13:10 Market Rasen

Thursday 16 January 2020

All12:4013:1013:4014:1014:4515:2015:50

Racing TV Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 13:11 | Winning time: 5m 55.34s

Seemingly So^p1²⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Fergus Gregory⁽³⁾| T: O Murphy| OR: 115| C

7/1

Course winner (2m2½f, good) on hurdles debut; has found life fairly tough going since sent handicapping; slowly easing in the weights and sporting first-time cheekpieces.

Form: 2/1347-P

Ratfacemcdougall^p,t²¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: Max Kendrick⁽³⁾| T: D Killahena & G McPherson| OR: 110

9/1

With Ben Case when winning a 2m5½f novices' hurdle at Hereford (good) last March; wholly regressive over fences since (including on two attempts for his current trainer).

Form: 81-3P45

Blue Hussar⁴⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 11-4| J: Joe Colliver| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 109| BF

7/1

Campaigned exclusively at Wetherby since November 2018; 2lb lower than when finishing 3L third to Sakhee's City (2m3½f, soft) on his penultimate start; some stamina reservations over 2m7f.

Form: P/534-35

Puppet Warrior⁶²¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-3| J: Tabitha Worsley⁽⁵⁾| T: G Howell| OR: 108

40/1

12-race maiden; off the track for 621 days since finishing fourth of 16 for Nick Gifford in a 2m6½f novices' handicap chase at Uttoxeter (good); feasibly weighted with fitness taken on trust.

Form: 22344/4-

Highway Girl^t1⁵⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-3| J: Aidan Coleman| T: C E Longsdon| OR: 108WS

9/2

Lightly raced mare (0-5); has had wind surgery (is also fitted with a tongue-tie) since finishing a weakening sixth of 12 to Winter Getaway at Warwick (2m5f, soft) in November; handicap debut.

Form: 33/4-46

Lord Sparky^p1³⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: James Bowen| T: Mrs Caroline Bailey| OR: 108

14/1

Stayed on stoutly when winning a conditional jockeys' handicap at Huntingdon (2m4½f, good) last April; largely disappointing since and still 6lb above that 'winning' mark; cheekpieces are now applied.

Form: 441-P8

The Wallace Line³³

Age: 9| Weight: 11-2| J: Jack Tudor⁽⁷⁾| T: Christian Williams| OR: 107

25/1

No win since October 2014 (Fontwell) although in fairness has had various absences from the track; now rated 12lb lower than when starting the season at Chepstow (2m7½f) in October.

Form: 636/008

Compadre¹⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 11-0| J: Benjamin Poste| T: H J Evans| OR: 105| C

11/2

Three wins over fences (including at this track); failed to threaten to exploit a favourable hurdles mark at Taunton (3m, soft) 17 days ago, yet could feasibly enter the equation in this weaker Class 4 contest.

Form: 121-375

Oscars Leader^p⁴²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: R Patrick⁽³⁾| T: J Candlish| OR: 105

15/8

Bumped into the much talked about Little Rory Mac when filling the frame over 2m½f here (soft) on debut for Jennie Candlish; has the stamina in his pedigree/family to suggest that he should cope with this hike in trip; of interest.

Form: 40/64-53

Forecasts

Oscars Leader (15/8), Highway Girl (9/2), Compadre (11/2), Blue Hussar (7/1), Seemingly So (7/1), Ratfacemcdougall (9/1), Lord Sparky (14/1), The Wallace Line (25/1), Puppet Warrior (40/1)

Compadre is better known as a chaser but as a result is attractively weighted over hurdles. A course winner (fences) he would hold a definite chance if able to reproduce the form of his second-placed finish at Huntingdon in March 2019. Blue Hussar shaped reasonably well at Wetherby (third) on his penultimate start although one must have stamina reservations over this 2m7f trip. For some, a similar stance could be held with regards the selection OSCARS LEADER. He had the misfortune to clash with Little Rory Mac latest. His trainer Jennie Candlish now steps him up markedly in trip, and with plenty of stamina in his pedigree/family the suspicion is that he'll stay.