16:50 Kempton

Monday 13 May 2019

All14:1014:4015:1515:4516:2016:50

Matchbook VIP Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 16:50 | Winning time: 3m 40.5s

Fairway Freddy³¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: L P Aspell| T: N J Gifford| OR: 120| CD

9/2

Swiftly backed up a fast-ground Wincanton win (1m7½f) when justifying favouritism over C&D in November; below-par at Market Rasen thereafter, but more like it in a competitive Class 3 handicap at Ayr latest (third to Theatre Legend); chance.

Form: 9/51193-

Haafapiece¹³⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: Kielan Woods| T: Mrs P Sly| OR: 118| CD

4/1

8lb higher than when winning at Worcester (2m, good) in July 2018; wasn't quite seeing out his races when last in competitive action (not running badly by any means); a shade more is required off a 136-day absence.

Form: 313F44-

Blushing Red¹⁵⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Adam Wedge| T: Miss E C Lavelle| OR: 116| CD

5/1

Hopefully for his connections returns fresh from a 155-day absence following a tame effort at Huntingdon in December; 4lb higher than when making all to beat Rocket Ronnie by 1¼L over C&D immediately prior.

Form: 293119-

Red Hanrahan⁶³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-7| J: J E Moore| T: Emma Owen| OR: 115

80/1

Form has tailed off significantly since leaving the care of Paul Nicholls; no signs of wind surgery having the desired effect just yet; handicap mark in free-fall.

Form: 2/PF27P-

Tidal Watch¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Jonjo O'Neill Jr.⁽³⁾| T: J & A O'Neill| OR: 115| CD

7/4

Back to winning ways when smoothly taking a CJ's handicap over C&D (2m, good to firm) 18-days ago; relishes these conditions and a subsequent 3lb rise looks to be fairly lenient; was beaten 7+L by today's rival Blushing Red over C&D (Nov 2018).

Form: 111441-

Cabernet D'Alene¹⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Mitchell Bastyan⁽⁵⁾| T: D C O'Brien| OR: 112| D

66/1

Four-time winner for Nick Williams (2m-2m2½f); poor form since joining this trainer for £5,000 in December 2018; masses to find with Tidal Watch based upon recent C&D evidence.

Form: 1P/8U65-

Ravenous²¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-2| J: S Bowen| T: L A Dace| OR: 110| BF

11/2

Remains a maiden over hurdles (0-10) but has knocked at the door either side of being outclassed in a 1m6f Listed Flat contest at Nottingham; 3lb higher than when beaten less than 1L by Sid Hoodie at Fakenham (2m, good to firm).

Form: P64/723-

King Muro^h,t⁴⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 10-13| J: J McGrath| T: M Roberts| OR: 107| D

20/1

Versatile in terms of underfoot conditions as shown when beating Bolister by 2½L at Plumpton (2m, soft) on his penultimate start; not so strong off this mark at Fontwell next time; likely to find others with more speed at 2m on a sound surface.

Form: 344216-

Forecasts

Tidal Watch (7/4), Haafapiece (4/1), Fairway Freddy (9/2), Blushing Red (5/1), Ravenous (11/2), King Muro (20/1), Cabernet D'Alene (66/1), Red Hanrahan (80/1)

TIDAL WATCH won three races on a sound surface last summer, and despite being much higher in the weights nowadays returned to winning ways in a conditional jockeys' event over C&D 18-days ago. A 3lb rise for that smooth win looks to be fairly lenient on balance, and as a result there's probably no obvious reason as to why the Jonjo O'Neill-trained 5yo shouldn't follow up. His chief rival is the top-weight Fairway Freddy who more than held his own in a stronger race at Ayr recently, and also has his favoured racing conditions.