15:55 Uttoxeter

Friday 26 July 2024

All13:4014:1014:4515:2015:5516:3017:0517:35

Malcolm Harrison Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:56 | Winning time: 3m 53.13s

Ambassador^v¹⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: Joshua Thompson⁽⁷⁾| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 100| CD

13/2

Arrives in good form, blinkers replacing usual visor when sixth of 12 in handicap hurdle at Market Rasen (16.6f, good to firm) 19 days ago. Last year's winner must enter calculations.

Form: 148-146

Laser Focus^t³¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-11| J: Alex Chadwick⁽⁵⁾| T: James Owen| OR: 97

11/8

A fair maiden hurdler in 2023 but scored twice on the Flat this summer for his current yard and has continued in very good form. Most interesting returning to this sphere off a workable mark.

Form: 552444-

Phoenix Aquilus¹⁸⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-11| J: James Bowen| T: J W Mullins| OR: 97| D

8/1

In decent nick over hurdles but only eighth on the Flat at Kempton 6 months ago on his final run for Seamus Durack. Needs to bounce back for his new handler.

Form: 0P/0323-

Baikal^p,t⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-9| J: Lee Edwards| T: A West| OR: 95| D

20/1

Won a maiden and handicap over 2m in 2023 but hasn't show much spark since. Cheekpieces are reached for.

Form: 781P-68

Lucky Lover Boy^p,t³⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 11-7| J: Henry Brooke| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero| OR: 93| CD

15/2

C&D winner in June but only seventh of 10 in handicap hurdle at Worcester (16f, good) 37 days ago. Sort to bounce back.

Form: 853-617

Summer Night City^p²²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-6| J: J M Quinlan| T: B Brookhouse| OR: 96| D

14/1

Landed 4-runner juvenile hurdle at Hereford last October but off since a well-held fourth at Ayr two months later. More is required on his handicap debut after an absence.

Form: 314-

Mountain Lake⁴³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-6| J: C J Todd| T: S Allwood| OR: 96

66/1

A fair maiden on the Flat but yet to match that form in this sphere, only eighth of 11 on his handicap hurdle debut at Worcester (20f, good to soft) 43 days ago. Back down in trip with work to do.

Form: 34-P8

Gerard Mentor^t,v²⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-6| J: J J Burke| T: K Bailey & M Nicholls| OR: 92| D

15/2

Winless since scoring 4 times in 2022 and only sixth of ten in 2m Worcester handicap 25 days ago. Others appeal more.

Form: 690-466

Motazzen^b,t⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Brendan Powell| T: Miss H C Knight| OR: 90

10/1

A fair winner at 14f on Flat but only modest form shown over hurdles, seventh of 12 on his handicap hurdle debut at Newton Abbot last time. Hard to warm to.

Form: 04P-7

Virginia Lodge²⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-3| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 93| D

28/1

Lightly-raced 2m winner over hurdles. Had wind op before coming in only ninth of 10 in handicap hurdle at Worcester (16f, good to firm) 25 days ago. Needs to bounce back.

Form: 01P7-9

We Got Your Back^p1³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-1| J: Adam Wedge| T: L Morgan| OR: 87

16/1

Winless over hurdles but not disgraced back in this sphere (didn't take to chasing) when sixth of 9 in handicap at Market Rasen (20.6f, good to firm) 35 days ago. Needs to build on it with cheekpieces added.

Form: 229-966

Non-Runners

Kirkuila¹⁸

Weight: 11-4| Age: 4

T: G Brown J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Laser Focus (11/8), Ambassador (13/2), Lucky Lover Boy (15/2), Gerard Mentor (15/2), Phoenix Aquilus (8/1), Motazzen (10/1), Summer Night City (14/1), We Got Your Back (16/1), Baikal (20/1), Virginia Lodge (28/1), Kirkuila (33/1), Mountain Lake (66/1)

LASER FOCUS has thrived on the Flat this summer under the expert tutelage of James Owen and gets a confident vote to return in style to hurdling off a lenient mark. Ambassador took this contest 12 months ago and rates the main danger ahead of recent C&D winner Lucky Lover Boy.