17:50 Uttoxeter

Saturday 18 May 2019

All17:5018:2018:5019:2019:5020:2020:50

Optimum Pay Group Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 17:53 | Winning time: 4m 54.95s

Honourmission⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Jonjo O'Neill Jr.| T: H Whittington| OR: 100

6/1

Needs to behave better than he did last time at the start (whipped round, unseated rider) on his second try a handicap. Had suggested in his novice runs that he would do better in this sphere but antics last time sound a note of caution.

Form: 4790-U

Dovils Date^t⁴⁹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-11| J: Charlie Price⁽⁸⁾| T: Tim Vaughan| OR: 99| CD

11/4

C&D winner (that was his last win over hurdles; has won on the Flat since) who has been showing signs that he can be competitive off a much reduced mark in this discipline. Dropped back in trip here (will suit) and lurks on a fairly dangerous mark.

Form: 40/4436-

D'pinesflyer^b¹⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: Tom Buckley⁽⁵⁾| T: J Farrelly| OR: 96

20/1

Only a modest maiden hurdler who it is hard to make much of a case for based on recent evidence (pulled-up three out of four runs for this yard). Dropped away very quickly last time over 3m here; looks to have problems and best watched.

Form: 49P/7P-P

Shaji³⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Callum McKinnes⁽⁷⁾| T: D G Bridgwater| OR: 100

20/1

0-8 on the Flat he has offered something in his three hurdles starts so far that would make him of interest in handicaps over hurdles. Hasn't been in much form on the AW of late though; would need some positive market vibes to be of interest.

Form: 967-

Rockliffe^p²⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Billy Garritty⁽⁶⁾| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 92

10/3

Smooth winner of an amateur riders' handicap at Catterick in December (2m3f, soft) off a 3lb lower mark; faced some stiffer tasks since. If anything this looks a slightly easier test under a very competent conditional; won't be far away on best form.

Form: 461533-

Doctor Jazz^p1²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-4| J: Danny McMenamin⁽³⁾| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 97WS

14/1

Fair sort on the Flat when with Richard Hannon it's taken him time to find his feet over hurdles; finally showed a little more last time at Market Rasen (2m). Now makes his handicap debut up in trip; had wind surgery, cheekpieces now on first-time.

Form: 5895-

This Lovely Lady²⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: R Patrick| T: Tim Vaughan| OR: 87

25/1

Scroll back to her bumper runs and there was some promise in those when with Olly Murphy but that's not been replicated in her hurdles form for this yard. Recent wind surgery doesn't appear to have worked the oracle; little recent form.

Form: 658P9P-

Eddy^t¹¹

Age: 10| Weight: 10-13| J: Sean Houlihan| T: Mrs S Gardner| OR: 87| CD

8/1

Hardly a winning machine but two of his three runs have come here (one over this trip) and on the positive side he has slipped to a very attractive mark. Negatively he ran no sort of race last time at Exeter (pulled-up); remains a risky proposition.

Form: P4506-P

Druid's Folly¹²

Age: 9| Weight: 10-11| J: Fergus Gregory| T: C Fryer| OR: 85

12/1

Last win came back at the end of 2016 and although there was a flicker of his old form on his penultimate run that promise was quickly extinguished last time. Given his overall record even in a modest race like this he makes limited appeal.

Form: 860P5-7

Top Of The Rocks^v²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-2| J: C Brace| T: Mrs K Stephens| OR: 76

5/1

Had returned from 17 months off to run a couple of mildly promising races over 2m although the fact remained his hurdles record read 0-13. Failed to show much enthusiasm last time; difficult to make a sound case for him.

Form: 88/0526-

Grand Coureur^b1³⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 10-0| J: Mr Jason Dixon⁽³⁾| T: B Leavy| OR: 74

33/1

Disappointing sort when with Nick Williams and hasn't shown much for his present connections and still to win a race (0-17). Supported over fences last time but continues to show little; others present more solid credentials.

Form: PP/P604-

Forecasts

Dovils Date (11/4), Rockliffe (10/3), Top Of The Rocks (5/1), Honourmission (6/1), Eddy (8/1), Druid's Folly (12/1), Doctor Jazz (14/1), D'pinesflyer (20/1), Shaji (20/1), This Lovely Lady (25/1), Grand Coureur (33/1)

The fact that a top conditional (Jonjo O’Neill Jnr) is booked for Honourmission suggests that a positive run is expected and if the lid can be kept on his antics at the start his mark is one that should see him competitive. Rockcliffe is capable in this sort of company and this looks an easier test that he’s faced of late with Doctor Jazz one to keep an eye on in the market on his handicap debut up in trip. DOVILS DATE hasn’t been successful in this sphere for a long while but now down to a mark and trip that he should suit on both counts makes him the suggestion.