20:15 Leicester

Thursday 24 June 2021

All17:4518:1518:4519:1519:4520:1520:45

Fleckney Handicap

Off time: 20:15 | Winning time: 1m 12.17s

(5)

Ensyaaby^p⁴¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Dane O'Neill| T: M P Tregoning| OR: 76| BF

10/3

Lightly-raced maiden. Cheekpieces on for 1st time, bit below form fourth of 12 in minor event (5/4) at Newbury (7f, good to soft) 41 days ago. May well get back on track now handicapping.

Form: 62-244

(1)

Strike Red¹⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-4| J: P Mathers| T: R A Fahey| OR: 75| D

9/2

Third of 5 in handicap at Pontefract (6f, good to firm, 11/1) 17 days ago, best work finish. That was decent effort, but he looks vulnerable all the same.

Form: 451-763

(7)

Bhubezi¹⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-4| J: Mark Crehan⁽³⁾| T: Eve Johnson Houghton| OR: 75| BF| D

10/1

Sixth of 8 in handicap (10/3) at Windsor (5.1f, good to firm) 17 days ago. Return to this trip will help, but others preferred in any case.

Form: 5174-86

(3)

Onaraggatip^p1¹⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: M Harley| T: B R Millman| OR: 74| D

6/1

Last of 12 in handicap at Doncaster (8f, good to firm, 14/1) 19 days ago. Back down in trip and hopes pinned on first-time cheekpieces sparking a return to form.

Form: 144-840

(2)

Merry Secret^p¹⁰^{(ex 6)}

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: W Buick| T: M Appleby| OR: 68| D

11/2

Three wins from 8 runs this year. 7/2, career best when winning 7-runner handicap at Nottingham (6.1f, good to firm) 10 days ago, driven out. More needed under a penalty here.

Form: 122451

(8)

Lockdown Latchico²⁷⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 9-2| J: Joanna Mason⁽³⁾| T: M & D Easterby| OR: 73| D

25/1

Thrice-raced winner. Won 12-runner minor event (2/1) at Kempton (6f) when last seen in September. Mark for this handicap bow/debut for new yard looks fair, but improvement is certainly needed.

Form: 231-

(4)

Night Of Romance²³

Age: 3| Weight: 9-2| J: Pierre-Louis Jamin⁽⁵⁾| T: K R Burke| OR: 73| CD

10/3

13/2, career best when winning 10-runner handicap at this C&D (good to firm) 23 days ago. Now 6 lb higher, but another bold show is anticipated.

Form: 0-43441

(6)

Wudashudacuda⁸⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 9-2| J: Harry Burns⁽⁵⁾| T: R A Teal| OR: 73| D

14/1

7/2, career best when winning 11-runner handicap at Wolverhampton (6.1f) 86 days ago, keeping on well. Makes turf debut and, with further progress likely, he's one to consider.

Form: 30-2591

Forecasts

Night Of Romance (10/3), Ensyaaby (10/3), Strike Red (9/2), Merry Secret (11/2), Onaraggatip (6/1), Bhubezi (10/1), Wudashudacuda (14/1), Lockdown Latchico (25/1)

The vote goes to WUDASHUDACUDA, who was strong at the finish when accounting for a couple of subsequent winners at Wolverhampton in March. There should be better to come from this colt and there's no real reason to believe that he won't prove equally effective on turf. Ensyaaby is feared now pitched into a handicap for the first time, while C&D winner Night of Romance is also accorded respect.