15:25 Epsom Downs

Thursday 9 September 2021

All13:5014:2014:5515:2515:5516:2517:00

Window Widgets 21st Anniversary Handicap

Off time: 15:28 | Winning time: 2m 9.37s

(10)

Desert Emperor⁷⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: Lewis Edmunds| T: I Furtado| OR: 74WS

9/4

Lightly-raced maiden. Creditable fourth of 15 in handicap at Newbury (10f, good) 70 days ago. Undergone wind surgery subsequently and eased further 1 lb so interesting if strong in betting here.

Form: 42384

(3)

Dartington¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-6| J: Andrea Atzeni| T: M P Tregoning| OR: 73| D

3/1

9/4, career best when winning 5-runner handicap at Brighton (9.9f, good to soft) 18 days ago, keeping on well. 5 lb higher mark shouldn't prevent another good showing with Andrea Atzeni booked.

Form: 42-2331

(9)

Helian¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 9-5| J: Harry Burns⁽⁵⁾| T: Alexandra Dunn| OR: 72| D

25/1

Latest win at Wolverhampton (9.5f) in April. 16/1, shaped as if needing first run for 11 weeks when seventh in 11-runner Ffos Las handicap (10f) on yard debut last month. Entitled to be sharper now.

Form: 9-21537

(6)

Breguet Boy^p¹²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-4| J: William Carson| T: M J Attwater| OR: 71

28/1

First run since leaving Keith Dalgleish when respectable third of 9 in handicap (22/1) at Windsor (8.1f, good to firm) 12 days ago, running on. Back up in trip.

Form: 552743

(1)

Union Spirit^p¹¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 9-3| J: Cameron Noble⁽³⁾| T: P W Chapple-Hyam| OR: 70| D

20/1

14/1, better than distance beaten suggests when ninth of 11 in handicap at Carlisle (11.2f) in May, the 3-month absence/heavy ground at the trip possibly catching him out. Not dismissed out of hand.

Form: 529-489

(2)

Knowing³⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 9-3| J: Tom Marquand| T: J R Fanshawe| OR: 70| CD

10/3

C&D winner. Fourth of 6 in handicap at Brighton (9.9f, good) 35 days ago, quickening entering final 1f but short of room final 100 yds. One to bear in mind from sliding mark partnered by Tom Marquand.

Form: 333-084

(8)

Subliminal^p¹²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 9-2| J: L Morris| T: S Dow| OR: 69| D

150/1

Added to his tally in a Lingfield claimer (10f) in March. Below form on 2 of his 3 starts thereafter on all-weather and he's yet to threaten in 2 previous turf tries for this yard.

Form: 251736

(7)

Dolphin Vista^v⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 8-11| J: P Cosgrave| T: J R Boyle| OR: 64| D

6/1

Seventeen runs since last win in 2019. 9/2, creditable third of 10 in C&D handicap 9 days ago, the only one to make any impression from off the pace. Not dismissed from his much-reduced mark.

Form: 764333

(5)

Hackbridge^v⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 8-10| J: Charlie Bennett| T: P Phelan| OR: 63| D

10/1

16/1, creditable second of 10 in C&D handicap (good to firm) 9 days ago, doing best of the rest behind a progressive 3-y-o. Winless since 2018 but clearly back in good heart. Not discounted.

Form: 860-522

(4)

Thermal¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 8-7| J: Alec Voikhansky⁽⁷⁾| T: G & J Moore| OR: 60| CD

22/1

Two wins from 6 runs this year, latest over C&D in July. 9/1, eighth of 9 in handicap at Newmarket (10f) 13 days ago, pulling too hard. Remains on a workable mark provided she settles better.

Form: 019418

Forecasts

Desert Emperor (9/4), Dartington (3/1), Knowing (10/3), Dolphin Vista (6/1), Hackbridge (10/1), Union Spirit (20/1), Thermal (22/1), Helian (25/1), Breguet Boy (28/1), Subliminal (150/1)

This looks competitive but previous C&D winner KNOWING arrives in better heart than recent form figures suggest, twice encountering trouble when not been far in fourth over this sort of trip at Brighton 35 days ago. From a handy mark, he's expected to go well under Tom Marquand. Recent Brighton winner Dartington rates the chief threat, ahead of Union Spirit at likely longer odds.