16:35 Thirsk

Saturday 5 August 2023

All14:1514:5015:2516:0016:3517:10

Ohana Marquees Handicap

Off time: 16:35 | Winning time: 1m 2.38s

(7)

Mattice^p¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 9-12| J: D Fentiman| T: T D Easterby| OR: 77| D

11/1

Eleven runs since last win in 2022. 9/2, fourth of 6 in handicap at Pontefract (5f, good) 15 days ago. Likely to find one or two too good once more.

Form: 694434

(6)

Speedacus^v⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-11| J: D Tudhope| T: D O'Meara| OR: 76| D

4/1

Two wins from 6 runs this year, the latest at Doncaster in July. 15/2, below form seventh of 19 in handicap at York (5f, good) 7 days ago. Big player if he puts his best foot forward.

Form: 715717

(4)

Le Beau Garcon^v1⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-9| J: Shane Gray| T: M & D Easterby| OR: 74| D

8/1

Respectable sixth of 16 in handicap at York (6f, good, 12/1) 8 days ago, nearest finish. Visor on 1st time and will be a threat off this mark if responding well to the new headgear.

Form: 8-03346

(8)

Seantrabh⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 9-9| J: Harrison Shaw| T: D Carroll| OR: 77| D

5/1

Respectable fifth of 13 in handicap at York (5.4f, good, 5/1) 8 days ago. Not without each-way hope but some of these make more appeal from a win point of view.

Form: 91-4495

(1)

Lotus Rose^p²⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-8| J: Jonny Peate⁽³⁾| T: R Fell & S Murray| OR: 73| CD

25/1

C&D winner in June. Fifth of 7 in handicap (16/1) at Doncaster (5f, firm) 29 days ago. Probably a shade too high in the weights for now.

Form: 8-03515

(3)

Huddle Up¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 9-8| J: S H James| T: T D Barron| OR: 73| BF| D

8/1

5/2, respectable third of 6 in handicap at Hamilton (5f, good) 15 days ago. Holding his form well and conditions won't be a problem, so it's easy enough to envisage this 5-y-o playing a leading role.

Form: 253333

(5)

Ecclesiastical^p⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 9-3| J: P J McDonald| T: T Davidson| OR: 68| D

5/2

Latest win at Chester in June. Good second of 19 in handicap (13/2) at York (5f, good) 7 days ago. Cheekpieces back on and likely to be in the thick of things once more.

Form: 511332

(9)

Good Luck Fox²²

Age: 7| Weight: 9-3| J: Connor Beasley| T: P T Midgley| OR: 68| CD

16/1

C&D winner. 28/1, seventeenth of 18 in handicap at York (5f, good) 22 days ago. Has fallen to a workable mark but looks vulnerable all the same.

Form: 0-02550

(2)

Astapor⁶^{(ex 5)}

Age: 5| Weight: 9-1| J: Brandon Wilkie⁽⁷⁾| T: J Riches| OR: 61| D

10/1

Four wins from 10 runs this year. Career best when winning 8-runner handicap at Pontefract (5f, good to soft, 5/2) 6 days ago, keeping on well. More will be needed here under a penalty.

Form: 172131

Forecasts

Ecclesiastical (5/2), Speedacus (4/1), Seantrabh (5/1), Le Beau Garcon (8/1), Huddle Up (8/1), Astapor (10/1), Mattice (11/1), Good Luck Fox (16/1), Lotus Rose (25/1)

LE BEAU GARCON has yet to add to his two wins as a 2-y-o, but he arrives on the back of a string of decent efforts in big-field handicaps and is appealing off a career-low mark with a visor enlisted. An on-song Speedacus would be a serious threat, while consistent duo Huddle Up and Ecclesiastical both need considering. Astapor is in good form, but this is tougher than the race he recently landed at Pontefract.