18:45 Wolverhampton

Monday 6 January 2020

All16:1516:4517:1517:4518:1518:4519:1519:45

Ladbrokes Where The Nation Plays Handicap

Off time: 18:45 | Winning time: 2m 0.17s

(1)

Grey Eminence⁴⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-9| J: Hollie Doyle| T: J G Given| OR: 67

10/1

Makes his handicap debut having run three times as a 2yo although his form so far is only modest. Failed to progress when switched Fibresand last time; now tries Tapeta for the first time; steps up in trip but hasn't done enough to support as yet.

Form: 740-

(6)

Copperlight^p²⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 9-7| J: A Mullen| T: B Haslam| OR: 65

5/1

Winner of a Newcastle nursery on his debut in handicap company over 1m looking transformed for a switch to handicaps and first-time cheekpieces. Not disgraced on his on start since running into a progressive sort here over slightly shorter.

Form: 96012-

(3)

Utopian Lad⁴⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-7| J: Thomas Greatrex⁽³⁾| T: D Loughnane| OR: 65

15/2

Has finished second in a nursery (1m) and looked to have entered handicaps on a handy mark judged on that run. Failed to follow up over 7f at Kempton (reported to have suffered a breathing problem); now with a new yard, could bounce back.

Form: 55620-

(8)

Sparkling Or Still²⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: S W Kelly| T: D R Lanigan| OR: 63

5/1

Progressing with each run as a 2yo she produced her best effort when last seen over 1m at Chelmsford in December. Looks the sort to progress in handicaps and this longer trip could well suit her even better; one for the shortlist.

Form: 094-

(10)

Bee Able^v1³⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 9-4| J: R Kingscote| T: R M Beckett| OR: 62

3/1

Caught the eye on a couple of occasions as a 2yo particularly on her handicap debut over 1m at Kempton. Still looked far from the finished article on that occasion (got the hang of things late on); visor on first-time, more to come.

Form: 0794-

(9)

Ampney Red⁴²

Age: 3| Weight: 9-4| J: David Probert| T: H Morrison| OR: 62

15/2

Steps up in trip for her handicap debut although she did make her 2yo debut over 1m in testing conditions. Hasn't quite lived up to her debut promise but there's more to come in handicaps given her connections, one to note in the market.

Form: 506-

(7)

Brown Eyes Blue^p²⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 8-9| J: Laura Coughlan⁽⁷⁾| T: J S Moore| OR: 53

22/1

Hard to say that she was a progressive sort as a 2yo having been beaten in a seller and a claimer. Didn't make any real progress for the move into handicaps although she produced a career-best to finish third here last time; more needed.

Form: 950793-

(5)

Halfacrown²⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 8-6| J: Nicola Currie| T: J A Osborne| OR: 50

11/2

Had lots of chances to break his maiden as a 2yo but failed on all nine occasions. Stays this trip and appears to be finding some form even if it is only of the modest variety; looks exposed and vulnerable to the progressive sorts in this.

Form: 573623-

(4)

Xquisite^p1²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-2| J: L Morris| T: J S Moore| OR: 46

40/1

Cheekpieces on for the first-time making her handicap debut having been beaten in claimer here last time over a slightly shorter trip. Merely closed up late last time and considering she's already been beaten in a seller ought to struggle here.

Form: 0936-

Non-Runners

(2)

Arabescato²⁷

Weight: 8-10| Age: 3

T: N P Littmoden J: Callum Shepherd

Forecasts

Bee Able (3/1), Copperlight (5/1), Sparkling Or Still (5/1), Halfacrown (11/2), Utopian Lad (15/2), Ampney Red (15/2), Grey Eminence (10/1), Arabescato (16/1), Brown Eyes Blue (22/1), Xquisite (40/1)

As usual with 3yo handicaps we are faced with a rather mixed bag of performers with quite a few that are expected to do better in this sphere. Two fillies BEE ABLE and Sparkling Or Still take the eye here with the edge just given to the former who may well improve for the first-time visor having still looked a little inexperienced last time. The latter of that duo is of equal interest now that she goes up in trip for her first taste of handicapping. Copperlight can’t be left out of the equation either having already opened his handicap account while more can be expected from Utopian Lad and Ampney Red.