd Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 13:11 | Winning time: 4m 19.52s

Tonto's Spirit^h³³

Age: 6| Weight: 12-2| J: Robert Hogg⁽⁷⁾| T: Kenneth Slack| OR: 122| BF| CD

5/1

Made all when running out a 23L winner of this race last year (good to soft), and followed up off his current mark (121) at Carlisle a week later. Finished third here over a longer trip on Boxing Day, so of clear interest now.

Form: 110-733

The New Pharaoh^h¹⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 12-2| J: Jonjo O'Neill Jr.⁽⁷⁾| T: Laura Morgan| OR: 122

9/2

Possibly a shade quirky on the Flat for Chris Wall (three time winner), but has done well since switched to hurdles, winning a novice event over 2m (heavy) at Leicester earlier in the month. Handicap debut, with the same 7lb claimer booked.

Form: 31

Reverant Cust^t⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Finian O'Toole⁽³⁾| T: P Atkinson| OR: 118

4/1

Noted making rapid late progress from off the pace to get within ½L of Joke Dancer in desperate conditions at Haydock last weekend (2m). That suggested he was on the way back to form, so must go well turned out quickly.

Form: 133-862

Black Art¹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-9| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 115| CD

10/3

Strongest at the finish when scoring on handicap debut over C&D (soft) just over a fortnight ago, and a subsequent 2lb rise would appear lenient. Lightly raced and more to offer assuming that he's not undone for the lack of a turn of foot.

Form: 83-2421

Prince Khurram^t¹⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-9| J: W T Kennedy| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 115| CD

11/1

Rattled up a quick ground hat-trick early in the season (2m to 2m3f), but has climbed the weights since and struggled in more testing conditions. Stable in form, but a mountain climb with Black Art based upon his latest start over C&D.

Form: 135355

Cape Hideaway^p¹¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Miss E Todd⁽⁷⁾| T: M Walford| OR: 113

10/1

Back to form with a reasonable front running effort off this mark at Market Rasen last week (2m2f+ heavy) when an 11L runner up to Cabernet D'Alene. However, he saves his best for that Lincolnshire venue, and others make more appeal today.

Form: 14P772

Nautical Twilight^b²⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-2| J: B S Hughes| T: J M Jefferson| OR: 108| CD

6/1

C&D winner in 2014 from a 3lb lower mark, but hasn't registered another jumps success since (1 from 14 career). Beaten 3L by Snowed In at Catterick on New Years Day (2m soft), but another 2lb higher now.

Form: 5534-62

Red Ochre³³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Callum Bewley⁽³⁾| T: C Grant| OR: 103

16/1

Hasn't shown a massive amount of ability over hurdles, other than making the frame (well beaten) in a C&D maiden hurdle in December. Early days in handicap company, but others are far more convincing.

Form: 57-9536

Forecasts

Black Art (10/3), Reverant Cust (4/1), The New Pharaoh (9/2), Tonto's Spirit (5/1), Nautical Twilight (6/1), Cape Hideaway (10/1), Prince Khurram (11/1), Red Ochre (16/1)

Tonto's Spirit is likely to attempt to make all in order to repeat his success in this contest in 2017. The fact that he races from a 7lb higher mark today isn't a concern (he has won off a mark of 121 previously), but the opposition does appear slightly stronger this time around. Both recent C&D winner Black Art and the Haydock eye-catcher REVERANT CUST should to be doing all of their strongest work late in the race, and this is likely to leave the early pace-setter vulnerable on the climb from the final flight. The Peter Atkinson trained seven-year-old relishes soft ground, and working steadily back to form, this looks the time to catch him right.