15:35 Southwell

Thursday 2 May 2019

All14:0514:3515:0515:3516:1016:4517:15

visitsouthwell.com Handicap

Off time: 15:35 | Winning time: 1m 28.26s

(4)

Master Diver^v1³⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: L Morris| T: Sir Mark Prescott| OR: 77| D

3/1

Looked to be a fair prospect earlier on in the year, winning at Dundalk (7f) a week on from a most promising effort at Newcastle (6f); has found life in handicaps far tougher since (possibly doesn't stay 1m); visor now applied.

Form: 521355

(2)

Furzig⁴⁸⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: T Hamilton| T: R A Fahey| OR: 77| D

12/1

Brother to the 1m-1m1f Fibresand winner Billy Bond; off the track since New Year's Eve 2017 when scooting clear of Kath's Lustre in a 7f novice median auction stakes at Lingfield; handicap debut.

Form: 351/

(8)

Crosse Fire^p⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 9-7| J: K T O'Neill| T: S Dixon| OR: 77| CD

5/1

Southwell specialist; was winning for the tenth-time on Fibresand when short-heading the subsequent Class 2 Scottish Sprint Cup winner Saaheq over 6f here on his penultimate start; now rated 1lb higher.

Form: 214117

(1)

Sword Exceed⁸⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-5| J: S De Sousa| T: I Furtado| OR: 75| DWS

9/2

Three-time Polytrack winner (6f-7f Lingfield); struggling for form in more recent times, but arrives fresh from an 89-day absence (post wind surgery) with Silvestre De Sousa taking the mount; Fibresand prowess taken on trust; stablemate of Inexes.

Form: 84898-7

(3)

Inexes^p¹¹

Age: 7| Weight: 9-4| J: D C Costello| T: I Furtado| OR: 74

8/1

Beaten ½L by Falcao (John Butler) on stable/Fibresand debut in a 6f claimer here 11 days ago; most effective on turf with cut underfoot, so no major surprise that he's taken well to this surface; tougher task here; stablemate of Sword Exceed.

Form: 21800-2

(5)

Esprit De Corps³²

Age: 5| Weight: 9-3| J: S W Kelly| T: T D Barron| OR: 73

11/2

Sole win came for Roger Charlton in early 2017 (Bath, 5½f); finished one place in front of today's rival Crosse Fire when beaten 5L by Space Bandit in a C&D apprentice handicap in January; broadly consistent since; each-way shout.

Form: 8-42420

(7)

Rock of Estonia²⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 8-13| J: Nicola Currie| T: C Hills| OR: 69

6/1

Untested beyond 6f; pacy individual who won his first two juvenile starts in early 2017 (5f, Windsor/Bath); back on the right track with a 4L second to Katheefa on Fibresand debut (6f) last month; stamina reservations.

Form: 780-572

Non-Runners

(6)

Mujassam¹

Weight: 9-3| Age: 7

T: D O'Meara J: D Nolan

Forecasts

Master Diver (3/1), Sword Exceed (9/2), Crosse Fire (5/1), Mujassam (5/1), Esprit De Corps (11/2), Rock of Estonia (6/1), Inexes (8/1), Furzig (12/1)

MASTER DIVER looked to be a fair prospect earlier in the calendar year when backing up a solid 6f Newcastle effort with a 7f win at Dundalk. He has struggled to make his mark in handicap company (possibly hasn't stayed 1m) but could be worth risking in the newly-applied headgear. Others worthy of consideration include the course specialist Crosse Fire (form franked by Saaheq) and the broadly consistent, albeit infrequent winner Esprit De Corps.