19:30 Chelmsford City

Thursday 3 October 2019

All17:3018:0018:3019:0019:3020:0020:30

Bet totetrifecta At totesport.com Handicap

Off time: 19:32 | Winning time: 1m 37.86s

(9)

Felix The Poet^b²⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 9-8| J: Hollie Doyle| T: A Watson| OR: 87

9/1

4lb above his last winning mark (1m+ Wolverhampton, November 2018); is eased noticeably in grade after finishing down the field in a Class 2 handicap at Kempton (1m) last month.

Form: 452749

(3)

Michele Strogoff⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 9-7| J: Theodore Ladd⁽⁵⁾| T: M Appleby| OR: 83| D

7/2

Consistent front-runner; runner-up on his last three starts (here 7f-1m2f); is due a further 3lb rise for finishing a neck second to Alfarqad last week (form franked the following day by Alemaratalyoum); enters the equation.

Form: 635222

(8)

Commander Han^p²²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-4| J: D C Costello| T: J A Osborne| OR: 80| BF| C

20/1

Boasts some reasonable form figures at this track (12326; over 7f-1m); possibly isn't the force of old, although is competitively handicapped as a result; third of five (11/10f) on stable debut at Laytown (7f) last month.

Form: 076083

(6)

Buckingham²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-4| J: Charles Bishop| T: Eve Johnson Houghton| OR: 83| C

14/1

Had dropped back to his last winning mark at Epsom (7f, good) three weeks ago, and almost exploited that fact when a keeping on neck second to Casement; 3-9 on the AW (course winner); shortlist material off a 2lb higher mark.

Form: 826552

(1)

Strict Tempo¹⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-4| J: Oisin Murphy| T: A M Balding| OR: 83| BF

11/2

Consistent of late, but equally is finding nailing down a winning opportunity challenging; beaten in excess of 3L when third of six (5-2f) to Sash at Bath (1m, firm) 19 days ago; runner-up on AW debut (Kempton) on her penultimate start.

Form: 572223

(7)

Alrajaa³¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: Jim Crowley| T: J & T Gosden| OR: 82

7/4

Turned over at odds of 8-15f on return from an 11-month absence at Salisbury (7f, good to soft) in August - beaten ¾L by the re-opposing Aluqair; broke the maiden in a low-key novice at Chepstow (2-13f) subsequently; chance on handicap/AW debut.

Form: 452-21

(5)

Aluqair¹²

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: P Cosgrave| T: S & E Crisford| OR: 82| BF

8/1

Beat today's rival Alrajaa by ¾L at Salisbury (7f, novice) three starts back - possibly will be hard pushed to confirm those placings; runner-up off this mark on his second handicap start at Newmarket (7f, good to firm) 12 days ago.

Form: 232162

(4)

Hold Still¹⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-13| J: Nicola Currie| T: W R Muir| OR: 78

14/1

Rather underwhelming since finishing 1L second to I'lletyougonow at Windsor (1m, good to firm) in August; returns to the AW for the first time since winning a 7f Kempton nursery last November.

Form: 243206

(2)

Balladeer³⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-11| J: Hayley Turner| T: M L W Bell| OR: 76| CD

20/1

Dual course winner (7f-1m), including when beating Whenapoet by 1L under Hayley Turner in April; below-par since a pleasing 'Silk Series' second at York (1m1f) in July; needs to bounce back to form in order to play a prominent role.

Form: 307285

Forecasts

Alrajaa (7/4), Michele Strogoff (7/2), Strict Tempo (11/2), Aluqair (8/1), Felix The Poet (9/1), Hold Still (14/1), Buckingham (14/1), Balladeer (20/1), Commander Han (20/1)

Old foes Aluqair and Alrajaa are unexposed in handicaps, with the latter fully expected to gain his revenge (now fully race-fit) for defeat at Salisbury in August. Of the others, the consistent front-running Michele Strogoff seeks a deserved success before a future handicap rise (3lb) kicks-in, while the top-weight Felix The Poet drops back from competing in Class 2 and 3 handicaps. However, the preferred option is the Eve Johnson Houghton-trained course winner BUCKINGHAM. He served notice that his turn is nigh with a staying on second on the downs at Epsom (7f) three weeks ago.