tote Placepot Your First Bet Handicap

Off time: 13:37 | Winning time: 1m 11.15s

(5)

Merhoob¹⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 9-10| J: Darragh Keenan⁽³⁾| T: J Ryan| OR: 86| BF| CD

7/2

C&D winner. Eleven runs since last win. Respectable seventh of 12 in handicap at Lingfield (6f, AW, 4/1) 19 days ago. Continues to meet trouble and frustrating.

Form: 003577-

(1)

El Hombre¹⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 9-7| J: L Morris| T: D M Loughnane| OR: 83| D

10/3

8/1, creditable second of 10 in handicap at Wolverhampton (6.1f) 10 days ago, having to weave through. Threatening to come good again soon.

Form: 264832-

(2)

Diamond Dougal^p1¹⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 9-6| J: Alistair Rawlinson| T: R M H Cowell| OR: 82| D

13/2

Latest win at Wolverhampton in November. 14/1, last of 10 in handicap at Wolverhampton (6.1f) 10 days ago, ridden too aggressively. Cheekpieces on 1st time.

Form: 808150-

(4)

Spirit Of May⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 9-4| J: Rossa Ryan| T: R A Teal| OR: 80| CD

9/4

3-time C&D winner. Fourth of 6 in handicap at Lingfield (5f, AW, 7/2) 5 days ago. Interesting back here.

Form: 86899-4

(6)

Excellent George^p⁷³

Age: 9| Weight: 8-4| J: Laura Pearson⁽⁷⁾| T: S C Williams| OR: 66| CD

5/1

3-time C&D winner, on long losing run. 4/1, respectable second of 7 in claimer at Kempton (6f) 73 days ago, conceding first run. Cheekpieces back on. Very interesting off career-low mark.

Form: 323052-

(3)

Hibernian Warrior⁷⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 8-3| J: Cam Hardie| T: C Wallis| OR: 65

20/1

Maiden. Regressive for Paul D'Arcy in 2020. Plenty to prove.

Form: 2/86580-

Forecasts

Spirit Of May (9/4), El Hombre (10/3), Merhoob (7/2), Excellent George (5/1), Diamond Dougal (13/2), Hibernian Warrior (20/1)

EXCELLENT GEORGE was perhaps unlucky not to win a claimer at Kempton when last seen and makes a fair bit of appeal off a career-low mark back in a handicap, with the booking of Laura Pearson the icing on the cake. El Hombre is feared most.