17:15 Newton Abbot

Wednesday 16 May 2018

All14:0014:3515:1015:4516:1516:4517:15

Attheraces Sky 415 Standard Open NH Flat Race

Off time: 17:16 | Winning time: 4m 7.10s

Colonel Custard²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Matt Griffiths| T: Nicky Martin

9/2

Third on debut at Taunton last time out when running well in defeat and should be able to progress from that effort to close once again.

Form: 3-

Hymn And A Prayer⁹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Mr M Legg⁽⁵⁾| T: Mrs F M Shaw

40/1

Last of all at Kempton last time out was a long way off his third in an (admittedly weak) bumper last November. Others rate much more likely winners.

Form: 30-

Imperial Elixir^t1¹⁶⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: R Patrick⁽⁵⁾| T: F O'BrienWS

16/1

Doyen gelding who cost €22,000 as a three-year-old. Some stamina in his pedigree but dam's half-sister won a bumper, so he is of minor interest.

Form: 65-

Personal Coach¹⁴¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: T J O'Brien| T: R Stephens

25/1

Couldn't progress from his placed debut effort when only 11th at Huntingdon last time out on Boxing Day, and improvement needed on that to get involved here.

Form: 30-

Railroad Junkie^t¹⁸⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Adam Wedge| T: Evan Williams

22/1

Thousand Words gelding who cost €9,000 as a three-year-old. Half-brother won a bumper so if the market speaks in his favour he could be of interest.

Form: F/F27-

Colonel Miller

Age: 4| Weight: 10-10| J: Thomas Bellamy| T: A King

11/1

Multiplex gelding, the first foal of a Beat out mare who was unraced but is related to a few winners, including of bumpers. The market could be informative.

Form:

Earth Prince

Age: 4| Weight: 10-10| J: H Cobden| T: P F Nicholls

7/2

Al Namix gelding who cost £55,000 as a three-year-old and makes his debut here. Comes from a top yard and plenty of winning form in his pedigree.

Form:

Gaelic Poet⁶⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-10| J: David Noonan| T: Tim Vaughan

33/1

Beaten a fair way out on debut at Kempton last time out and tough to build a case for off the back of that poor first run.

Form: 9-

Gibb Hill¹⁶⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-10| J: Sean Houlihan⁽⁵⁾| T: R H Buckler

33/1

Down the field on debut at Wincanton last time out when sent off 50/1, and tough to imagine him improving on that to play a major part here.

Form: 5-

Pepperdew

Age: 4| Weight: 10-10| J: David Bass| T: S-J Davies

25/1

Flat-bred son of Street Cry who is a half-brother to Kentucky Derby runner-up Ice Box. Didn't run on the Flat despite briefly being with Saeed bin Suroor, and best watched on debut.

Form:

Ruffling Feathers²⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-10| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: C L Tizzard

10/1

Improved between his two runs in bumpers earlier in the year and may have appreciated the sounder surface at Wincanton last time out.

Form: 84-

Top Of The Charts

Age: 4| Weight: 10-10| J: R Johnson| T: W Greatrex

6/4

Great Pretender gelding who cost €80,000 as a three-year-old. Half-brother to a 2m hurdle winner and should be able to go well on debut.

Form:

Dancing Hearts^h1¹⁸⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: T Scudamore| T: M Scudamore

50/1

Last of all on debut at Warwick in November having never gotten involved. Hood on and looks set for another minor role.

Form: 0-

Finch Fancy¹¹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 10-7| J: Rex Dingle⁽⁷⁾| T: N R Mitchell

100/1

Only run in a point-to-point was nothing special and will need to leave that sort of form behind to make an impression on rules debut.

Form: 9-

Puzzle Cache^b²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-3| J: J McGrath| T: M Hill

50/1

Has beaten only one rival home in two starts so far, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see a similar sort of effort from her today on her third outing.

Form: 87-

Non-Runners

Leaving Home

Weight: 11-0| Age: 5

T: P & M Bowen J: S Bowen

Forecasts

Top Of The Charts (6/4), Earth Prince (7/2), Colonel Custard (9/2), Ruffling Feathers (10/1), Colonel Miller (11/1), Leaving Home (14/1), Imperial Elixir (16/1), Railroad Junkie (22/1), Personal Coach (25/1), Pepperdew (25/1), Gaelic Poet (33/1), Gibb Hill (33/1), Hymn And A Prayer (40/1), Dancing Hearts (50/1), Puzzle Cache (50/1), Finch Fancy (100/1)

The Nicholls newcomer Earth Prince has to be of some interest here, but it often pays to side with experience in these contests and COLONEL CUSTARD ran a nice race on debut at Taunton last time, and there's every chance that Nicky Martin's charge can improve on that effort to get off the mark at the second time of asking. Of the others making their debut, Top Of The Charts makes most appeal.