TrustATrader You Can Trust Our Traders Handicap

Off time: 16:28 | Winning time: 1m 51.41s

(4)

Nellie Leylax¹⁹⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-9| J: Pierre-Louis Jamin| T: Tom Dascombe| OR: 87| C

11/4

Fairly useful at 2 yrs, winning 3 times at up to 7f on soft/heavy. Wasn't disgraced when fourth in a valuable big-field minor event at York when last seen in October (gelded since) but looks vulnerable under top-weight back from a 6-month break. Engaged 1.50 Sandown Friday.

Form: 541144-

(1)

Aragon Castle^t²⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-7| J: Jason Watson| T: A M Balding| OR: 85

4/1

Off the mark at Epsom last summer and acquitted himself well in 3 subsequent starts as a 2-y-o. Failed to fire on return at Bath (first run since being gelded) but that spin will have blown away the cobwebs and it's likely that he'll be much sharper this time.

Form: 71284-5

(2)

Offer And Receive²¹⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-2| J: Shane Gray| T: K R Burke| OR: 80| D

7/2

Overcame greenness to make a winning debut at Hamilton last August. Still didn't look the finished article when third in a 1m Ayr novice the following month (gelded since) and he's open to improvement now handicapping. Engaged 4.45 Sandown Friday.

Form: 13-

(5)

Invincible Aura⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 9-2| J: Rossa Ryan| T: M Botti| OR: 80| D

10/1

Opened his account in 1m Southwell maiden in March before performing reasonably well in a decent handicap at Wolverhampton. Ran no sort of a race back on turf at Epsom on Tuesday but probably worth another chance back on a more conventional track/slower ground.

Form: 203-140

(3)

Von Baer¹⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-2| J: S M Levey| T: B J Meehan| OR: 80

9/4

Improved with each of his 3 starts at 2 yrs and returned to action with a creditable third on handicap debut at Kempton (7f) earlier this month. Improvement could be on the way returned to turf (proven on soft/heavy) and upped to a mile.

Form: 523-3

Forecasts

Von Baer (9/4), Nellie Leylax (11/4), Offer And Receive (7/2), Aragon Castle (4/1), Invincible Aura (10/1)

This looks like a good opportunity for VON BAER to open his account, The Brian Meehan-trained colt achieved a pretty useful level of form last season and his reappearance third at Kempton was encouraging. Aragon Castle was well below par on return at Bath but can be expected to leave that behind here and he is feared most. Offer And Receive is open to improvement and should also have a part to play if he takes his chance (due to run at Sandown on Friday).