14:55 Newmarket

Friday 1 May 2026

All13:4514:2014:5515:3016:0516:4017:15

Betfred 'The Classic Bookmaker' Handicap

Off time: 14:56 | Winning time: 1m 38.33s

(5)

Vincenzo Peruggia²⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-11| J: D Egan| T: C Johnston| OR: 92

9/1

Ready winner of 7.5f Beverley novice (good to firm) last summer. Excuses when well beaten in the Group 2 Vintage at Goodwood on his final 2-y-o start and resumed his progression when length second of 6 on 1m Musselburgh reappearance 27 days ago. Appeals as one who can carry on improving.

Form: 310-2

(1)

Zennor Storm¹⁴⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-10| J: Tom Marquand| T: W J Haggas| OR: 91| D

10/1

Mohaather colt who won a 7f maiden and 1m novice on Kempton's all-weather towards the end of 2025. Makes handicap and turf debut on return. Useful prospect.

Form: 11-

(2)

Objector⁹⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 9-9| J: H Crouch| T: George Scott| OR: 90

15/2

Looked useful when going 2-2 in novices over 8.5f at Wolverhampton around the turn of the year. Switches to turf for his handicap debut after 98 days off. Another in this field who should have more to offer.

Form: 1-1

(4)

Fort Rock¹⁷⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-9| J: Connor Planas⁽³⁾| T: C Appleby| OR: 90

9/2

Wootton Bassett colt who was a narrow winner of a pair of 7f Kempton novices last autumn. The runner-up in those races have boosted the form since. Very useful prospect for top yard.

Form: 11-

(3)

Elan D'or¹⁴⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-8| J: S D Bowen| T: S C Williams| OR: 89| D

22/1

Ended 2025 with a pair of all-weather handicap wins but his mark went up a combined 15 lb and there's a suspicion he could be vulnerable to some of the many progressive sorts in this line up.

Form: 902211-

(6)

Lake Como³⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 9-8| J: Billy Loughnane| T: G Boughey| OR: 89| D

7/2

Has proved a revelation for new yard (purchased for 16,000 gns following debut for Aidan O'Brien), winning novice/handicap on all-weather in December. Improved again when third of 9 to 2000 Guineas candidate King's Trail in conditions race at Kempton (1m) in March. Of firm interest back in handicap.

Form: 88211-3

(7)

St Anton¹⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-1| J: Joe Leavy| T: R Hannon| OR: 82

4/1

Still a maiden but has improved with every start, keeping on for a promising third of 12 on C&D handicap debut/reappearance 17 days ago. Likely to be in the thick of things from an unchanged mark.

Form: 322-3

(9)

Comic Hero²⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 8-11| J: Oisin Murphy| T: A M Balding| OR: 78| BF

7/1

Made it fourth time lucky when landing the odds in 7f Kempton novice in February. Beaten favourite in 1m Musselburgh handicap (good to soft) over Easter but it's still early days for leading stable.

Form: 732-15

(8)

Royal Bodyguard²²⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 8-4| J: S De Sousa| T: M L W Bell| OR: 71| D

10/1

Won a 1m Kempton nursery at the end of last summer but beaten twice off this mark in the autumn and looks vulnerable up against less-exposed sorts on reappearance. Has been gelded.

Form: 533132-

Forecasts

Lake Como (7/2), St Anton (4/1), Fort Rock (9/2), Comic Hero (7/1), Objector (15/2), Vincenzo Peruggia (9/1), Royal Bodyguard (10/1), Zennor Storm (10/1), Elan D'or (22/1)

A good 3-y-o handicap. LAKE COMO shaped well behind 2000 Guineas contender King's Trail in a Kempton conditions race last time and could be well treated back in a handicap. Unbeaten pair Fort Rock and Zennor Storm should have more to offer now moving into their first handicaps, while St Anton showed he can be very competitive from his mark when third at the Craven meeting.