18:00 Epsom Downs

Thursday 18 July 2019

All18:0018:3519:1019:4020:1520:45

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Off time: 18:02 | Winning time: 1m 47.76s

(5)

Ascot Week^v¹⁰^{(ex 5)}

Age: 5| Weight: 10-2| J: Cieren Fallon⁽³⁾| T: J & S Quinn| OR: 67

4/1

Notched a fourth career win when edging out Kannapolis by ¾L at Ripon (1m, good to firm) last week; carries a 5lb penalty for that success with the very capable Cieren Fallon taking off the bulk of that extra weight; an obvious contender.

Form: 6-44021

(1)

Gainsay⁹²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-12| J: Tyler Saunders⁽⁵⁾| T: J G Portman| OR: 68

7/1

A filly with a decent overall strike-rate (4-16); was beaten by a head on her sole previous visit to Epsom (7f, good to soft) last August; off the track since disappointing at Beverley (1m½f) in April.

Form: 728-130

(2)

Settle Petal²¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 9-11| J: Ella Boardman⁽⁷⁾| T: P Phelan| OR: 67| BF

25/1

Remains a maiden on turf (0-7), racing keenly and struggling late on as a result on her two previous visits to this track; absent since competing over 1m2f (third) at Lingfield in December 2018.

Form: 935413-

(7)

Narjes^h¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 9-11| J: Rhiain Ingram⁽³⁾| T: Mrs L J Mongan| OR: 67

16/1

The handicapper has shown some grace following a modest effort over 1m2f here a fortnight ago; she's now rated 1lb lower than when beating Stormy Blues by a neck at Lingfield (1m2f, std/slow) in January.

Form: 328546

(8)

Gerry The Glover^h¹³

Age: 7| Weight: 9-6| J: Georgia Dobie⁽⁵⁾| T: L Carter| OR: 62

9/1

Twice placed over C&D in 2018, including when beaten 2½L by Allegiant; generally below that level of form since but has become well handicapped as a result; stayed on from a hopeless position to make the frame at Sandown latest; a tricky customer.

Form: 7279-83

(9)

The Lords Walk^v1¹⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 9-4| J: Thore Hammer-Hansen⁽³⁾| T: W G M Turner| OR: 60

7/2

Runner-up from a 4lb higher mark here (1m2f) last August when in the care of Mark Gillard; has seemingly been handicapped out of things since being awarded a race by the stewards at Leicester (1m2f) in April; visor now applied.

Form: 714776

(4)

Lunar Deity¹³

Age: 10| Weight: 9-4| J: Marco Ghiani⁽⁷⁾| T: S C Williams| OR: 60| CD

8/1

Veteran and previous course/C&D winner (way back when); handily weighted on turf compared to the AW; beaten just ½L by Club Tropicana at Yarmouth (1m2f) in May; tends to go well for the 7lb claimer Marco Ghiani.

Form: 714627

(6)

Duke Of North³⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 9-3| J: Isobel Francis⁽⁷⁾| T: J R Boyle| OR: 59| CD

10/1

Locally trained dual C&D winner (took this race by 4½L from the re-opposing Gerry The Glover in 2018); out of form lately but now competes from a joint-career low mark of 59; stablemate of Amaretto; couldn't be dismissed.

Form: 0-77388

(3)

Amaretto^v³⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 9-2| J: Paddy Bradley| T: J R Boyle| OR: 58

7/2

Lightly raced for his age (1-9); has built upon a Lingfield AW win (1m2f) with a couple of placed efforts since; although beaten 11L latest the soft ground was a contributory factor; clearly has the pace to cope with a drop in trip.

Form: 66-1022

Forecasts

The Lords Walk (7/2), Amaretto (7/2), Ascot Week (4/1), Gainsay (7/1), Lunar Deity (8/1), Gerry The Glover (9/1), Duke Of North (10/1), Narjes (16/1), Settle Petal (25/1)

Duke Of North and Gerry The Glover filled the first two places in this contest in 2018 but will be doing very well to repeat that scenario this time around with the pacy Amaretto appearing the most likely of the Jim Boyle representatives. The suggested advice is to follow the form horse and that's clearly the likeable ASCOT WEEK who makes the journey south from John Quinn's Malton base. He carries a 5lb penalty for last week's Ripon win but the vast majority of that is negated by the very capable claimer Cieren Fallon. Placed in suitable races he could be just the type to run up a small sequence of wins.