17:25 Thirsk

Saturday 20 May 2023

All13:5714:3215:0715:4216:1716:5217:2517:58

Sky Bet BuildABet Handicap (Div 1)

Off time: 17:26 | Winning time: 1m 39.67s

(1)

Mobashr^h¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 9-11| J: Alistair Rawlinson| T: M Appleby| OR: 77| D

25/1

Failed to build on reappearance when last of 8 in handicap at Kempton (7f) 17 days ago. Still early days for these connections but has work to do with hood back on.

Form: 6693-68

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(3)

Shamekh¹⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-10| J: T Eaves| T: J Ferguson| OR: 76

16/1

Landed the odds in 7f maiden at Leicester in July on his final run for Saeed Bin Suroor. Perhaps unsuited by softer conditions when when fifth of 6 in handicap (11/2) at Windsor (10f, soft) 19 days ago. Not fully ruled out back dack down in trip.

Form: 7331-5

(5)

Cosmos Raj¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 9-9| J: Jason Watson| T: D O'Meara| OR: 75| D

12/1

Ran no sort of race when last of 7 in handicap at Doncaster (7f, heavy) 14 days ago. Back to a potentially lenient mark but has good deal to prove after poor show last time.

Form: 4540-67

(12)

He's A Gentleman^b1¹⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 9-8| J: P Hanagan| T: H Palmer| OR: 74| D

16/1

Supported in market but ran below form on return at Chelmsford and fared no better when failing to beat a rival at Chester last week. Blinkers now go on but he's hard to fancy on recent showings.

Form: 1530-90

(7)

Cliffcake⁴⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 9-8| J: Lewis Edmunds| T: S R Bowring| OR: 74| C| D

7/1

Won 6 of his first 10 starts for this yard. Went with little fluency when eleventh of 12 in handicap at Doncaster (7f, heavy) 48 days ago but ground rates as plausible excuse that day and he's down to handy mark.

Form: 14409-0

(9)

Devilwala^p¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 9-6| J: Jason Hart| T: T D Easterby| OR: 72| D

18/1

Won at Chester in second half of 2022 but down the field all 4 outings since, including on reappearance over C&D (heavy) 14 days ago.

Form: 2107-00

(8)

El Bello²²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-6| J: J Garritty| T: M Walford| OR: 72

22/1

Went wrong way after winning twice on AW early last year and fared no better either outing after joining this yard. Lots to prove after 7 months off.

Form: 167870-

(11)

Little Jo^p⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 9-4| J: Rowan Scott| T: G Tutty| OR: 70| CD

11/2

Snapped a losing run in 7-runner handicap at Redcar (1m, good to soft, 11/4) early in the month before following up at short odds in 5-runner event at Nottingham (8.3f, heavy) 8 days ago. Leading player.

Form: 6-70011

(6)

Arranmore^p²³⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 9-3| J: P Mulrennan| T: Mrs Dianne Sayer| OR: 69| DWS

11/1

No win since summer 2021, though was runner-up on penultimate outing last year. Down the field on his stable debut at Nottingham last time and others are more persuasive.

Form: 765207-

(2)

Copper And Five¹⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 9-3| J: Joanna Mason| T: Mrs R Carr| OR: 69| D

7/2

Thirteen runs since last win in 2021. Creditable fourth of 7 in handicap (13/2) at Pontefract (8f, good to soft) 17 days ago. Drops in grade here and merits consideration from much-reduced mark.

Form: 0404-84

(10)

Menelaus⁴⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 8-13| J: Connor Beasley| T: M & D Easterby| OR: 65

3/1

Yet to get his head in front but capable of doing so judged on several pieces of form, not least when a close-up third of 14 on handicap debut over a mile at Ayr last season. Should have come on for his Doncaster return.

Form: 43076-8

(4)

Sparkle In His Eye²⁹⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 8-11| J: Aiden Brookes⁽⁵⁾| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 63| D

18/1

Five wins from 19 Flat runs, most recently at Musselburgh in June. 7/1, fourth of 7 in handicap at Pontefract (8f, good). Off 9 months. Place claims if tuned up for return.

Form: 616144-

Forecasts

Menelaus (3/1), Copper And Five (7/2), Little Jo (11/2), Cliffcake (7/1), Arranmore (11/1), Cosmos Raj (12/1), He's A Gentleman (16/1), Shamekh (16/1), Devilwala (18/1), Sparkle In His Eye (18/1), El Bello (22/1), Mobashr (25/1)

COPPER AND FIVE is more than a stone lower in the weights than this time last season and shaped well with a recent run under his belt at Doncaster last time, so is fancied to score for the first time since September 2021. Little Jo is enjoying an Indian summer at the age of 9 but a 6 lb rise for winning a weak contest at Nottingham last week asks for more, whilst Menelaus is entitled to be sharper for his return and should prove competitive from this sort of mark.