17:30 Southwell

Thursday 4 April 2019

All13:5514:3015:0015:3516:1516:5017:30

Ladbrokes Handicap

Off time: 17:31 | Winning time: 2m 38.04s

(7)

Smarter²³

Age: 3| Weight: 9-7| J: D Tudhope| T: W J Haggas| OR: 64

5/2

125,000gns foal; by Dark Angel and a half-brother to five winners including Jacqueline Quest; slowly away (when blinkered) on handicap debut at Wolverhampton (1m1f+) 23-days ago; could have more too offer over this longer trip.

Form: 046-7

(4)

Victoriano^p1¹⁵⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 9-6| J: Thomas Greatrex⁽⁵⁾| T: A Watson| OR: 63

5/1

Cheekpieces on and gelded for handicap debut; has raced over 1m on Polytrack/Tapeta so far, but has scope for today's longer trip - dam was an unraced sister to the 1m2f-1m4f Group 1 winner Fantastic Light.

Form: 667-

(6)

Glutnforpunishment²⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-4| J: E J Walsh| T: N P Littmoden| OR: 61| D

14/1

Made all at a steady pace when winning a 1m4f match race at Lingfield in March (4/7f); plenty more required in terms of proving his stamina at this 1m4f trip on a much deeper racing surface.

Form: 70587-1

(3)

Truckingby^b⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: J Fanning| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 60

9/2

Half-brother to the 7f winner Portledge; never going the pace to threaten when finishing fourth to Dragon Sun on handicap debut over 1m at Lingfield eight-days ago; eased 1lb in the weights; tackles a new trip.

Form: 0-654

(1)

Ginge N Tonic¹³

Age: 3| Weight: 8-8| J: Thore Hammer-Hansen⁽⁵⁾| T: A West| OR: 51| D

9/1

Shock 25/1 winner at Lingfield on his penultimate start; came up short off this mark at Newcastle the following month; possibly not bona-fide stayer over 1m4f; time will tell.

Form: 0070-18

(2)

Munstead Moonshine⁴⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-8| J: William Cox⁽³⁾| T: A M Balding| OR: 51

16/1

Sir Percy filly; sister to three winners including the stayer Munstead Star (1m4f/2m); no real surprise if she leaves her admittedly modest novice form (1m2f) well behind now upped in trip on handicap debut.

Form: 0-68

(8)

Bonneville^b¹⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 8-8| J: Theodore Ladd⁽⁵⁾| T: B R Millman| OR: 51

5/2

Nine-race maiden; evidently handles this Fibresand surface based upon his January fourth to Dolly Dupree (runs in the opener); 1lb higher than when beaten 1¾L by Vin D'Honneur at Lingfield (1m2f) ten-days ago.

Form: 574472

(5)

Gate City^b1⁶²

Age: 3| Weight: 8-5| J: A Mullen| T: Adrian Nicholls| OR: 48

25/1

Has failed to beat a single rival on his last two AW starts (1m-1m1f+); all hopes are pinned on the combined effect of a step up in trip and the application of blinkers giving him some positive momentum; very unlikely winner.

Form: 6-700

Forecasts

Smarter (5/2), Bonneville (5/2), Truckingby (9/2), Victoriano (5/1), Ginge N Tonic (9/1), Glutnforpunishment (14/1), Munstead Moonshine (16/1), Gate City (25/1)

A race which lacks a standout contender, with a number of those in the line-up possibly capable of showing improved form now tackling a longer and more suitable trip (based on pedigree). This list includes the William Haggas-trained gelding Smarter who has had the headgear removed for his second start in handicap company, the Archie Watson-trained Victoriano, and of course the Mark Johnston-trained Truckingby. However, without the early market forecast to confirm, the suspicion is that Andrew Balding's filly MUNSTEAD MOONSHINE could have as much to offer as those aforementioned rivals at potentially more rewarding odds.