17:20 Fontwell

Sunday 23 February 2020

All14:2014:5015:2015:5016:2016:5017:20

Watt Fences Ltd Maiden Open NH Flat Race

Off time: 17:20 | Winning time: 4m 54.68s

Bannixtown Boy⁷⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: James Davies| T: R Rowe

25/1

Bought for £22,000 at recent December Sales having finished second in a point-to-point on second run in that sphere. New start now under Rules and will need to be decent to make a winning debut.

Form: F2

Frenchy Du Large¹⁰⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: R T Dunne| T: Miss V Williams| BF

5/2

Has led and found only one too good on each of his three starts so far in bumpers. Beaten favourite last time at sandown but clearly has ability. One for short list for yard in good form of late.

Form: 22-2

Itsnotwhatyouthink

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: L P Aspell| T: N J Gifford

15/8

€30,000 Westerner gelding out winning 2m6f hurdler. Bred for stamina and may find this sharp enough on debut even allowing for testing ground potentially making this a bit of a slog.

Form:

Jetaway Joey⁹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Aidan Coleman| T: O Murphy

2/1

Yard do well in this sphere and are 1-3 with their few bumper runners at this track. Showed ability when second on debut at Market Rasen in November to decent sort. Every chance if improving for that first effort.

Form: 2

Milnthorpe⁶⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: J E Moore| T: C Gordon

25/1

€30,000 Sans Frontiere gelding; half-brother to winning pointer. May have shown ability at home as was well supported on debut at Plumpton in December but weakened quickly form home turn finishing eighth of 9. Yard 15% strike rate here in bumpers

Form: 8

Lightning Gold³⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-10| J: Nick Scholfield| T: Ella Pickard

20/1

Black Sam Bellamy gelding out of winning hurdler. Second of five on debut at Uttoxeter in December but failed to build on that when well beaten at Newbury last time in better race. May have run too free then and chance if settling better.

Form: 20

Heptonstall

Age: 4| Weight: 10-1| J: Page Fuller⁽³⁾| T: A West

50/1

By US sire Thewayyouare out of 1m Fibresand scorer. Mixed messages on pedigree and may well find this a challenge on racecourse bow in such testing conditions.

Form:

Non-Runners

Mad Barry⁴³

Weight: 11-3| Age: 5

T: R J Price J: Sean Houlihan

Forecasts

Itsnotwhatyouthink (15/8), Jetaway Joey (2/1), Frenchy Du Large (5/2), Lightning Gold (20/1), Mad Barry (20/1), Bannixtown Boy (25/1), Milnthorpe (25/1), Heptonstall (50/1)

JETAWAY JOEY may have a touch more scope for improvement than likely main market rival Frenchy Du Large who has been runner-up on all three starts so far and deserves to get his head in front some time soon. The selection showed plenty of pormise when second on debut at Market Rasen and his yard does very well in this sphere. Milnthorpe attracted money on debut only to disappoint but is worth noting for any more market support, while Lightning Gold is not out of this is returning to the form she showed when runner-up on her racecourse bow.