16:00 Newmarket

Friday 1 November 2019

All12:0012:3013:0513:4014:1514:5015:2516:00

Chief Sean Brice 30 Year Retirement Handicap

Off time: 16:06 | Winning time: 1m 41.41s

(9)

Waarif¹³

Age: 6| Weight: 9-9| J: Tom Marquand| T: D O'Meara| OR: 97| D

14/1

Three-time winner on turf this season and not discredited when fifth of 20 to Escobar in Balmoral Handicap at Ascot last time. Does look high enough in the weights against some progressive rival, however.

Form: 084155

(2)

Battered²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 9-7| J: S De Sousa| T: R M Beckett| OR: 95

14/1

Smart sort in the past when with William Haggas, and seemed to be finding his feet for current yard until running badly in the Challenge Cup at Ascot last time. Needs to bounce back.

Form: 2/45540

(1)

Humbert^p²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-6| J: A Kirby| T: D O'Meara| OR: 94| D

20/1

Smart handicapper for Hugo Palmer in 2018, but made a discouraging start for his current yard. Better signs when eighth of 15 to Crownthorpe at York last time, but plenty more needed.

Form: 170-0P8

(4)

Hortzadar²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-5| J: D Nolan| T: D O'Meara| OR: 93| D

11/1

Has won three turf handicaps this year, and didn't shape too badly when seventh of 15 to Crownthorpe at York last time, but the feeling is that the handicapper may be in charge for the present.

Form: 753107

(7)

Gossiping²³

Age: 7| Weight: 9-5| J: H Crouch| T: G & J Moore| OR: 93| D

33/1

Completed a hat-trick at Epsom in May, but he's been running just respectably since, and remains 6lb higher than his last winning mark.

Form: 170804

(13)

Sawwaah^b²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-3| J: Jim Crowley| T: Owen Burrows| OR: 91| CD

11/2

Benefited from return to soft ground and racing on his own when back to winning ways in a minor event at Ascot last time. This is stronger, and he needs more, but is drawn for a solo again if connections choose,

Form: 13-3091

(6)

Ebury⁵⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: Jason Watson| T: M Meade| OR: 93| D

7/1

Won on AW debut, beating Majestic Dawn, and showed he could go well fresh when winning a minor event at Ascot last time on his first run since April. Will be competitive if building on that.

Form: 1201

(10)

Ouzo¹²⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-1| J: P J McDonald| T: R Hannon| OR: 91| D

5/1

Completed a hat-trick of wins at 7f/1m when winning on the Rowley Mile here in June, but absent since. Latest form hasn't worked out to well, but he's a big scopey sort who could easily improve further.

Form: 55-2111

(8)

Hafeet Alain²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: Barry McHugh| T: Adrian Nicholls| OR: 90

15/2

Had looked consistent rather than progressive until winning a 19-runner handicap at York last time from Flying Pursuit, having been gelded. Steps up in class here, so more needed, but folly to ignore.

Form: 5-32251

(12)

Severnaya⁵⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 8-12| J: N Mackay| T: J & T Gosden| OR: 88| D

9/2

Improved on a winning AW debut when scoring at Chepstow (7f, good/soft) in September by 4½ lengths from Snow Ocean, leading on bridle before drawing clear. Totally unexposed, and could make a mockery of her opening mark.

Form: 11

(3)

Alfred Boucher⁴⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-12| J: David Probert| T: H Candy| OR: 88| D

11/1

Completed a hat-trick of handicap wins at Salisbury in August, but seemed to have no excuses when a respectable fourth at Sandown last time, and assessor seems in charge, finally.

Form: 361114

(5)

Target Zone²⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 8-11| J: Hayley Turner| T: D R C Elsworth| OR: 87| D

12/1

Maiden winner at Kempton in the spring, but just respectable efforts since switched to the turf, and looks a little bit out of his comfort zone in this class.

Form: 135446

Non-Runners

(11)

Riviera Nights³⁴

Weight: 9-3| Age: 3

T: R Hannon J: Rossa Ryan

Forecasts

Severnaya (9/2), Ouzo (5/1), Sawwaah (11/2), Ebury (7/1), Hafeet Alain (15/2), Riviera Nights (10/1), Hortzadar (11/1), Alfred Boucher (11/1), Target Zone (12/1), Waarif (14/1), Battered (14/1), Humbert (20/1), Gossiping (33/1)

A few of these remain of interest, but the handicapper has no easy task assessing the unbeaten SEVERNAYA, and she could be much better than her opening mark of 88. Ouzo has been off since June, but was progressing well at the time, and has the physical scope to do better yet, so is hard to ignore. Sawwaah raced on his own when winning last time, and is again drawn on the wing, so it's possible he will plough a lone furrow again.