16:00 Beverley

Thursday 27 April 2023

All13:5014:2014:5015:2516:0016:3517:08

Paul Norris Memorial Handicap

Off time: 16:00 | Winning time: 1m 48.12s

(7)

Pillar Of Hope⁴⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-9| J: J Fanning| T: C Johnston| OR: 80| D

13/2

Dual winner at up to 10f who ended last year below his best on AW. However, better effort on back of 4 months off when fifth of 10 in handicap at Newcastle (1m) in March and possible he'll sharpen up for that here and he's now 2 lb below his last winning mark.

Form: 4/1700-5

(10)

Hortzadar⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 9-9| J: Jason Watson| T: D O'Meara| OR: 80| D

9/2

6/1, creditable ¾-length second of 12 to Dogged in handicap at Ripon (1m, soft) 7 days ago, caught further back than ideal. Expected to be bang there from same mark despite his wide draw for yard who won this 12 months ago.

Form: 54870-2

(1)

Crownthorpe^p¹⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 9-7| J: Ryan Sexton⁽³⁾| T: A D Brown| OR: 78| CD

13/2

Fine start on AW for new yard, gaining third success since January at Chelmsford (1m) at the start of the month. Not in quite the same form when fifth in 9-runner Redcar handicap (1m) latest, though.

Form: 144115

(9)

Emperor Caradoc¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 9-5| J: Harrison Shaw| T: B Smart| OR: 76

20/1

6f novice winner at 2yrs and progressed again to double career tally at Carlisle (6.9f, good to soft) last summer. Never figured faced with very testing ground on return from 6 months off at Leicester (8.2f) 2 weeks ago but likely type to bounce back.

Form: 37147-6

(11)

Challet¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 9-5| J: Connor Beasley| T: M Dods| OR: 76| D

13/2

Eleven runs since last win in 2021. Tenth of 14 in handicap at Redcar (7f, heavy, 12/1) 17 days ago. Back up in trip.

Form: 97586-0

(4)

Ibiza Rocks¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-5| J: K Stott| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero| OR: 76

17/2

First run since leaving Edward Bethell when very good third of 7 in handicap at Wolverhampton (7.2f, 7/1) 19 days ago, hampered over 1f out and weakening. That was a definite step back in the right direction and operating from career-low mark if he can build on it now.

Form: 0/5760-3

(8)

Golden Sands^p,h¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 9-4| J: Alistair Rawlinson| T: M Appleby| OR: 75| D

28/1

Three wins from 14 runs last year. Latest win at Kempton (1m) in February. Creditable fourth of 13 in handicap back at that venue 15 days ago. Effective on turf but all 4 career victories have come on all weather.

Form: 02-3104

(6)

Crown Princess²¹⁹

10/1

C&D winner. Respectable third of 11 in handicap (14/1) at this course (7.4f, good) in September, keeping on without matching the principals. Mark is about right but she's a consistent sort and each-way claims on return/following a wind op.

Form: 226503-

(2)

King Of York²⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: D Swift| T: S Dixon| OR: 71

16/1

Maiden. 11/1, tenth of 12 in handicap at Doncaster (7f, heavy) 25 days ago, underfoot conditions a plausible excuse. Eased 3 lb since and handy draw to operate from if he can leave that effort behind.

Form: 4/322-70

(3)

Temper Trap¹¹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 8-10| J: D Allan| T: T D Easterby| OR: 67| D

18/1

Successful 4 times during a real purple patch last summer before the handicapper caught up with him in the autumn. Not much to shout about back over hurdles thereafter and possible he'll strip fitter for this first start for 4 months.

Form: 211806-

(5)

Dogged⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 8-4| J: Elle-May Croot⁽⁷⁾| T: R Menzies| OR: 59| D

10/3

10/1, improved on recent efforts to win 12-runner handicap at Ripon (8f, soft) 7 days ago by ¾ length from Hortzadar, well ridden. Not taken lightly.

Form: 3003-71

Forecasts

Dogged (10/3), Hortzadar (9/2), Pillar Of Hope (13/2), Crownthorpe (13/2), Challet (13/2), Ibiza Rocks (17/2), Crown Princess (10/1), King Of York (16/1), Temper Trap (18/1), Emperor Caradoc (20/1), Golden Sands (28/1)

HORTZADAR marked himself down as one to be interested in from his career-low mark when ¾-length second of 12 to Dogged in handicap at Ripon (1m) 7 days ago, having been caught further back than ideal. He gets the nod to reverse those placings here, with the latter-named a lead threat nevertheless. Ibiza Rocks and Emperor Caradoc are others to consider.