16:30 Hamilton

Wednesday 6 June 2018

All14:0014:3015:0015:3016:0016:3017:00

bettrendsshop.co.uk Handicap

Off time: 16:30 | Winning time: 1m 11.23s

(1)

Short Work^b¹¹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-7| J: D Tudhope| T: D O'Meara| OR: 78| D

5/1

Won four times at this trip at a variety of tracks in 2017, so couldn't be dismissed from a mark 2lb below his last winning one; especially with the ground riding on the soft side of good. Not so sharp this season.

Form: 318-050

(8)

Afandem¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: J Fanning| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 78| D

5/1

Ex Hugo Palmer trained, and not able to build upon his solid stable debut showing at Wolverhampton (6f) in February despite a continued slide down the weights.

Form: 0-34676

(7)

Fast Track³⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 9-6| J: T Eaves| T: T D Barron| OR: 77| D

16/1

Not won since January 2017 (AW), but has raced on turf just once since then so that's a positive if looking for a potential reason for an upturn in fortunes; no trip issues (5f-6f).

Form: 684359

(2)

Inexes^p¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 9-4| J: Barry McHugh| T: Mrs Marjorie Fife| OR: 75| CD

10/3

Back below his last winning mark (2lb) and has won this race in each of the past two seasons, beating Honeysuckle Lil by ¾L last year. Drying ground would hinder his chance of a hat-trick, but soft side of good would suit.

Form: 5469-69

(3)

Dalton^p1²¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 9-3| J: Callum Rodriguez⁽³⁾| T: Miss J A Camacho| OR: 74| D

6/1

Still has to prove himself in handicap company, but this Ayr maiden winner (6f) for previous trainer David O'Meara is fitted with first time cheek-pieces for stable debut/seasonal return.

Form: 34/1060-

(4)

Khelman^p¹⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 9-3| J: P Hanagan| T: R A Fahey| OR: 74| CD

14/1

Dual C&D winner in 2014 from higher marks, he enters the reckoning on that level of form, but his more recent efforts are far less encouraging; especially those recorded just last month (6f-7f).

Form: 070-508

(6)

Start Time⁴⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 9-2| J: J P Sullivan| T: P T Midgley| OR: 73

10/3

Both career victories came for Saeed Bin Suroor in late 2015 (7f to 1m), and he's taken time to recapture some form since joining this trainer for £9,000 in September 2016, but he shaped well at Thirsk latest (6f).

Form: 08038-3

(5)

Pomme De Terre²⁰⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 9-1| J: P Mulrennan| T: M Dods| OR: 72| D

11/1

Badly out of form when last seen in competitive action on the AW at Newcastle in November and hasn't won anywhere since June 2016; mark slipping, but rates as a watching brief only for now.

Form: 394500-

Forecasts

Start Time (10/3), Inexes (10/3), Short Work (5/1), Afandem (5/1), Dalton (6/1), Pomme De Terre (11/1), Khelman (14/1), Fast Track (16/1)

Inexes seeks the hat-trick in this race having won the 2016 and 2017 renewals and must have a fair chance of doing so with the majority struggling to reach their respective peak level of performance lately. However START TIME did shape with more encouragement at Thirsk in April (6f good to soft), and looks the ideal type to prosper for Paul Midgley now rediscovering his spark from his Godolphin days.