19:50 Haydock

Friday 9 August 2019

All17:0517:3518:1018:4519:2019:5020:25

Join Racing TV Now Handicap

Off time: 19:50 | Winning time: 3m 37.87s

(7)

Agrapart⁹¹

Age: 8| Weight: 9-10| J: Megan Nicholls⁽³⁾| T: Nick Williams| OR: 81| D

5/4

Made a winning return to the Flat when keeping on well to fend off Orin Swift by 1L at Ascot (2m, soft) in May; off since (91 days) but if the forecast heavy rain does arrive he'll enter the thinking off just 4lb higher.

Form: 9210/1

(9)

Nuits St Georges⁶¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: D Nolan| T: D Menuisier| OR: 78| C| D

7/4

Course winner (1m4f); arrives seeking the hat-trick following wins at Nottingham (1m6f) and Goodwood (2m), beat Orin Swift by 1L on the latter occasion; raised a mere 2lb and ought to be tough to beat if the forecast rain arrives.

Form: 615-911

(8)

Nafaayes^p²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 8-10| J: P Hanagan| T: Jean-Rene Auvray| OR: 67| D

12/1

Broke her maiden on turf when springing a 10-1 surprise in a Class 4 fillies' handicap at Chester (2m, good) latest; 5lb higher; form loosely boosted by the fourth-placed So Near So Farhh winning at Chepstow.

Form: 265231

(6)

Contrebasse²⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 8-9| J: Jason Hart| T: T D Easterby| OR: 66

15/2

Doesn't win all that often (1-14) and was somewhat of a nearly horse as a 3yo; is yet to compete beyond 1m6f, which was the trip when a close second to Follow Intello here (good to soft) three weeks ago; 2lb higher.

Form: 45-6922

(4)

Angel Gabrial^p¹³

Age: 10| Weight: 8-8| J: Barry McHugh| T: P Morris| OR: 65| D

8/1

2014 Northumberland Plate winner; snapped a barren spell when scoring at Ripon (2m, good to soft) in June; rock-sold since adding a further victory at Chester (2m, good to firm); a grand servant who deserves respect.

Form: 231213

(5)

Star Of Namibia⁵⁰⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 8-2| J: J P Sullivan| T: M Mullineaux| OR: 45

66/1

33-race maiden; hasn't competed on the Flat since November 2016, or anywhere at all since March 2018; holds no realistic chance from miles outside of the handicap; simply making up the numbers.

Form: 236860/

Non-Runners

(1)

Charlie D⁷

Weight: 9-9| Age: 4

T: Tom Dascombe J: R Kingscote

(3)

Trautmann⁴¹

Weight: 8-13| Age: 5

T: R Menzies J: T Eaves

(2)

Swordbill³⁴

Weight: 8-12| Age: 4

T: Ian Williams J: R Winston

Forecasts

Agrapart (5/4), Nuits St Georges (7/4), Charlie D (5/1), Contrebasse (15/2), Angel Gabrial (8/1), Nafaayes (12/1), Swordbill (12/1), Trautmann (14/1), Star Of Namibia (66/1)

Rain is integral to maximising the chances of a couple of these horses and should it arrive by the bucketload (entirely possible) expect the classy hurdler Agrapart and the hat-trick seeking NUITS ST GEORGES to be slugging out the finish. The selection continues on an upward curve and a mere 2lb rise for his most recent success (2m, Goodwood) appears lenient. Of the remainder, Contrebasse is worthy of consideration as he tackles this 2m trip for the very first time while the 2014 Northumberland Plate winner Angel Gabrial has somewhat rolled back the years in recent weeks.