14:20 Catterick

Tuesday 26 February 2019

All14:2014:5015:2015:5016:2016:50

Racing To School Handicap Hurdle (Lady Amateur Riders)

Off time: 14:20 | Winning time: 4m 34.80s

Eolian⁶²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Alice Stevens⁽⁷⁾| T: O Murphy| OR: 99

20/1

Modest on the Flat for Andrew Balding (69-rated); best effort in four hurdles starts came when finishing 22L seventh over an extended 2m at Market Rasen (soft) in January; market a guide on handicap debut.

Form: 5-007

Bazarov⁶⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Miss Brodie Hampson| T: A Watson| OR: 95

4/6

11-race maiden under rules in Ireland; showed improved form when sticking on to finish second to Chosen Hour at Limerick (2m5f, soft) in December; has since joined Archie Watson; of definite interest assuming that he can handle a sound surface.

Form: P05602

Trapper Peak³⁰

Age: 10| Weight: 11-8| J: Miss Becky Smith| T: Stef Keniry| OR: 95

5/1

Made a winning start for this stable at Sedgefield (2m1f, soft) last month when reeling in the quirky Baratineur (the third has won since); 7lb higher in the weights and should have relatively few problems with this longer trip; player.

Form: 3686-41

Rockliffe⁴⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Amie Waugh⁽³⁾| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 95| CD

9/2

Shot clear from the solid yardstick Danceintothelight when scoring in an identical event over C&D in December (12/1); not so effective around Musselburgh since, so needs to replicate (and better) his previous form if to play a positive role.

Form: P34615

Bocasien Desbois¹²²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-3| J: Miss Alex Garven⁽⁷⁾| T: M Todhunter| OR: 90

22/1

Has shown some reasonable form over fences around Kelso (2m5f+ to 2m7f+); well beaten 9/4f on his last hurdles start over C&D in November 2017 and a guessing game with regards his current fitness levels after a 122-day absence.

Form: 1-2UP32

Nancy Maher¹¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Isabel Williams⁽⁵⁾| T: Christian Williams| OR: 87

25/1

Modest former Irish-trained maiden; safely held in third when falling at the last on debut for Christian Williams in a 2m Fakenham seller just under a fortnight ago; others preferred.

Form: U0P70F

Theatre Act^p,h⁶²

Age: 8| Weight: 10-9| J: Abbie McCain⁽³⁾| T: C Grant| OR: 82| BF

14/1

Runner-up to a progressive type off this mark at Carlisle (2m3f+, good) in October and in deep on her next start on Northern Lights Finals Day in December; few positives to be gleaned from her latest effort but conditions are more favourable here.

Form: 455249

Rock N'stones^v²³

Age: 8| Weight: 10-0| J: Tabitha Worsley⁽³⁾| T: G Boanas| OR: 70

50/1

36-race maiden (0-29 over hurdles); has a mountain to climb with today's rival Rockcliffe based on December C&D form; surely not the solution from outside of the handicap proper.

Form: 507P69

Forecasts

Bazarov (4/6), Rockliffe (9/2), Trapper Peak (5/1), Theatre Act (14/1), Eolian (20/1), Bocasien Desbois (22/1), Nancy Maher (25/1), Rock N'stones (50/1)

Archie Watson has forged a fine reputation for himself on the Flat, yet he saddles his first ever runner under National Hunt rules at Catterick of all places courtesy of BAZAROV. This ex-Irish gelding remains a maiden but is of definite interest on the back of a much improved showing at Limerick (2m5f) in December. In a modest race with the experienced Brodie Hampson in the saddle, it's probably worth chancing that he'll handle this sounder racing surface. The most obvious alternative is the Sedgefield scorer Trapper Peak.