18:35 Doncaster

Saturday 18 May 2019

All17:3018:0018:3519:0519:3520:0520:35

Alan Wood 70th Birthday Celebration Handicap (Rnd)

Off time: 18:35 | Winning time: 1m 37.24s

(5)

Massam²⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 9-7| J: J Fanning| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 93| D

7/1

Prominent racer; twice a winner over this trip (1m); has often came up short in Listed/Group races, so should appreciate dropping back into a handicap; boiled over pre-race at Epsom (1m2f) on seasonal reappearance.

Form: 21172-6

(1)

Dirty Rascal⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 9-4| J: Luke Catton⁽⁷⁾| T: R Hannon| OR: 90

8/1

Quickened clear of Lihou when a ready 2¼L winner of a 7f nursery at Newbury (good to soft) in September 2018; more modest since, including in two starts this season; handicapper loosening his grip fractionally.

Form: 1215-65

(7)

Gallic³¹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-13| J: L P Keniry| T: E Walker| OR: 85| D

5/1

Newcastle nursery winner (1m); finished 1¾L third to the subsequent winners Aweedram (Ascot) and Archaeology (Doncaster) on seasonal reappearance at Newmarket's Craven meeting (1m); rates as the one to beat assuming that the rain stays away.

Form: 24341-3

(4)

Hesslewood^h1³⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 8-12| J: J P Spencer| T: J D Bethell| OR: 84| BF| D

7/2

Has an excellent record fresh (2-2); beat Alkaamel by a neck at Newcastle (1m) in April -form has a solid feel; 2lb higher and placed at Ripon since (1m, good); wouldn't have too much further improvement to find in a newly-applied hood.

Form: 2506-13

(6)

Brian Epstein¹⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 8-10| J: Hollie Doyle| T: R Hannon| OR: 82| D

7/4

1m Kempton novice winner (October 2018); finished a couple of places behind Gallic (fifth) at Newmarket last month and also has previous with Alkaamel, who has related form with tonight's rival Hesslewood.

Form: 541-54

(3)

Artistic Rifles¹¹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-5| J: L Morris| T: C Hills| OR: 77| BF

11/2

5lb higher than when winning a Catterick nursery (7f, good) in October 2018; very much on the premises when beaten 1L by Mr Diamond on seasonal reappearance at Wetherby (7f, good to soft) eleven days ago.

Form: 49951-3

Non-Runners

(2)

On The Line²⁸

Weight: 9-1| Age: 3

T: H Palmer J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Brian Epstein (7/4), Hesslewood (7/2), Gallic (5/1), Artistic Rifles (11/2), On The Line (11/2), Massam (7/1), Dirty Rascal (8/1)

The Newcastle nursery scorer GALLIC finished a couple of places (& 1½L) in front of the re-opposing Brian Epstein when chasing home a couple of subsequent winners on her seasonal reappearance at Newmarket's Craven meeting. Assuming that the rain stays away she holds realistic prospects of making her presence felt against the six colts and geldings in tonight's line-up. Of the remainder, it's probably a wise move to monitor the pre-race antics of the likely pace-setter Massam if seeking to row in with the Mark Johnston-trained runner.