17:00 Wolverhampton

Saturday 8 February 2020

All17:0017:3018:0018:3019:0019:3020:0020:30

Bombardier British Hopped Amber Beer Amateur Riders' Handicap (Div 1)

Off time: 17:00 | Winning time: 1m 51.21s

(10)

Decoration Of War^p,t²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Miss Brodie Hampson| T: M Appleby| OR: 57| CD

3/1

Dual C&D winner (for Ilka Gansera-Leveque); well-handicapped and offered hope for the future when emerging from a poor spell of form here recently (fourth); only sixth of ten at Newcastle on Thursday evening.

Form: 70-9046

(5)

Caribbean Spring²⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Miss Rosie Margarson⁽⁵⁾| T: G G Margarson| OR: 55| CD

4/1

Stayed on under pressure (got there late) when winning over 1m at Chelmsford last month; clearly goes well for a female rider (three-time C&D winner for Jane Elliott (2017-18)); major player from a 3lb higher mark.

Form: 83538-1

(4)

Rivas Rob Roy^b³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-13| J: Miss Zoe Harris⁽⁵⁾| T: J Gallagher| OR: 54

11/2

First-time blinkers appeared to work the oracle when winning unchallenged at Newcastle (7f) in late November; no further progress since (7lb above that 'winning' mark); stamina is a slight concern over the extended mile.

Form: 06187-6

(7)

I Think So^b⁵⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: B Roberts⁽⁷⁾| T: D Loughnane| OR: 53| BF

10/3

Maiden (0-11); runner-up in two of her five starts over C&D, including when beaten 2L by the Irish-raider Tio Esteban (3-1f) in early November; can be expected to race fairly prominently.

Form: 256527-

(3)

Lord Murphy^t¹⁶¹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-11| J: Miss Megan Wingrove⁽⁷⁾| T: K G Wingrove| OR: 52| CD

50/1

Dual C&D winner (early 2017); his 'best' effort over the past 12 months came when beaten a neck in a Class 6 C&D selling handicap; feasibly weighted if ready to roll from a five-month absence but others make more appeal.

Form: 028579-

(11)

Pike Corner Cross^t,v⁵¹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-11| J: Joanna Mason| T: P D Evans| OR: 52| CD

13/2

Versatile in terms of AW venue; most productive here (1m½f-1m1½f) since October 2019 - form figures read 31262; competes from the same mark (52) as when second best to Necoleta (beaten 3¾L) seven weeks ago; chance.

Form: 425672-

(1)

Fitzy^p²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-9| J: Miss Michelle Bryant⁽⁵⁾| T: P Butler| OR: 50

50/1

Wetherby winner (1m, good to firm) for David Brown in May 2019; 0-8 since, including at odds of 66-1 at Lingfield (1m2f) three weeks ago; often struggles to break from the stalls in a timely fashion.

Form: 40407-8

(2)

Limerick Lord^b³⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 10-5| J: Mr R Birkett| T: Miss J Feilden| OR: 45| CD

10/1

Made all when winning over C&D (Class 7, 16-1) in January 2019; is better known as a Fibresand specialist - finished 2½L third to Daniel Dravot in a modest classified stakes race there early in the New Year.

Form: 72590-3

(6)

Grasmere^p¹¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-5| J: Miss Emma Jack⁽⁷⁾| T: A Bailey| OR: 45

25/1

More miss than hit since shedding the maiden tag at Chelmsford (1m2f) in October 2018; continues to ease in the weights, but is very difficult to fancy unless the 117-day break has done her the world of good; essentially risky.

Form: 068308-

(9)

Margaret J^p¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-5| J: Miss Katie Webb⁽⁷⁾| T: P S McEntee| OR: 45

25/1

Very lowly rated 26-race maiden; her third placed finish at Chelmsford (1m) in late November already seems a long time ago; look elsewhere with confidence.

Form: 300-769

Non-Runners

(8)

Sixth Of June¹

Weight: 10-5| Age: 6

T: Simon Earle J: Mr J Harding

Forecasts

Decoration Of War (3/1), I Think So (10/3), Caribbean Spring (4/1), Rivas Rob Roy (11/2), Pike Corner Cross (13/2), Limerick Lord (10/1), Margaret J (25/1), Grasmere (25/1), Lord Murphy (50/1), Fitzy (50/1), Sixth Of June (50/1)

The mare I Think So is a a probable pace angle. Pike Corner Cross continues to perform with consistency at Wolverhampton but could be inconvenienced by a wide draw, while the well handicapped Decoration of War offered little at Newcastle on Thursday. Therefore, the advice is to stick with George Margarson's recent Chelmsford scorer CARIBBEAN SPRING. This seven-year-old gelding is clearly well suited to female handling having won for Georgia Dobie, Rosie Margarson and Jane Elliott (x3) in the past.