17:45 Wolverhampton

Friday 2 February 2018

All17:4518:1518:4519:1519:4520:1520:45

Betway Apprentice Handicap

Off time: 17:45 | Winning time: 2m 2.59s

(4)

Diamond Reflection^t⁷^{(ex 6)}

Age: 6| Weight: 9-8| J: Cameron Noble⁽³⁾| T: Alexandra Dunn| OR: 54

5/2

Comfortable winner over a similar trip at Kempton last time out. Carries a 6lb penalty here but 3lb is claimed off by apprentice rider. Holds major claims from an attractive draw.

Form: 2/90-031

(11)

Frantical³⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 9-7| J: Ben Sanderson⁽⁵⁾| T: A W Carroll| OR: 59

50/1

Record of 0/15 is hardly encouraging, and has been either last or second last all four starts since winning at Ffos Las in July.

Form: 54160-7

(6)

Anton Chigurh^p²⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 9-6| J: Katherine Begley⁽³⁾| T: Mrs N S Evans| OR: 58| CD

22/1

C&D winner but hasn't looked so good for this yard up to now. Best AW handicapping form is at Southwell and never threatened in a similar race here earlier in the month.

Form: 46760-5

(8)

Rightway¹⁴²

Age: 7| Weight: 9-5| J: Aled Beech⁽⁵⁾| T: A W Carroll| OR: 57| CD

33/1

Has won off much higher marks than this in the past but is difficult to build a case for based on recent form plus an absence since September.

Form: 685080-

(9)

Secret Lightning^v¹⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 9-4| J: Kevin Lundie⁽³⁾| T: M Appleby| OR: 56| CD

16/1

Doesn't appear to act on Fibresand so recent poor run at Southwell can be forgiven, but probably still looking at a place at best off this handicap mark.

Form: 67514-8

(1)

Top Offer^b²⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 9-4| J: Jamie Gormley| T: P Morris| OR: 56| CD

8/1

Course winner over shorter who shouldn't have any issues with this trip. Just 1lb higher than his last winning mark but form of late has been less encouraging.

Form: 74178-9

(3)

Sunshineandbubbles^p¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 9-3| J: Harrison Shaw⁽³⁾| T: J Candlish| OR: 55| BF| CD

6/1

Disappointing favourite at Southwell last time out in a handicap, but was drawn fairly wide on that occasion. On the same mark here and could go better from a more favourable draw.

Form: 4461-16

(2)

Filudo^t⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: Jack Osborn⁽³⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 52

9/2

Has shown very little so far and steps back up in trip here. Rare British AW runner for his top Irish jumps handler and this may be a prep for bigger things.

Form: 087/88-7

(12)

Ravenhoe³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 8-13| J: Oliver Stammers⁽⁷⁾| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 51

18/1

Finished a long way behind both Sunshineandbubbles and Optima Petamus at this course last time (over slightly shorter) and faces a battle to reverse that form.

Form: 70756-9

(10)

Optima Petamus³⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 8-9| J: Paula Muir⁽³⁾| T: P Holmes| OR: 47

9/2

Just a neck behind Sunshineandbubbles at Wolverhampton last time and hasn't had a race since unlike that reopposing rival. One to consider off the same mark.

Form: 70056-3

(7)

Italian Beauty^p⁶³

Age: 6| Weight: 8-8| J: Sophie Ralston⁽⁵⁾| T: J S Wainwright| OR: 46

80/1

Capable of performing at a higher level than this in her younger days, but has lost her way since and others are preferred.

Form: 579058-

Non-Runners

(5)

New Abbey Angel²⁰

Weight: 9-0| Age: 5

T: K Dalgleish J: Patrick Vaughan

Forecasts

Diamond Reflection (5/2), Filudo (9/2), Optima Petamus (9/2), Sunshineandbubbles (6/1), Top Offer (8/1), New Abbey Angel (8/1), Secret Lightning (16/1), Ravenhoe (18/1), Anton Chigurh (22/1), Rightway (33/1), Frantical (50/1), Italian Beauty (80/1)

From top weight DIAMOND REFLECTION may be the one to side with here. Effectively just up 3lb for winning last time (penalised but half the weight is claimed off) he is drawn well in stall 4 in what seems to be a similar sort of race. If replicating that performance he should go very close indeed following another good effort at Kempton two starts ago. He is narrowly preferred to New Abbey Angel, who looks dangerous back down to a more suitable trip, while better can also be expected this time from Sunshineandbubbles.