15:50 Newbury

Friday 21 April 2023

All13:3014:0514:4015:1515:5016:2516:5517:30

Compton Beauchamp Estates Ltd Silver Bar Handicap

Off time: 15:50 | Winning time: 3m 57.43s

(5)

Prince Imperial^b⁴⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 9-13| J: P Cosgrave| T: R Hughes| OR: 96| D

25/1

Good second in the Cesarewitch Trial at Newmarket in September and landed a 6-runner Nottingham handicap (1¾m, heavy) the following month. Recent hurdles efforts haven't been overly inspiring, though, and he may be a shade too high in the weights for now.

Form: 1/62017-

(6)

Vino Victrix¹⁸⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 9-12| J: Benoit D L Sayette⁽³⁾| T: H Morrison| OR: 95| BF| D

9/1

Enjoyed a productive 2022 campaign, winner of 2m Goodwood handicap and runner-up on 3 occasions, most notably in the 21-runner Cesarewitch at Newmarket. That form is among the best on offer here but soft ground would be cause for concern.

Form: 422124-

(7)

Aztec Empire²⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 9-6| J: Oisin Murphy| T: A M Balding| OR: 93| BF| D

10/1

Significant step forward when landing a 10-runner Kempton handicap on first attempt at this trip in February. Proved something of a let-down over the same C&D since but this low-mileage 4-y-o remains of interest and he shaped well sole previous start on turf in a Sandown maiden at 2 yrs.

Form: 4/2-1416

(1)

Prince Alex³³⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 9-6| J: K Stott| T: Tom Dascombe| OR: 89

12/1

Highly progressive in 2020, winning 5 handicaps on the bounce, and landed a big pot at Glorious Goodwood the following year. However, fair bit to prove starting out for new yard here on the back of an 11-month absence having finished down the field on sole start for Johnny Murtagh last spring.

Form: 01509/9-

(2)

Secret Shadow¹⁹³

Age: 5| Weight: 9-6| J: James Doyle| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 89| C

8/1

Four-time winner for Andrew Balding, the latest a 1¾m Goodwood handicap last August. Failed to land a blow both subsequent starts in 2022 but she's interesting nonetheless on debut for the Paul Nicholls yard, particularly as she goes well fresh and has a good record on slow ground.

Form: 1/30167-

(8)

Call My Bluff^p¹⁹⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 9-5| J: Joshua Bryan| T: D J S Ffrench Davis| OR: 88| D

7/1

Winless last season but posted solid efforts in defeat when placed in the Cesarewitch Trial at Newmarket and a good-quality Chester handicap in September. Below par in the Cesarewitch itself on final run of 2022 but could have a part to play if fully tuned-up for this with trip/ground ideal.

Form: 340320-

(10)

Star Caliber^h²⁰⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-4| J: Jim Crowley| T: Mrs A J Perrett| OR: 87

20/1

Drawn a blank since debut win in autumn 2020 but he's pretty useful and was a good third in a valuable Chester handicap on final run of a light campaign last season. Resumes on a workable mark for new connections and won't be far away if fit enough to do himself justice.

Form: 42/0433-

(11)

Zain Nights¹⁹⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 9-4| J: W Buick| T: H & R Charlton| OR: 91| C

17/2

Showed good attitude to score over 1½m in first-time cheekpieces here last summer (form figures at this course read 1221) and largely creditable efforts at up to 2m thereafter (excuses when mid-field tried in blinkers at York on final 2022 start). Goes without headgear now and improvement needed.

Form: 219327-

(4)

Novel Legend²³

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: Daniel Muscutt| T: J R Fanshawe| OR: 87| D

11/5

Improved in handicaps in the second half of last season, opening his account at Chester (14.4f, good to soft) in September before going close upped to 2m at Newmarket. Made a winning reappearance at Kempton last month, for which a 4 lb rise is fair and he remains unexposed at this trip.

Form: 92412-1

(9)

Mostly Sunny^b¹⁶¹

Age: 4| Weight: 8-9| J: Marco Ghiani| T: H Main| OR: 82| D

11/2

Firmly back on track with blinkers enlisted on final 2 starts of last season, good second in a handicap here (13.3f, heavy) prior to going one better in decisive fashion upped to 16.2f at Newcastle. Stamina is clearly his forte and entirely possible that he will have more to offer as a 4-y-o.

Form: 107021-

Non-Runners

(3)

Sleeping Lion²⁰

Weight: 10-0| Age: 8

T: H & R Charlton J: David Probert

Forecasts

Novel Legend (11/5), Mostly Sunny (11/2), Call My Bluff (7/1), Secret Shadow (8/1), Zain Nights (17/2), Vino Victrix (9/1), Aztec Empire (10/1), Prince Alex (12/1), Sleeping Lion (12/1), Star Caliber (20/1), Prince Imperial (25/1)

NOVEL LEGEND picked up where he left off last term by landing a 2m Kempton handicap on his reappearance and, though now 4 lb higher in a stronger race, he looks the way to go with further progress likely at this trip. There will be a question mark surrounding Vino Victrix should the word 'soft' appear in the going description, as seems likely, but such conditions will be of no concern to the likes of Mostly Sunny, Secret Shadow and Star Caliber, and they are feared most in that order.