14:30 Exeter

Tuesday 21 January 2020

All13:0013:3014:0014:3015:0015:3016:0016:30

ROA Owners Jackpot Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 14:30 | Winning time: 4m 20.85s

Demopolis^t1⁴²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: T J O'Brien| T: P Hobbs & J White| OR: 100

7/1

Yet to live up to the early promise shown (both in France and on debut for his current yard). Plummeted in the ratings over the last twelve months and is fully 36lb below his initial rating when he arrived on these shores. Tongue tie now applied.

Form: 6080-P9

Penneys Hun¹⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Hugh Nugent⁽⁵⁾| T: M Blanshard| OR: 98

16/1

Well held in three starts for his current yard and yet to convince he's capable of exploiting a drop in the ratings. Slight improvement back over this trip last time but not enough to suggest he's one to follow in earnest.

Form: 528/76-7

Lily The Pink²⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: Rex Dingle⁽³⁾| T: A J Honeyball| OR: 98

7/2

A bumper winner at Stratford in June 2018 but still lightly raced over hurdles since; well held in a couple of modest races of late and needs to up her game now.

Form: 612-455

Ekayburg⁵⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-9| J: T Scudamore| T: D Pipe| OR: 97

16/1

Modest on the Flat and is 0-7 over hurdles; has occasionally lacked a tactical change of gear and pulled up when tried over just shy of 3m latest. Handles give underfoot but also has a questions to answer on heavy; others more appealing

Form: 3P-809P

Ring The Moon³⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: Isabel Williams⁽⁷⁾| T: Evan Williams| OR: 93

4/1

Comes into this after a promising handicap debut at Ffos Las in December; drops back in trip but not had any issues with 2m before now. Versatile enough to be considered as a leading contender in this company.

Form: 2-09082

Leave My Alone^t1⁵⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: R P McLernon| T: Mrs R Ford| OR: 92

40/1

Currently 0-7 over hurdles (did win a point-to-point in December 2018) and form has taken a dip lately. Has a bit to prove back over 2m now.

Form: 4-68PU7

Bogoss Du Perret⁵²⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 11-2| J: Bryony Frost| T: J D Frost| OR: 90

20/1

Been away from the scene for 15 months and plenty to prove back over hurdles for the first time since May 2016; also pulled up in his only previous run on heavy ground. Hard to recommend.

Form: 121P/67-

Harry Haze¹⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 10-13| J: Ben Jones⁽⁵⁾| T: P C Dando| OR: 87

5/1

Shown some ability over hurdles but never yet made the frame in seven previous attempts and needs a lot to go his way. Should be sharper for his spin around Wincanton at the start of this month but still has a lot to prove.

Form: 856-086

Hold Me Tight^t¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 10-8| J: Benjamin Poste| T: P Gundry| OR: 82

15/2

Has snippets of form which give him place claims at this level but he's still a maiden after 29 previous outings and notable his better form has been posted on a firmer surface than he's expected to encounter here.

Form: 630504

Kahdian^b,t⁴⁶

Age: 10| Weight: 10-4| J: Paul O'Brien⁽³⁾| T: B Barr| OR: 78

25/1

Won over fences at Wincanton for this yard last April but has been below par since rejoining the stable earlier this winter. The drop in trip can help but the gelding needs to significantly better his last two starts to figure at the business end.

Form: 32P066

Candyman Can^h²²

Age: 10| Weight: 10-4| J: Page Fuller⁽³⁾| T: L Hurley| OR: 78

8/1

Ran way above market expectations when fourth of 16 at Taunton (2m3f, soft) last month and in with a reasonable shout for a place in the frame if able to dig a little deeper now. His lack of consistency will always be a concern, though.

Form: 5-76034

Lady Wethered^t²¹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-3| J: Sean Houlihan⁽³⁾| T: Miss L Blackford| OR: 77

25/1

0-12 over hurdles and three starts since returning from a break have done little to suggest the mare is presently up to the task of breaking her maiden; did finish third over 2m1f here last March but below par too many times since to merit a play.

Form: 37-8U00

Niamh's Oscar^h²⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 10-1| J: W T Kennedy| T: J D Frost| OR: 75

33/1

Lightly raced over hurdles but flattered by his finishing position as he was still tailed off when fifth of ten last time out; and not even a 9lb drop in the ratings is enough to give him the benefit of any doubt. (Yard also runs Bogoss Du Perret.)

Form: 72-6005

Cornelius Socks^v⁸³

Age: 10| Weight: 10-0| J: David Noonan| T: Miss J Du Plessis| OR: 73

14/1

Low grade handicapper but has shown a little more interest of late and might well improve now he's dropped in trip. Races from just out of the weights but not beaten far off this mark last time, so feasible he could make the frame.

Form: 50920-4

Karl Marx^b,t⁷⁷

40/1

Failed to complete in four of his last six starts and very hard to make a solid case for the gelding even though he might improve now he's had a wind operation.

Form: P0P0-PP

Forecasts

Lily The Pink (7/2), Ring The Moon (4/1), Harry Haze (5/1), Demopolis (7/1), Hold Me Tight (15/2), Candyman Can (8/1), Cornelius Socks (14/1), Ekayburg (16/1), Penneys Hun (16/1), Bogoss Du Perret (20/1), Kahdian (25/1), Lady Wethered (25/1), Niamh's Oscar (33/1), Karl Marx (40/1), Leave My Alone (40/1)

All of these have questions to answer for one reason or another but RING THE MOON showed improvement on his handicap debut last time out and looks to be the safest option in race full of inconsistent types. The drop in trip shouldn't be too much of a problem for the selection in this modest company. Demopholis is well handicapped and, with the champion jockey in the plate, merits consideration as a serious alternative; Cornelius Socks is just out of the weights but is another who doesn't have much to find for him to make the frame in a weak race.