17:10 Perth

Thursday 22 April 2021

All13:2013:5014:2014:5515:3016:0516:4017:10

Fonab Castle Handicap Hurdle (Div 2)

Off time: 17:12 | Winning time: 3m 56.66s

The Herds Garden³⁷

Age: 12| Weight: 11-12| J: B S Hughes| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 105| D

12/1

Veteran scored at Catterick in January and he wasn't disgraced when third at Sedgefield last month. Respected.

Form: 2710U3

Mr Melda¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: J J Burke| T: T Lacey| OR: 103

7/1

33/1, easily best of three runs over hurdles when fourth of 12 in 2m novice at Chepstow (good) 17 days ago. Into handicaps now with more to come. Player.

Form: P64

Effet Special^p1,t⁶⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: D R Fox| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 101| CD

5/2

Scored over C&D in August but arrives on back of below-par seventh at Carlisle in February. Cheekpieces go back on now and figures on a handy mark if they spark a resurgence.

Form: 617267

Xpo Universel^t,v²⁷

Age: 12| Weight: 11-7| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: R Menzies| OR: 100| D

9/1

Winless this term, and veteran arrives on back of modest run in 2m Musselburgh handicap 27 days ago. Visor back on with work to do.

Form: 536520

El Jefe^h³²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-6| J: Nathan Moscrop⁽³⁾| T: B Ellison| OR: 104

4/1

Modest maiden on Flat and over hurdles, racing much too freely without usual hood when last of 6 in Carlisle novice last month. Headgear back on now but others are better treated.

Form: 7336

Hats Off To Larry^h,t⁴⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Brendan Powell| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero| OR: 97

10/1

Fairly useful 1m2f Flat winner but he has failed to take to hurdling, hood on when well held in Southwell handicap last month. Hard to warm to.

Form: 66/4-990

Lizzie Loch¹¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-13| J: Craig Nichol| T: A C Whillans| OR: 92

16/1

Modest 1m5f winner on the Flat but yet to fire in four runs over hurdles, probably flattered when third in slowly-run 2m Kelso novice in December. Back from a break and others preferred.

Form: FP73

Leeswood Lily^v1²⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 10-11| J: Sean Quinlan| T: J Candlish| OR: 90

10/3

Modest maiden hurdler who came in last of 6 in 2m1f Carlisle handicap 25 days ago. Visor goes on with something to prove.

Form: 724796

Non-Runners

Fernhill Lad¹²

Weight: 10-7| Age: 6

T: N W Alexander J: Grant Cockburn

Imperial Focus²³

Weight: 10-6| Age: 8

T: S Waugh J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Effet Special (5/2), Leeswood Lily (10/3), El Jefe (4/1), Mr Melda (7/1), Xpo Universel (9/1), Hats Off To Larry (10/1), The Herds Garden (12/1), Lizzie Loch (16/1), Fernhill Lad (25/1), Imperial Focus (25/1)

Lots of these have question marks against them, so it's worth siding with the lightly-raced MR MELDA to build on his recent Chepstow fourth now he goes into handicaps and open his account. C&D winner Effet Special is weighted to have a big say if freshened up after a break. Veteran The Herds Garden appeals as the pick of the remainder.