Racecards
19:00 Ffos Las
Sinclair Volkswagen Novices' Chase (Class 4)
- 5 Runners
- Distance: 2m
- Going: Good to Firm, Good in places
- Surface: Turf
- £5,000 added
- Winner: £3,252
- 2nd: £955
- 3rd: £478
- 4th: £238
- Form 47/06-12
- Age 7
- Weight 11-5
- Trainer Miss E C Lavelle
- Jockey Stephen O'donovan
prominent, mistake 3rd, not fluent 6th, mistake next, lost touch with leading pair from 9th
- Form 7131P-1
- Age 7
- Weight 11-5
- Official Rating 113
- Trainer P & M Bowen
- Jockey T J O'Brien
tracked leaders, went 2nd 7th, challenged next, mistake next, soon ridden, jumped left and stayed on well enough from 3 out, always held by winner
- Form 3065-61
- Age 6
- Weight 11-5
- Official Rating 114
- Trainer C W J Farrell
- Jockey P J Brennan
held up, jumped big early, not fluent when moved into 4th 5th, bad mistake and weakened 7th, pulled up before 4 out
- Form P18629-
- Age 8
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer Miss R Curtis
- Jockey A P McCoy
made all, mistake 2nd, pushed out flat, readily
- Form 2P6330-
- Age 10
- Weight 10-12
- Official Rating 118
prominent until after 4th, last and struggling next, jumped left and lost touch 8th, tailed off
Verdict
Oceana Gold only dead-heated at Plumpton in April and was beaten by the modest Hi Tide at Huntingdon last month. Selskar won on his debut over fences at Cork and is open to improvement, however, while Pure Faith proved too strong for Ruthenoise at Aintree last month and should win more races. But Peter Bowen's gelding was rated 17lb inferior to BLACK JACK BLUES over hurdles and has to give 7lb to Rebecca Curtis' eight-year-old here. Second to subsequent Aintree Hurdle winner Oscar Whisky over timber here in February, AP McCoy's mount has the size to make a chaser and should make a winning start.
Formwatch
Oceana Gold 8-11fav (11-5) Tracked leaders, mistake 3rd, led 3 out, ridden and headed approaching last, not pace of winner, 2nd of 4, 4l behind Hi Tide (10-12) at Huntingdon 2m nov chs (4) gf in May.
Pure Faith (IRE) 11-4 (10-12) Tracked leading pair, went 2nd 8th, led after 4 out, ridden approaching last, stayed on, won at Aintree 2m nov chs (4) gd in May beating Ruthenoise (10-2) by 7l, 5 ran.
Selskar (IRE) 16-1 (11-12) Towards rear, some headway entering straight, ridden to go 4th 2 out, kept on well under pressure run-in to lead closing stages, won at Cork 2m 1f beg chase gd in May beating Commandment (11-12) by 3/4l, 14 ran.
Black Jack Blues (IRE) 14-1 (11-7) Led, not fluent 6th, ridden and headed after 2 out, weakened approaching last, 9th of 10, 28l behind My Shamwari (10-3) at Cheltenham 2m 4f hcp hdl (2) gd in Apr.
Nordwind (IRE) 14-1 (11-4) Held up towards rear, ridden after 4 out, weakened before next, 11th of 12, well behind Maska Pony (11-5) at Wetherby 2m hcp hdl 0-135 (3) gd in Oct.