17:15 Plumpton

Sunday 22 September 2019

All14:1514:4515:1515:4516:1516:4517:15

Core Spreads Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 17:15 | Winning time: 3m 37.50s

Hermosa Vaquera^p³²⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 12-0| J: Joshua Moore| T: G & J Moore| OR: 101| CD

11/1

Game winner of this race last year (beat Gannicus by ¾L); now 4lb higher; took a heavy fall on her next start at Hereford a few weeks later and was possibly feeling the effects when disappointing on the AW thereafter; first start for 326 days.

Form: 22/321F-

Glendun¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: J M Quinlan| T: J M P Eustace| OR: 99

5/1

Yet to win over hurdles (0-6), but is getting steadily nearer to doing so; had the distinct misfortune to bump into the handicap 'good thing' Jaxlight at Southwell (1m7½f, good) 18 days ago; holds every chance off a 1lb higher mark.

Form: 73-5652

Outrath^b¹²

Age: 9| Weight: 11-9| J: J E Moore| T: J & S Best| OR: 96| D

9/1

Much improved in reapplied blinkers at Worcester (2m, good) just under a fortnight ago when a shock 33-1 short-head second (just pipped) to New Millennium; 1-24 career, so you wouldn't necessarily seek to set your clock by this 9yo gelding.

Form: 3/55402

Definite Winner^t⁷²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-8| J: Charlie Price⁽⁷⁾| T: Katy Price| OR: 95| D

14/1

Decisive good-ground Ffos Las winner (2m mares' Class 5 handicap) in May - probably didn't merit a 7lb rise in the weights; was headed and seemingly held when falling two out there in July; off since; stablemate of Princess Kodia.

Form: 138-15F

Light Of Air^b²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: N F Houlihan⁽⁷⁾| T: G & J Moore| OR: 92

14/1

Stablemate of Hermosa Vaquera; hasn't looked the part over hurdles so far (0-7), but has fallen 6lb in the weights since January (and has a 7lb claimer booked to ride); all-out nose winner of a Class 6 handicap at Brighton (1m2f) three weeks ago.

Form: 769/777-

Magen's Moon²⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Mr P York⁽⁵⁾| T: P York| OR: 91

28/1

Former Irish-racer (Emmet Mullins) fell at the third when literally smashed off the boards at Hexham (2m, good to soft) in June - was sent off 8/11f; sold for £9,500 in August; finished behind (sixth) Musical Stardust on debut for Phil York.

Form: 099-F96

Musical Stardust²⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: R Johnson| T: A M Hales| OR: 90

4/1

Notched a second Fontwell success (2m2f, good to firm) when driven right out to beat the recent Sedgefield second Never A Word by 1¼L; 5lb higher with the assistance of champion jockey Richard Johnson aboard; has previous with Yamuna River.

Form: 7-21351

Yamuna River^p⁷¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: Tom Cannon| T: C Gordon| OR: 89

16/1

20-race maiden (0-6 hurdles); doesn't find too much when push comes to shove; was beaten 2½L by today's rival Musical Stardust at Fontwell (2m2f, good) in June, and although weighted to reverse those placings, you certainly couldn't be confident.

Form: 6230-32

Stormy Blues^p,t²⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: David Noonan| T: N J Hawke| OR: 87

25/1

Has struggled since wind surgery in the spring, including when a remote eighth of 12 to Near Kettering at Sedgefield (2m1f, good) 24 days ago; sits 5lb lower here.

Form: 5P090-8

Andaleep²⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 10-10| J: Kielan Woods| T: D Killahena & G McPherson| OR: 101

4/1

Former Irish Flat maiden (Dermot Weld); hasn't shown a great deal of promise in four juvenile hurdle starts for Graeme McPherson - best effort a Market Rasen fourth to Maria Magdalena; tough task off a mark of 101 in an all age handicap.

Form: 8645

Timely Gift¹⁵¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-7| J: Alan Johns| T: Tim Vaughan| OR: 80| D

14/1

Game winner at Ffos Las (2m, soft) in November 2017; fell heavily (winded) on his belated return to action at Uttoxeter in February; is easing steadily in the weights, yet needs to rediscover a positive spark from somewhere; considered unlikely.

Form: 571P/F0-

Princess Kodia^h¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-5| J: Benjamin Poste| T: Katy Price| OR: 78

25/1

Modest on the Flat (59-rated) and never a factor in a trio of novice/maiden hurdles; 33-1, but was travelling okay when taking a crashing fall three out on handicap debut at Southwell 18 days ago; stablemate of Definite Winner.

Form: 787F

Gin And Tonic^b⁹⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 10-3| J: J J Burke| T: M Wigham| OR: 76| CD

6/1

3lb lower than when winning by a neck over C&D in May 2018 (good); often placed, including in that very same event this year (second); not jump well throughout when pulled up over fences at Southwell in June; off since; eye-catching jockey booking.

Form: 389-28P

Ron Waverly^t¹⁰⁵⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 10-1| J: M Goldstein| T: Miss M P Bryant| OR: 74

80/1

23-race maiden (0-6 over hurdles); dropped 8lb by the assessor after a frankly dismal effort here in October 2016; off the track for a whopping 1056 days since; holds no conceivable chance whatsoever.

Form: F73F79/

Forecasts

Musical Stardust (4/1), Andaleep (4/1), Glendun (5/1), Gin And Tonic (6/1), Outrath (9/1), Hermosa Vaquera (11/1), Light Of Air (14/1), Timely Gift (14/1), Definite Winner (14/1), Yamuna River (16/1), Princess Kodia (25/1), Stormy Blues (25/1), Magen's Moon (28/1), Ron Waverly (80/1)

An open finale which sees the return of the 2018 race winner Hermosa Vaquera. Various jockey bookings catch the eye, including Jonathan Burke (Gin And Tonic) and the champion jockey Richard Johnson taking over in the saddle aboard the dual Fontwell scorer Musical Stardust. However, we'll elect to nominate a couple against the field with GLENDUN narrowly preferred to the eased-in-the-weights recent Flat winner Light of Air (a stablemate of Hermosa Vaquera). The selection is getting steadily closer to shedding the maiden tag over hurdles (0-6) and had the distinct misfortune to bump into the proverbial handicap 'good thing' Jaxlight at Southwell.