14:00 Southwell

Thursday 8 March 2018

All14:0014:3015:0015:3516:0516:4017:10

32Red Handicap

Off time: 14:00 | Winning time: 1m 42.9s

(9)

Poet's Prince¹²⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 9-7| J: J Fanning| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 75

7/1

Winner at Ayr in a 7f minor event his form in handicaps hasn't quite lived up to that victory (looks averagely treated). Returns to action here for his first taste of the Fibresand (sire has a good record on the surface) but may face a stiff task off top weight.

Form: 221095-

(6)

Sharp Reminder^p⁴²

Age: 3| Weight: 9-7| J: L Morris| T: J Tate| OR: 75

8/1

Has so far taken to all types of AW surface (yet to win) but ran well on her first try here when second to Mr Carbonator in first time cheekpieces. Likes to race prominently and 3lb better off with her conqueror from last time; should go well again.

Form: 6243-42

(3)

Stealth^b1²⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: R Havlin| T: J & T Gosden| OR: 73

7/2

Makes his handicap/Fibresand debut and wears blinkers for the first time here having been tried in cheekpieces last time. Looks to be one of the lesser lights from this powerful stable but may fare better now going handicapping.

Form: 5-23

(5)

Hilborough⁴⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: Connor Beasley| T: J L Eyre| OR: 71| CD

7/1

Made his first start on the Fibresand a winning one taking a handicap over this trip off a 5lb lower mark on his first outing for this yard. Showed good resolution in the finish on that occasion but this is a tougher contest and he'll need to progress.

Form: 5654-1

(8)

Alifax¹⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-2| J: Jack Dinsmore⁽⁷⁾| T: J A Osborne| OR: 70

9/2

Has won a Chester 7f maiden and looks unexposed over this mile having shaped quite well on his return to action after a significant break. Makes his debut on Fibresand here (sire a positive) and may have more to offer having been placed off this mark.

Form: 63830-3

(2)

Mr Carbonator¹²

Age: 3| Weight: 9-2| J: William Cox⁽⁵⁾| T: P A Kirby| OR: 70| CD

8/1

Form here over C&D reads 131 and he clearly acts well on this surface but he's run poorly on his last two starts both on Tapeta (has won on that surface). Dropped 2lb in the handicap and may be helped by a return to this surface.

Form: 13-1146

(7)

Skito Soldier¹³⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 9-1| J: J P Sullivan| T: Mrs R Carr| OR: 69

33/1

Makes his debut for this yard after looking to go backwards from a promising debut for Karl Burke. Type that this yard are good are rejuvenating but makes his debut on Fibresand and this might be a tough ask for now.

Form: 3377-

(4)

Musbaq²²

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: Cam Hardie| T: B Haslam| OR: 68

10/1

Shaped well on his debut run for this yard having previously been with Mark Johnston and looked to be one to take note of when he went handicapping. Looked to need a test such as this and has a pedigree that looks to be suited by this surface.

Form: 55-4

(1)

Cherubic³⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 8-9| J: Gabriele Malune⁽⁵⁾| T: P D Evans| OR: 63| CD

15/2

Off the mark on his first run for this yard (previously with Charles Hills) having his first try on this surface and travelled very strongly. Given time since that win and now off a much higher mark than the win (raised 12lb) so has a tougher task here.

Form: 77940-1

Forecasts

Stealth (7/2), Alifax (9/2), Poet's Prince (7/1), Hilborough (7/1), Cherubic (15/2), Sharp Reminder (8/1), Mr Carbonator (8/1), Musbaq (10/1), Skito Soldier (33/1)

Three-year-old handicaps at this time of the year are always hard to decipher and this one looks an open heat. There are already three C&D winners in the line-up although all of those look to face stiffer tasks than they have in their wins with Mr Carbonator looking the best of that group. Quite a few that haven’t run here have pedigrees that give encouragement with Alifax and MUSBAQ two that appeal especially the latter who caught the eye last time and makes his handicap debut here. Poet’s Prince is another whose pedigree gives hope that he will act here although he looks to have a stiff mark to cope with. Stealth can also be thrown into the mix coming from a powerful yard along with Sharp Reminder who has run well here before and looks a likely type to win on the AW.