16:30 Plumpton

Sunday 15 April 2018

All14:1514:5015:2015:5516:3017:0017:30

Happy 21st Birthday Sophie Mellett Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 16:30 | Winning time: 6m 25.20s

Boher Lad²³

Age: 11| Weight: 12-2| J: Stan Sheppard⁽³⁾| T: A Phillips| OR: 102

9/1

Had a good spell last spring which has resulted in his mark being slow to come down towards those levels. Goes well for this rider but has work to from the top of the weights.

Form: 13-4549

Indian Reel^p,t²⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Lily Pinchin⁽⁷⁾| T: F O'Brien| OR: 98

6/1

Scored in similar company at Leicester (2m) and fared well over 3m last time. Handles the conditions but this mark leaves little margin for error.

Form: 436142

Moving In Style²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: Philip Donovan⁽⁷⁾| T: N P Mulholland| OR: 95

9/2

Fortunate winner last time out when taking advantage of late mishaps at Taunton but can run off a similar mark here as he bids to follow-up. Still early days with him and he could have improvement in him in this sphere.

Form: 21-8P71

Howlongisafoot^b⁵⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-7| J: David Noonan| T: C Gordon| OR: 93| C

9/2

Some poor efforts over fences have seen him returned to hurdles for the first time since 2014. Often looks a hard ride and typically fails to travel through his races but undoubtedly well weighted here if by some chance he did come back to life.

Form: P565PP

Kublai^t¹⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-7| J: Jamie Bargary| T: Alexandra Dunn| OR: 93

9/1

2-22 over hurdle and was in useful form last summer. Will be better for his return to action this month and the better ground he is expected to get here.

Form: 623224

Yukon Delta^b⁹⁸

Age: 11| Weight: 11-1| J: Joshua Moore| T: G & J Moore| OR: 87| C

7/1

Without a win since 2016 and has now dropped below that mark. Best form has come on quicker ground than he is likely to get here.

Form: 2-85649

Boardwalk Empire²⁵

Age: 11| Weight: 10-5| J: Page Fuller⁽⁵⁾| T: Mrs K A Buckett| OR: 77

7/1

Beat Krackatoa King on heavy ground over this trip as a novice and was once rated 125. Has declined since and last run was not encouraging.

Form: PR-PP46

King Charlie^p,t³⁶⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 10-2| J: Jack Sherwood⁽³⁾| T: Miss S Smith| OR: 74

7/1

Off for a year and best form under rules has come on good ground. Has his fitness to prove , but would be interesting from this mark if there was any conviction shown in the market.

Form: 02P2P5-

Blackwell Synergy⁹⁶

Age: 12| Weight: 10-1| J: C Gethings| T: Tracey Leeson| OR: 73| D

40/1

Best efforts were around Uttoxeter at this sort of trip in 2015, but on the slide largely since then and hard to fancy despite this lowly mark.

Form: 50P486

Sweet'n'chic³⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 10-0| J: James Davies| T: R Rowe| OR: 71

14/1

Showed bits of promise in handicaps but lost her way last term with softer ground probably her undoing. Well beaten on belated seasonal return and looks up against it.

Form: 6350P-P

Forecasts

Moving In Style (9/2), Howlongisafoot (9/2), Indian Reel (6/1), Boardwalk Empire (7/1), Yukon Delta (7/1), King Charlie (7/1), Boher Lad (9/1), Kublai (9/1), Sweet'n'chic (14/1), Blackwell Synergy (40/1)

A moderate bunch line up for this and it could be King Charlie's for the taking if the market suggests connections are happy with the ground and his fitness. KUBLAI is weighted to his best but he will be fitter for his comeback run and the less testing conditions he will face this time. Boher Lad and Indian Reel make little appeal at the weights, but Moving In Style was fortunate at Taunton but still warrants respect at this modest level.