15:50 Cheltenham

Tuesday 1 January 2019

All12:1512:5013:2514:0014:3515:1015:50

EBF Stallions & Cheltenham Pony Club (Listed Standard Open NH Flat Race)

Off time: 15:51 | Winning time: 3m 23.3s

Book Of Invasions³¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: P J Brennan| T: J Ryan

15/2

Made a promising enough debut at Carlisle and subsequently bought by these connections for £65,000. Still looked green when winning at Doncaster last time and expected to improve so should be thereabouts.

Form: 21

Calgary Tiger

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: J McGrath| T: William Best-turner

66/1

Tiger Groom gelding, seemingly bred for the Flat and others make more appeal on debut.

Form:

Cascova⁴⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: N de Boinville| T: M Meade| D

3/1

Casamento colt, cost 22,000 gns as a yearling. Half-brother to two Flat winners and dam a 1m4f Group 3 winner. Stayed on well to land a Huntingdon bumper on debut with the front two coming clear; more to come.

Form: 1

Fearless²⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: C O'Farrell| T: R Menzies

5/1

Arakan gelding, half-brother to Thomas Hobson (Group 2 winner and useful hurdler). Dam a half-sister to a Listed Flat winner. Impressive when making all on Wincanton debut and should improve.

Form: 1

Fuseau³¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Wayne Hutchinson| T: A King

7/2

Barastraight gelding, cost €25,000 as a three-year-old. Half-brother to several hurdles winners and dam a half-sister to a 2m chaser. Runner-up to Book Of Invasions on debut; may struggle to reverse that form.

Form: 2

Glory And Fortune

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: R Johnson| T: T Lacey

7/2

Fame And Glory gelding, cost €22,000 as foal and €75,000 as a three-year-old. Half-brother to two winners and dam a half-sister to hurdles winner. Worth a market check.

Form:

Handsome Samson^h1,t²⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: James Bowen| T: R Spencer

20/1

Nathaniel gelding, cost €60,000 as a yearling. Half-brother to dual Guineas winner. Dam a juvenile winner. Too keen on debut in December and may need more time. Wears first-time hood.

Form: 0

Jacamar

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: M F Harris

20/1

Maxios gelding, cost €7,500 as a two-year-old. Related to a Listed winner on the Flat and dam a Listed winner. Bred for the Flat and best watched unless market says otherwise.

Form:

Devious Dicks Dame^h¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-5| J: Tom Cheesman| T: Miss Z C Davison

66/1

Well beaten on both her starts to date and hard to make a case for in what is sure to be an even stronger test.

Form: 00

Ripplet⁷⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-5| J: H Cobden| T: H Morrison

8/1

Rip Van Winkle filly, half-sister to two winners and dam a half-sister to a Group 3 winner.

Form: 1

Forecasts

Cascova (3/1), Glory And Fortune (7/2), Fuseau (7/2), Fearless (5/1), Book Of Invasions (15/2), Ripplet (8/1), Jacamar (20/1), Handsome Samson (20/1), Devious Dicks Dame (66/1), Calgary Tiger (66/1)

Some of these have shown plenty already and BAND OF INVASIONS gave the impression he was still learning on the job when winning at Doncaster. He can confirm the form with Fuseau who stayed on well for second that day while Cascova is another who showed plenty on debut and shouldn't be ruled out.