15:50 Hexham

Monday 23 April 2018

All13:5014:2014:5015:2015:5016:2016:55

totesport.com Try A Trifecta Handicap Chase

Off time: 15:54 | Winning time: 6m 33.4s

Valzan^b⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Nathan Moscrop⁽⁵⁾| T: R Menzies| OR: 99

25/1

Shown very little in six starts since joining his current yard from France, and pulled up on each of his last two starts. Eased in grade and upped in trip, but wholly unconvincing.

Form: 5979PP

Flemerina⁴³

Age: 9| Weight: 11-8| J: Sean Quinlan| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 95

10/1

Consistent mare who is generally fine on ground described as Good to Soft or softer. Struggles to actually win races, but stays well and probably isn't fully exposed after making just three previous starts over fences.

Form: 833227

Orioninverness^p,t⁸^{(ex 7)}

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: S Mulqueen⁽³⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 88| C

13/2

In decent shape at present (ran okay over 2m4f here last month), and carries a 7lb penalty for his subsequent victory in a weak race at Newcastle the weekend before last (2m4f heavy). Fencing not foot perfect, but an obvious candidate.

Form: 14-F841

Chicago Outfit^p⁴⁵

Age: 13| Weight: 11-6| J: Jonathon Bewley⁽³⁾| T: L Kerr| OR: 93| CD

40/1

Enjoyed a purple patch for George Bewley over C&D during 2015, but long in the tooth at the age of 13. Out of form for over two years now. Possible pace angle.

Form: 14-54PU

Purple Harry⁸

Age: 10| Weight: 11-0| J: R D Day⁽³⁾| T: Miss T Jackson| OR: 87| BF| D

7/2

Quirky, but has plenty of ability on his day and he not only stays very well, but handles testing conditions underfoot to boot. Beaten just 2¼L by Bertalus at Newcastle earlier this month (2m7f+ heavy).

Form: 1-PRP62

Gibbstown^p⁴⁵

Age: 12| Weight: 10-13| J: A W Short⁽⁵⁾| T: P Stafford| OR: 86| CD

14/1

Goes well here and has won three of her five chases over C&D. March/April is so often her time of year, and she races from a mark which is 7lb lower than she finished runner up to Hattons Hill from over C&D in March 2017.

Form: 588436

Beau Sancy⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Alison Clarke⁽⁷⁾| T: Kenny Johnson| OR: 85

15/2

Shown absolutely no form whatsoever until catching the eye at Kelso last week (2m5f+ heavy). Racing wide throughout, she was beaten by a never nearer 1L (by Always Tipsy); with her rider given a subsequent 10-day ban by the Stewards.

Form: 706662

Major Ridge^t¹⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 10-4| J: Miss Becky Smith⁽⁵⁾| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 77

8/1

Badly out of sorts since winning at Catterick (3m1f good to soft) in January 2017, but in theory he should be competitive off this mark, and shaped with slightly more encouragement at Sedgefield latest (3m2f).

Form: PPU-963

Mcginty's Dream^b⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 10-2| J: Lucy Alexander| T: N W Alexander| OR: 75

8/1

Essentially is beginning to become exposed as a rather moderate performer, and whilst he tends to do best at Hexham, he's met his match up against Nelly La Rue (C&D) and Orioninverness (2m4f) in his last couple of outings.

Form: 257322

Heritage Way¹⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 10-1| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: H Hogarth| OR: 74

80/1

Won an Ayr bumper on debut for Stuart Crawford in February 2014 before moving on for £16,000 in May 2015. Lightly raced since, but has shown no worthwhile form and suffered a heavy fall at Carlisle earlier this month.

Form: 1098/PF

Kalastar²³

Age: 9| Weight: 10-0| J: Thomas Willmott⁽⁷⁾| T: K Scott| OR: 73| D

11/1

A maiden after 13 starts under rules, with his best effort coming over C&D in November; finishing 3¼L third to Frank The Slink. Stronger overall in point-to-points (4 from 11).

Form: P4-83PP

Under The Red Sky^b⁸

Age: 11| Weight: 10-0| J: Henry Brooke| T: Kenny Johnson| OR: 72| D

9/1

Now a 30-race maiden following a traditionally weak finishing effort (travelled well) at Newcastle just eight days ago. Part owned by Hexham Chief Executive Robert Whitelock.

Form: 732563

Nelly La Rue^p⁸

Age: 11| Weight: 10-0| J: Thomas Dowson⁽³⁾| T: V Thompson| OR: 70| CD

20/1

Converted a gilt-edged opportunity when beating McGinty's Dream by 13L in a terribly weak C&D novices handicap last month. Raced three times since (progressively getting worse), so very hard to fancy with a rules record of 1 from 21.

Form: 231345

Thedfactor^p,t1²³

Age: 9| Weight: 10-0| J: Ross Chapman⁽³⁾| T: Mrs J Walton| OR: 53

100/1

Has lacked the X-Factor so far during a light career (eight starts under rules). Time is not his friend now having just turned nine, and he races from well out of the weights wearing a first time tongue tie.

Form: 6-40P78

Forecasts

Purple Harry (7/2), Orioninverness (13/2), Beau Sancy (15/2), Major Ridge (8/1), Mcginty's Dream (8/1), Under The Red Sky (9/1), Flemerina (10/1), Kalastar (11/1), Gibbstown (14/1), Nelly La Rue (20/1), Valzan (25/1), Chicago Outfit (40/1), Heritage Way (80/1), Thedfactor (100/1)

A sizeable turnout and no shortage of interwoven form-lines shared by some largely unconvincing horses. Orioninverness is upped in trip under a 7lb penalty for his Newcastle success (beat McGinty's Dream), but should be thereabouts assuming that he stays and his far from fluent fencing holds out. Alison Clarke gets the chance to redeem herself after a very modest ride aboard Beau Sancy at Kelso last week, but whether that gelding can reproduce such a vastly improved effort is anybody's guess. Purple Harry stays well but is quirky, so we'll take a punt on the veteran Hexham specialist GIBBSTOWN. She's sharpest during the spring months and this race is weak.