12:00 Chelmsford City

Saturday 13 April 2024

All10:0010:3011:0011:3012:0012:3013:05

Best Odds Guaranteed At bet365 Handicap

Off time: 12:00 | Winning time: 3m 3.74s

(5)

Buxted Too³²

Age: 6| Weight: 9-13| J: R Kingscote| T: Ian Williams| OR: 73| C

10/1

Course winner. Five wins from 11 runs last year. Stopped the slide back up in trip with headgear refitted when fourth of 7 in handicap (25/1) at Southwell (12.1f) 32 days ago, not knocked about. Not one to write off from this reduced mark.

Form: 00-9074

(10)

Animato^t1,v³²

Age: 5| Weight: 9-11| J: Jason Watson| T: D O'Meara| OR: 71

17/2

Again ran below form when fifth of 7 in handicap (13/2) at Southwell (12.1f) 32 days ago. Visor back on, tongue strap on 1st time. Must bounce back.

Form: 58-5305

(11)

Star Legend^p¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 9-11| J: A J Farragher| T: James Owen| OR: 71

11/2

Winning hurdler. 80/1, ran well making Flat/handicap debut for this yard after 4 months off when ½-length third of 16 to Merrijig at this C&D 15 days ago. Can make presence felt nudged up 1 lb.

Form: 7305/3

(9)

Greatness Awaits^b1¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 9-10| J: Callum Hutchinson⁽³⁾| T: B Pauling| OR: 70

13/2

Creditable 3 lengths fifth of 16 to Merrijig in handicap at this C&D (16/1) 15 days ago, short of room and stumbling over 1f out. Blinkers on 1st time.

Form: 24621/5

(6)

Cahersiveen^p1¹⁸⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-9| J: Daniel Muscutt| T: R Menzies| OR: 70

25/1

8/1, first run since leaving K. J. Condon when tailed-off last of 4 in maiden at Pontefract (12f, good to soft). First run for yard after leaving Ollie Sangster (18,000 gns). Makes handicap debut.

Form: 954-

(4)

Anisoptera^p¹⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 9-7| J: Marco Ghiani| T: B R Johnson| OR: 67

5/1

Cheekpieces on for 1st time, back to form when 3 lengths fourth of 16 to Merrijig in handicap (40/1) at this C&D 15 days ago. Vulnerable to less-exposed sorts, however.

Form: 257-254

(8)

Major Major¹²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: Alec Voikhansky⁽⁵⁾| T: R Hannon| OR: 68

5/1

9/2, ran creditably after 5 months off when fourth of 10 in handicap at Wolverhampton (12.2f) 12 days ago. Can step up on that effort here.

Form: 11443-4

(7)

Mickydee²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 9-3| J: D C Costello| T: D Faulkner| OR: 63

40/1

Finished closer down in grade but didn't achieve anything particularly solid in a muddling event after 13 months off when fifth of 6 in handicap (25/1) at Wolverhampton (14f) 4 weeks ago, well positioned. Tough to fancy.

Form: 2536/9-5

(2)

Placated⁶⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 8-13| J: George Wood| T: Dr J D Scargill| OR: 59

9/2

6/1, again ran well but found a single rival too good for the third race in succession in 12-runner handicap at Lingfield (13f, AW) 68 days ago. In the mix returning from a break.

Form: 5582-22

(3)

Baileys Warrior^p,h¹¹

Age: 6| Weight: 8-8| J: Ethan Jones⁽⁷⁾| T: D Faulkner| OR: 54

11/1

Sole win from 27 Flat runs came at Lingfield in February. Creditable fourth of 12 in handicap (4/1) at Wolverhampton (16.6f) 11 days ago. Deserves credit for consistency but others preferred for win purposes.

Form: 222154

Non-Runners

(1)

Merrijig¹⁵

Weight: 9-8| Age: 6

T: John Berry J: David Probert

Forecasts

Merrijig (7/2), Placated (9/2), Anisoptera (5/1), Major Major (5/1), Star Legend (11/2), Greatness Awaits (13/2), Animato (17/2), Buxted Too (10/1), Baileys Warrior (11/1), Cahersiveen (25/1), Mickydee (40/1)

A few in with a squeak but MERRIJIG is a progressive stayer and having returned from 6 months off with a really likeable effort on all-weather debut over C&D last month, John Berry's lightly-raced 6-y-o gets the vote to complete the hat-trick at the expense of Star Legend, who was narrowly behind the selection in third last time. Placated and Buxted Too can do battle for minor honours.