19:23 Salisbury

Friday 20 August 2021

All17:2317:5318:2318:5319:2319:53

Highclere Castle Gin Handicap

Off time: 19:26 | Winning time: 1m 44.71s

(4)

Bhubezi⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-6| J: James Doyle| T: Eve Johnson Houghton| OR: 75

9/2

Latest win at Newbury in July but below par seventh of 10 in handicap (16/1) at Newbury (7f, good) 7 days ago. Needs to get back on track.

Form: 868137

(2)

Mark Of Respect²³

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Louis Steward| T: J G Portman| OR: 74| D

7/2

Latest win at Newmarket in June before respectable second of 5 in handicap (7/2) at Sandown (8f, heavy) 23 days ago. Shortlisted.

Form: 9-36412

(6)

Halcyon Spirit^b¹⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-4| J: K Shoemark| T: M P Tregoning| OR: 73| BF

9/2

Lightly-raced maiden. 2/1 and blinkered for 1st time, creditable second of 6 in minor event at Wolverhampton (8.6f) 10 days ago. Not ruled out on his handicap debut with headgear retained.

Form: 63232

(5)

Power Station⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-4| J: Thore Hammer-Hansen⁽³⁾| T: R Hannon| OR: 73

7/2

Gelded before good second of 6 in handicap at Ffos Las (8f, good to soft) 9 days ago, running on late. Not dismissed in his bid to gain a breakthrough win at the tenth attempt.

Form: 86-2282

(7)

Mercurius Power^t¹⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 9-4| J: David Probert| T: A M Balding| OR: 73| D

10/3

Winner at Chepstow in July before good sixth of 11 in handicap at Brighton (8f, good) 16 days ago. That form is working out well so he holds good claims at these weights.

Form: 4-03216

(1)

Wild Rhythm^p1²³

Age: 3| Weight: 9-2| J: Josephine Gordon| T: S bin Suroor| OR: 71

10/1

Progressive maiden. Third of 8 in maiden at Leicester (7f, good, 17/2) 23 days ago. Cheekpieces on for his handicap bow and can't be dismissed.

Form: 083

Non-Runners

(3)

Clarendon Cross²⁵

Weight: 9-7| Age: 3

T: R Hannon J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Mercurius Power (10/3), Power Station (7/2), Mark Of Respect (7/2), Bhubezi (9/2), Halcyon Spirit (9/2), Wild Rhythm (10/1)

A tightly-knit handicap in which Chepstow-winner MERCURIUS POWER gets the nod given he still looks attractively weighted on the same mark as when a good Brigthon sixth (form been franked). Halcyon Spirit took a step forward in blinkers when runner-up at Wolverhampton and is feared most with the headgear retained, while in-form maiden Power Station seems sure to be on the premises too.