16:00 Sedgefield

Sunday 26 January 2020

All13:0013:3014:0014:3015:0015:3016:00

Sky Sports Racing Virgin 535 Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 16:01 | Winning time: 4m 20.40s

Christmas In Usa^t,v⁴⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 12-0| J: Lucy Alexander| T: N W Alexander| OR: 102| CD

14/1

Latest victory came over course and distance in November but has struggled badly since; needs a career best performance to win this and recent form does not bode well for his chances.

Form: 12-81P0

Snougar³¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: B S Hughes| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 100

13/2

Won a maiden hurdle at Ayr (2m, soft) in March 2018 but has been in moderate form in his five starts since.; well beaten on his three most recent performances after a break; difficult to see his winning on that evidence.

Form: 14F/5-87

Highwayman¹⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: Aaron Anderson⁽⁷⁾| T: D Thompson| OR: 97

25/1

Disappointing dual purpose performer whose last three efforts over hurdles have been poor; hard to recommend on handicap debut.

Form: 65P

Percy B Shelley^t²⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-9| J: Joe Colliver| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 97

20/1

Placed on his last two starts in Ireland including when 11L fourth in a 2m handicap hurdle at Thurles (soft) in November; finished well beaten on UK debut earlier this month and difficult to assess at present.

Form: 35-6349

Oishin^t⁶¹⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: Dale Irving⁽³⁾| T: M A Barnes| OR: 93| BF

40/1

His sole success came over 2m at Newcastle in December 2016 (soft) and returns here after nearly two years off the track; would be a minor training miracle if capable here.

Form: 7642/85-

Goldslinger^t²³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-2| J: D B Hurst⁽⁷⁾| T: A B Hamilton| OR: 90

28/1

Has been nearly two years since his last success but has some ability and starting to look reasonably handicapped; needs to bounce back from a below par efforts last time but not without a chance.

Form: 36438P

Roxyfet³¹

Age: 10| Weight: 10-12| J: Emma Smith-Chaston⁽⁷⁾| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 86| CD

4/1

Loves it around this track and has shown his well being on his latest two starts in November and December; looks nicely weighted on best of his form and no reason why he can't go well.

Form: 155922

Island Villa^p,t²⁵

Age: 11| Weight: 10-10| J: C O'Farrell| T: R Menzies| OR: 84| D

9/1

Made all to win at Catterick earlier this month benefiting from some enterprising riding from his jockey; whether he can follow up remains to be seen now back up the weights but clearly in good heart.

Form: 70PP01

First Of Never⁷³

Age: 14| Weight: 10-8| J: W T Kennedy| T: Miss L C Siddall| OR: 82| CD

33/1

Veteran; enjoyed a new lease of life during the early months of the year, winning at the 43rd attempt (Wetherby) before following up over C&D a few starts later; just 2lb higher than last winning mark; chances.

Form: F721-65

Sincerely Resdev^p¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-2| J: Thomas Dowson| T: P A Kirby| OR: 76

13/2

Beaten in excess of 50 lengths on his three hurdles appearances to date and while not overburdened by this handicapper this looks a tough assignment on all known form.

Form: 856

Dolly's Dot¹⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 10-0| J: Billy Garritty⁽⁵⁾| T: V Thompson| OR: 72| C

50/1

A winner at this track off today's mark in 2018 but recent form suggests she will struggle from out of the handicap.

Form: 0/9945-U

Dollar And A Dream^t⁵⁰¹

Age: 11| Weight: 10-0| J: J J Burke| T: T R George| OR: 72

6/4

Another who has dropped in the weights and seemed to have taken a step in the right direction when third at Bangor three starts back. Disappointing next twice and hard to know what you are going to get now.

Form: P67369-

Forecasts

Dollar And A Dream (6/4), Roxyfet (4/1), Sincerely Resdev (13/2), Snougar (13/2), Island Villa (9/1), Christmas In Usa (14/1), Percy B Shelley (20/1), Highwayman (25/1), Goldslinger (28/1), First Of Never (33/1), Oishin (40/1), Dolly's Dot (50/1)

ROXYFET loves it around this course and has been in good form without winning of late. The ten-year-old looks reasonably handicapped at present and this looks like a decent chance to get back to winning ways with a claimer taking off a useful amount of weight. The veteran Island Villa will be popular in the betting ring following an all the way victory last time out at Catterick. Whether he can reproduce that remains to be seen and he is not the most trustworthy (his previous win came back in 2014). An outsider worth considering is the unexposed Sincerely Resdev with her bare form possibly better than how it reads.