17:31 Wetherby

Tuesday 22 March 2022

All13:2614:0114:3615:1115:4616:2116:5617:31

We're Racing Again On 31st March Open NH Flat Race (GBB Race)

Off time: 17:31 | Winning time: 3m 50.7s

Largy Train³²²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: Ben Bromley⁽⁷⁾| T: P F Nicholls| DWS

11/2

Strong in the betting and driven clear to make a winning debut for Stuart Crawford back in May. Since transferred to Paul Nicholls/had wind op and he's well worth a look here.

Form: 1

Carlo Du Berlais⁶¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Liam Harrison⁽³⁾| T: F O'Brien| BF

22/1

Picked up for £80,000 after finishing second in a point and, while slightly underwhelming (sent of 9/4) at Ludlow on debut in January, he's entitled to do better.

Form: F2-5

Chasing Fire¹⁴⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Aidan Coleman| T: O Murphy

8/13

£170,000 4-y-o half-brother to smart winner up to 8.5f Karpino. Dam, 1¼m-1¾m winner, sister to St Leger winner Milan. Easy winner sole start in points in October and of interest on bumper debut.

Form: 1

Hitching Jacking¹¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton

4/1

£68,000 4-y-o, Honolulu gelding. Dam, French bumper winner, half-sister to fairly useful chaser (17f winner in France) Vamp de Mirande. Runner-up sole start in Irish points (Nov 28). Worth a look.

Form: 2

Imperial Merlin

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: B S Hughes| T: J & S Quinn

8/1

€34,000 3-y-o, Kalanisi gelding. Half-brother to useful hurdler/high-class chaser Secret Investor and modest hurdler Kayf Charmer. Makes appeal on paper and betting should guide on debut.

Form:

Ramming Speed

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: G Sheehan| T: O Murphy

20/1

£50,000 3-y-o, Califet gelding. Dam, 2m-2¼m hurdle/chase winner (stayed 2½m), also 1¾m winner who stayed 2m on Flat. In good hands and betting should guide with stable also saddling Chasing Fire.

Form:

The Skiffle King⁷⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: Charlie Hammond| T: C & A Pogson

150/1

Dylan Thomas gedling who shaped as if needing the run when midfield in a 13-runner Doncaster bumper in January. May well sharpen up for that but others appeal more in any case.

Form: 8

Top Ville Bobby⁴³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Thomas Dowson| T: P A Kirby

100/1

Yeats gelding. Showed a bit when plodding on for sixth in a Newcastle bumper (2m) in January but couldn't match that when last of 8 at Carlisle last month. Passed over here.

Form: 68

Teremondous

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: C O'Farrell| T: Micky Hammond

50/1

Gamut gelding. Dam (b63), ran twice in bumpers, half-sister to useful chaser (stayed 2¾m) Roger Beantown out of 2m hurdle winner Best Wait. Rates a likely outsider making racecourse debut.

Form:

Forecasts

Chasing Fire (8/13), Hitching Jacking (4/1), Largy Train (11/2), Imperial Merlin (8/1), Ramming Speed (20/1), Carlo Du Berlais (22/1), Teremondous (50/1), Top Ville Bobby (100/1), The Skiffle King (150/1)

A £170,000 purchase, CHASING FIRE makes plenty of appeal on paper and impressed in landing his sole start in points last year, so the percentage call is to side with Olly Murphy's 5-y-o without the benefit of market clues. Largy Train, who tasted success on bumper debut last spring, is also worth consideration on debut for Paul Nicholls, with Imperial Merlin and Hitching Jacking worth a look.