15:45 Wincanton

Thursday 26 December 2019

All12:2012:5513:2514:0014:3515:1015:45

Jockey Club Catering Standard Open NH Flat Race

Off time: 15:47 | Winning time: 3m 51.0s

Confirmation Bias⁴⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-9| J: Bryan Carver⁽⁷⁾| T: P F Nicholls| CD

15/8

Made first repayment on €150,000 price tag when getting up in last stride to score on debut over C&D in early-November. Is bred to be useful and showed a good attitude to score so should put up a bold show under his penalty.

Form: 1

Adams Star³³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: Stan Sheppard⁽³⁾| T: David Dennis

28/1

15,000 euro Mahler gelding whose dam won an AW bumper and is related to some fair performers. Well beaten when distant fourth of seven in Huntingdon bumper on debut and likely to find this an even stiffer test.

Form: 4

Alkademon⁴⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Thomas Bellamy| T: Miss L Blackford

50/1

Yard won this race in 2013. Didn't show very much to write home about on debut over C&D in race won by Confirmation Bias, eventually finishing a well beaten 13th of 17. Expected to need more time.

Form: 0

Barbados Buck's⁶¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: Katie O'Farrell⁽⁵⁾| T: P F Nicholls

3/1

Stable companion of Confirmation Bias. Cost hefty 210,000 euros after finishing second in Irish point on debut in April then ran out of puff when seventh on heavy ground on Rules bow at Cheltenham in October having run well to 3f out.

Form: 27

Boulting For Glory^h1

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: Bryony Frost| T: N B King

5/1

Fame And Glory gelding whose dam is from a good jumping family. Cost 100,000 euros and makes racecourse bow here. Any market support would be worthy of note.

Form:

How's The Cricket¹⁹⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: R P McLernon| T: J Farrelly

33/1

27,000 euros Doyen gelding whose dam won over hurdles at 2m4f. Distant fifth of 6 on debut at Fontwell in June and will probably need more time before proving competitive.

Form: 5

Johnofgorcombe¹⁷⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: James Best| T: J D Frost

100/1

Pulled up all three points and beat only one home on Rules bow when 10th at Newton Abbot in July on debut for current yard. Impossible to fancy.

Form: P-PP0

No Strangers Here

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: M G Nolan| T: P Hobbs & J White

16/1

Cost 10,000 euros and is by Yeats out of a full-sister to the useful chaser Grey Gold. Yard landed this race in 2012 but haven't had a bumper winner so far this campaign. Any market move would be significant though.

Form:

One Handsome Dude^t²⁶⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: Lee Edwards| T: A WestWS

20/1

By Canford Cliffs out of a Barathea mare and is half-brother to decent Listed Flat performer Boomshackerlacker. Shaped well first two bumpers prior to poor run at Chepstow in April. Returns now following wind operation.

Form: 340-

Sakhee's Conquest²⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: Kevin Jones⁽³⁾| T: J W Mullins

66/1

Third in very modest five runner event over C&D on debut in October then ran a shocker in soft ground when beaten out of sight at Exeter last time. Others make more appeal.

Form: 30

Supamouse⁶³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: T J O'Brien| T: H Morrison

7/2

Shaped well and looked likely scorer at Southwell in October on racecourse bow only to be caught in the very last stride. Will have learned plenty, and while this looks tougher another bold show is very much on the cards.

Form: 2

White Walker⁴⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: Tristan Durrell⁽⁷⁾| T: D Skelton

20/1

Went into the notebook when finishing creditable sixth on C&D debut last month in race won by Confirmation Bias. Will know more now and represents a top yard, so every chance he will get much closer this time if handling ground.

Form: 6

Autumn Gold

Age: 6| Weight: 10-9| J: Ben Godfrey⁽⁷⁾| T: J Farrelly

50/1

Stable companion of How's The Cricket. By French sire Apple Tree out of mare who won a point. Handed stiff task on racecourse bow and likely to find a few of these a little hot to handle.

Form:

Bellevarde Express³⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-9| J: Kieron Edgar| T: J Scott

20/1

19,000 euros Shirocco filly whose dam won a bumper and is half-sister to Grade 1-winning chaser Snoopy Loopy. Faced very stiff task in Listed bumper on debut at Cheltenham last month but ran well for a long way. Not out of this on that evidence.

Form: 7

Non-Runners

Only Money²⁷²

Weight: 11-9| Age: 5

T: C Gordon J: Nick Scholfield

Hurricane Mitch

Weight: 11-2| Age: 4

T: H Fry J: S Bowen

Forecasts

Confirmation Bias (15/8), Barbados Buck's (3/1), Supamouse (7/2), Boulting For Glory (5/1), Only Money (7/1), Hurricane Mitch (8/1), No Strangers Here (16/1), White Walker (20/1), Bellevarde Express (20/1), One Handsome Dude (20/1), Adams Star (28/1), How's The Cricket (33/1), Alkademon (50/1), Autumn Gold (50/1), Sakhee's Conquest (66/1), Johnofgorcombe (100/1)

It's interesting that WHITE WALKER is asked to renew rivalry with Confirmation Bias who beat him over 12 lengths when the pair made their respective debuts here last month. On 7lb better terms the selection should get a lot closer. Confirmation Bias will not be easy to beat though having shown a fine attitude to get up in the last stride and should again run well despite his penalty. Bellevarde Express showed ability in a better race at Cheltenham on debut and is a danger, while Supamouse was only caught on the line when second at Southwell and has talent. Barbados Buck's, Boulting For Glory, and Hurricane Mitch are others to note too.