15:30 Bangor-on-Dee

Friday 30 August 2019

All13:5014:2014:5515:3016:0516:40

Genesis Wealth Management Handicap Chase

Off time: 15:30 | Winning time: 5m 0.40s

First Figaro⁸⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 12-0| J: Charlie Deutsch| T: Miss V Williams| OR: 112

11/2

Made an okay start to life over fences when third on chase debut at Ffos Las (2m5f; good). That form would be enough to see him feature in this contest and he should be thereabouts.

Form: 0504-63

Play The Ace^b,t⁴⁷

Age: 10| Weight: 12-0| J: James Bowen| T: P & M Bowen| OR: 112| D

15/2

Has found Class 2/Class 3 company too hot to handle the last twice, and despite making the frame in this grade before that, he was well held on each occasion. Likely to be thereabouts but needs more to be a serious threat.

Form: 4-P3234

Bletchley Castle^t¹³

Age: 10| Weight: 11-12| J: Bryan Carver⁽⁷⁾| T: D Loughnane| OR: 110

9/2

Excuses the last twice and would hold strong claims if back to the form he showed at Southwell/Ffos Las in June/July. Still fairly lightly raced for a 10-year old and is not one to completely write off as of yet.

Form: 3712P7

Prettylittlething^p³⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 11-7| J: Millie Wonnacott⁽⁷⁾| T: N P Mulholland| OR: 105

8/1

Major player after returning to the track from layoff in sensational form. Overturned the in-form Midnight Folie (1/4f) at Ffos Las (2m5f; good), and then lacked speed over shorter at Perth (2m; good) last time when narrowly in front of Zolfo.

Form: 5885/12

Zolfo^p³⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: B S Hughes| T: J Candlish| OR: 104| CD

11/2

In good form this summer, and won over this C&D last year so is of interest. Jockey booking also a plus. Does need to show some improvement from his latest effort when third at Perth (2m; good).

Form: 4-31F43

Cillian's Well^b1,t¹⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 11-6| J: R Johnson| T: J L Flint| OR: 104| D

16/1

Not shown anything like the form he did when successful at Worcester (2m4f; good to soft) five starts ago. Tailed off in this grade at that same track when last seen and can't be fancied in current mood.

Form: 6-13UP8

Sigurd⁶³

Age: 7| Weight: 10-11| J: Henry Brooke| T: Miss J E Foster| OR: 95

10/1

Pulled-up over hurdles at Cartmel (2m6f; good) in June when well-beaten. Poor effort at this track the time before that also. Handicapper is relenting, and it wasn't that long ago he was in consistent form. Fell when last seen over fences.

Form: 235-46P

Vif Argent^t⁹

Age: 10| Weight: 10-0| J: Lee Edwards| T: Dave Roberts| OR: 84| D

5/2

Posted a promising seasonal return to action when third at Worcester (2m7f; good) over the smaller obstacles. Could make the frame if able to build on that. Fair effort over this C&D when third in October, but strike-rate is off-putting.

Form: 43033-3

Forecasts

Vif Argent (5/2), Bletchley Castle (9/2), Zolfo (11/2), First Figaro (11/2), Play The Ace (15/2), Prettylittlething (8/1), Sigurd (10/1), Cillian's Well (16/1)

After making a decent chasing debut back in June, First Figaro is likely to feature if able to reproduce that level of form, though he is vulnerable for win purposes. Bletchley Castle should be forgiven his latest effort when trying to make all over hurdles at Market Rasen, and he was flying too high at Galway when pulled-up. This looks set to be fought out between PRETTYLITTLETHING & Zolfo who were hard to split when they met at Perth last month. The former is preferred though despite being worse off with the latter, as he has returned to the track in great form and is likely to be better suited by the return to 2m4f than the latter.