18:45 Wolverhampton

Tuesday 10 December 2019

All15:4516:1516:4517:1517:4518:1518:4519:15

Betway Apprentice Handicap

Off time: 18:46 | Winning time: 3m 44.16s

(6)

Battle Of Marathon⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 10-5| J: Grace McEntee⁽⁷⁾| T: J Ryan| OR: 77| C

4/1

Runner up to Rajinsky over 1m6f here last week; that was a return to the sort of form which he was operating at towards the end of the turf season; competes from the same mark tonight.

Form: 391092

(2)

Rubenesque^t⁵⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 10-5| J: Toby Eley⁽⁵⁾| T: T Davidson| OR: 77| D

12/1

Won back-to-back races during September and October (Pontefract and Newcastle), proving herself to be a solid stayer in the process; 3lb above her last winning mark.

Form: 3-11183

(5)

Wemyss Point^p²⁴¹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-0| J: Nick Barratt-Atkin⁽⁷⁾| T: P A Kirby| OR: 72WS

20/1

Off the track since competing over hurdles at Ayr (2m5½f, good) in April; mildly interesting to see if wind surgery has had a positive effect; that said, others are more appealing for punting purposes.

Form: 98/318-

(7)

Persian Sun^p1²⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-0| J: Mark Crehan⁽⁵⁾| T: S C Williams| OR: 72

8/1

Lightly raced for his age (just eight career starts); now 10lb lower than when he started off life in handicaps in April; cheekpieces are applied on first start over 2m; clearly must prove that he has the necessary stamina reserves.

Form: 51-5484

(3)

Grey Mist^h²¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 9-12| J: Sean Davis| T: Karen McLintock| OR: 70| CD

11/2

Unbeaten in five starts for the Ingoe-based handler Karen McLintock (including 3-3 over 2m on Tapeta); returns to action from a mark which is 8lb higher than when beating Coorg over C&D in April.

Form: 77/1-111

(9)

Noble Behest^p¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-11| J: Angus Villiers⁽⁵⁾| T: Ian Williams| OR: 69| CD

9/4

Strongest over 2m; back to winning ways when beating the evens-favourite Noble Behest in a Class 6 handicap at Chelmsford 19 days ago; his trainer cannily negates the 4lb rise by utilising the talented 5lb claimer Angus Villiers.

Form: 460821

(8)

In Demand¹⁸²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: Thomas Greatrex| T: H & R Charlton| OR: 65

7/2

Cost 110,000gns in October 2017, but was without a win in six starts for Charlie Fellowes; fourth of 15 in a competitive race for the grade at Carlisle (2m1f) in June; dam won over 1m5f on the AW; one to note on debut for Roger Charlton.

Form: 78666-4

(4)

Solstalla¹⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 9-7| J: Seamus Cronin⁽³⁾| T: D Weston| OR: 65| D

66/1

In action over hurdles at the likes of Stratford, Taunton and Huntingdon in recent weeks and month; hasn't raced on the Flat since 2015 (1520 days ago).

Form: 455137/

(1)

Doctor Jazz^t,v1¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 8-11| J: Theodore Ladd| T: M Appleby| OR: 55

66/1

No win since his days with Richard Hannon (August 2018) and one can't help but question whether or not he is a bonafide stayer over 2m; switches back from Fibresand off an easing mark in a newly applied visor.

Form: 997937

Forecasts

Noble Behest (9/4), In Demand (7/2), Battle Of Marathon (4/1), Grey Mist (11/2), Persian Sun (8/1), Rubenesque (12/1), Wemyss Point (20/1), Doctor Jazz (66/1), Solstalla (66/1)

A fairly obvious case can be made for the returning Grey Mist who is 5-5 for Karen McLintock (3-3 over 2m on Tapeta), while the top-weight Battle of Marathon and the well-placed Noble Behest must also enter calculations. However, in pursuit of some each-way value a few shekels are thrown in the direction of the now Roger Charlton-trained IN DEMAND. Without a win in six starts for Charlie Fellowes, this four-year-old Dalakhani gelding was last seen finishing fourth to a trio of subsequent winners (Mr Smith, Le Musee and Tawseef) over an extended 2m1f at Carlisle in June.