Racecards
14:30 Folkestone
Eastwell Manor Novices' Handicap Chase (Class E)
- 6 Runners
- Distance: 2m
- Going: Soft, Heavy in places
- Form 6-PP212
- Age 10
- Weight 11-12
in touch, effort to chase leaders after 3 out, one pace and held next, took 3rd last
- Form 21-23F3
- Age 5
- Weight 11-12
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey Ruby Walsh
held up in rear, smooth headway to track leading pair after 3 out, shaken up to lead soon after 2 out, driven last, kept on flat
Just A Touch
18- Form 524-3P3
- Age 8
- Weight 11-6
- Trainer P Winkworth
- Jockey L P Aspell
tracked leaders, went 2nd after 5th to 3 out, soon weakened
- Form 235-301
- Age 8
- Weight 11-5
- Trainer B G Powell
- Jockey Timmy Murphy
pulled hard early, tracked leader to 5th, prominent, went 2nd again 3 out, weakened before next, blundered and lost poor 3rd last
- Form 003-033
- Age 7
- Weight 11-3
not always fluent, led, reminder after 6th, driven along from next, headed soon after 2 out, one pace before last, kept on flat
- Form 561PP4
- Age 6
- Weight 10-2
- Trainer P Ritchens
- Jockey T Doyle
behind until blundered and lost touch 8th, tailed off when pulled up before last
Verdict
Great Travel hails from a top yard but may be best watched after two dismal runs over fences and Billywill gets the vote ahead of My Galliano. This ten-year-old won a moderate event at Hereford in December and wasn't disgraced next time when a close second behind Point Of Origin at Huntingdon, today's opposition doesn't appear to be too strong and he can regain the winning thread. My Galliano does at least boast recent winning form, the victory came at Huntingdon on Boxing day when comfortably accounting for Runner Bean. Great Travel has been taking on decent opponents, he fell in a Cheltenham race won by Puntal, and was then well beaten at Warwick behind Water Squirl, he may improve but is difficult to fancy today. It is a weak contest and we will take Billywill to give weight and a beating to his rivals.