Almada Mile Handicap

Off time: 19:20 | Winning time: 1m 42.97s

(2)

Marie's Diamond¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-0| J: B A Curtis| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 103| D

9/4

Back to winning ways in 6-runner handicap at Ayr (8f, good to firm) 12 days ago. Must enter calculations nudged up just 1 lb.

Form: 3-28671

(4)

Artistic Rifles^t⁷⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-7| J: K Stott| T: E Bethell| OR: 96| D

3/1

Bagged 1m handicaps at Doncaster and Ripon in spring before twelfth of 14 in handicap at York (7.9f, good) 79 days ago when helped set strong pace. Sort to bounce back and figures on a good mark too.

Form: 11-3110

(5)

Chichester^p,t²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 8-13| J: Callum Rodriguez| T: K Dalgleish| OR: 88| D

4/1

Gained his first turf success at Carlisle in June before respectable seventh of 17 in handicap at York (7.9f, good) 21 days ago. In the mix again.

Form: 453217

(1)

Jump The Gun²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 8-9| J: A Mullen| T: I Jardine| OR: 83| BF| CD

11/4

C&D winner in June but never able to challenge off 8 lb higher mark when ninth of 17 in handicap at York (7.9f, good) 21 days ago. Needs more from 1 lb out of the handicap.

Form: 2-43619

(3)

Home Before Dusk^b⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 8-9| J: S H James| T: K Dalgleish| OR: 80| C| D

10/1

Arrives on a hat-trick since the blinkers went on after recent wins here and at Newcastle, scoring readily on latter occasion. He can race off 1 lb lower mark now so not taken lightly.

Form: 340711

Forecasts

Marie's Diamond (9/4), Jump The Gun (11/4), Artistic Rifles (3/1), Chichester (4/1), Home Before Dusk (10/1)

A case can be made for all of the quintet but preference is for ARTISTIC RIFLES who wasn't seen to best effect at York last time but had been in excellent winning form prior to that and is taken to bounce back in style. Hat-trick seeking Home Before Dusk rates the chief threat with top-weight Marie's Diamond also weighted to have a say on the back of his Ayr victory.