17:36 Cartmel

Saturday 26 August 2023

All14:1514:5015:2516:0016:3617:0617:36

Fitzdares Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 17:36 | Winning time: 6m 32.51s

Aramax^p,t²⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: R P McLernon| T: B Haslam| OR: 138| CD

5/2

Winner of the Fred Winter at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival and gained a first hurdle success since then when comfortably scoring over C&D in May. Followed up at (23.3f, good) since and, though up another 5 lb, he needs considering.

Form: 7732-11

Francky Du Berlais^t³⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 11-6| J: S Bowen| T: P & M Bowen| OR: 130

12/1

Eye-catching third in a 21.4f handicap chase at Market Rasen in June and shaped better than the bare result over the same C&D next time. Resumes in this sphere on a potentially handy mark and couldn't rule out.

Form: 05R0-30

Judicial Law³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: Jonjo O'Neill Jr.| T: J & A O'Neill| OR: 127| BF| D

4/1

Returned to form when winning a Worcester handicap in May and followed up at Huntingdon 15 days later. Failed in his hat-trick bid over 2¾m here (heavy) last month but that was still a creditable effort and he needs considering.

Form: 845-113

Dallas Des Pictons^b⁹¹

Age: 10| Weight: 10-10| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: Mrs Dianne Sayer| OR: 120

40/1

Useful hurdler/chaser at his best but appears to be on the decline judged on what he's shown in 4 starts since returning from a break/wind op in March.

Form: 7P93P-5

Alqamar³⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 10-5| J: B S Hughes| T: James Moffatt| OR: 115| C

9/1

Completed a four-timer in 2021, with 3 wins here (all at 17.2f). Out of luck since and while he continues to slide down the weights (now 14 lb below last winning mark), others make more appeal.

Form: 070-537

Mr Yeats^p²³

Age: 6| Weight: 10-4| J: Bradley Harris⁽⁵⁾| T: M F Harris| OR: 114

6/1

Won a trio of handicap hurdles last season and has returned in good form this year, placed on all but one of his 5 starts since resuming at the end of May. Trip/ground no problem and likely to be on the premises once more.

Form: 4-63222

Hoganville²³

Age: 6| Weight: 10-3| J: Jonathon Bewley| T: G Bewley| OR: 113

9/1

Has done well in handicap hurdles for this yard, scoring for a fourth time at Kelso (22.7f, good to soft) in May. Easy to forgive a rare below-par effort last time and he has to enter calculations.

Form: 13P-135

Our Sam^t⁵⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 10-2| J: Danny McMenamin| T: James Moffatt| OR: 110| CD

7/2

Carlisle winner back from a break in February. Only fourth behind Aramax over C&D on penultimate start but bettered that when narrowly prevailing back here (good to soft) last time and shouldn't be far away.

Form: 7219-41

Non-Runners

Presenting Yeats²⁰

Weight: 10-2| Age: 7

T: M F Harris J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Aramax (5/2), Our Sam (7/2), Judicial Law (4/1), Mr Yeats (6/1), Hoganville (9/1), Alqamar (9/1), Francky Du Berlais (12/1), Presenting Yeats (16/1), Dallas Des Pictons (40/1)

HOGANVILLE is pretty reliable on the whole, so it's probably safe to assume that his latest display at Stratford was simply a case of a 'bad day at the office'. He remains on a fair mark, 3 lb higher than for his Kelso success during the spring, and is taken to regain the winning thread here. Judicial Law and Mr Yeats are both in good form and merit respect, while the hat-trick seeking Aramax is another to consider.