BetVictor Handicap

Off time: 16:20 | Winning time: 2m 27.94s

(2)

Independent Act^h1³¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-9| J: W Buick| T: C Appleby| OR: 84

15/8

Lingfield maiden winner on debut in November and, having been gelded during the winter, he acquitted himself well on return/handicap debut at Newmarket (1¼m, good) last month. Now tried in a hood and remains open to improvement.

Form: 14-4

(4)

March Moon^p¹⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 9-8| J: R Havlin| T: J & T Gosden| OR: 83

10/3

Left his reappearance effort well behind when easily landing a 1½m Lingfield novice (AW) in first-time cheekpieces recently. Mark for this handicap debut looks fair and he'll be a danger to all if able to build on that back on turf.

Form: 83-51

(5)

Thunder Max¹²

Age: 3| Weight: 9-7| J: S De Sousa| T: R Hannon| OR: 82| BF

9/2

Scored on debut at Doncaster last season and has ran creditably on all three appearances this time round in 1¼m handicaps. Extra furlong here should serve him well and he needs considering.

Form: 15-353

(3)

Zain Nights³⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-6| J: K Shoemark| T: H & R Charlton| OR: 81| C

14/1

Confirmed debut promise when landing a minor event here (1m, heavy) in October. However, reappearance effort at Redcar left much to be desired, for all that he may have needed the run (gelded since).

Form: 41-7

(6)

Victory²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: M Harley| T: A King| OR: 78

5/1

Off the mark on final start of 2-y-o campaign at Kempton and resumed with a near miss upped to 1¼m at Doncaster (good to firm) three weeks ago. 2 lb rise fair and he has to enter calculations.

Form: 55531-2

(1)

Australian Angel¹⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 8-4| J: Josephine Gordon| T: A M Balding| OR: 65

11/1

Appears to have been brought along with handicaps very much in mind, and she is appealing now pitched into one off a lowly opening mark.

Form: 8-64

Forecasts

Independent Act (15/8), March Moon (10/3), Thunder Max (9/2), Victory (5/1), Australian Angel (11/1), Zain Nights (14/1)

It was a strong-looking Newmarket handicap in which INDEPENDENT ACT finished fourth on his reappearance last month and, with the prospect of better to come from this son of Dubawi, he gets the nod. March Moon did the job well on the all-weather last time and has to be taken seriously, but the filly Australian Angel is feared most off a feather weight.