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15:38 Fontwell Park

John And Maryanne Birch Memorial Handicap Hurdle (Class 5)

  • 9 Runners
  • Distance: 2m 1f 162y
  • Going: Soft (Good to Soft in places)
  • Surface: Turf
  • £5,844 added
  • Winner: £2,794
  • 2nd: £820
  • 3rd: £410
  • 4th: £350
Weighed In
  • Winning Time: 4m 56.37s
  • Off Time: 15:38:55
  • 9 Ran
1
Silk - Yellow and pink (quartered), pink sleeves, yellow diamonds, yellow cap, pink stars
  • Form 53284
  • Age 6
  • Weight 12-4
  • Official Rating 102

held up towards rear, headway on outside 2 out, ridden when hit last, one pace flat

2
Silk - Black, Red braces, armlets and cap
7/1
  • Form 764-224
  • Age 8
  • Weight 12-3
  • Official Rating 101

midfield, ridden before 2 out, weakened before last

3
Silk - Yellow, brown chevrons, brown and yellow quartered cap
11/10
  • Form 170-608
  • Age 5
  • Weight 11-12
  • Official Rating 96

tracked leader, blundered 3rd and relegated to midfield, chased leaders 6th, ridden approaching 2 out, led approaching last, stayed on strongly under pressure flat

4
Silk - Yellow, dark blue disc, yellow and emerald green diabolo on sleeves, emerald green cap, yellow diamond

Embole (FR)

454 ht
11/2
  • Form 7P/8756-
  • Age 6
  • Weight 11-9
  • Official Rating 93

held up in rear, still towards rear but in touch travelling strongly 2 out, smooth headway to chase leader before last, ridden and no extra flat

5
Silk - Royal Blue, White sash, White sleeves, Royal Blue armlets, Red cap
11/2
  • Form 7089-
  • Age 5
  • Weight 11-7
  • Official Rating 91

prominent, jumped right 1st, pulled up quickly after 3rd

6
Silk - Dark Blue, Red disc, diabolo on sleeves, quartered cap
16/1
  • Form 545
  • Age 3
  • Weight 10-13
  • Official Rating 97

held up, ridden approaching 2 out where not fluent, one pace from last

8
Silk - Royal Blue, Yellow hoops and armlets
9/1
  • Form 3P88/7P-
  • Age 6
  • Weight 10-12
  • Official Rating 82

held up, raced alone on inside back straight, ridden in rear before 2 out, headway to chase leaders last, no extra flat

9
Silk - Grey and dark blue stripes, diamonds on sleeves, grey cap, dark blue star
  • Form 3314-43
  • Age 12
  • Weight 10-12
  • Official Rating 82

chased leader, close up under pressure 2 out, weakened quickly before last

10
Silk - Hunting Robertson Tartan, Red and Green hooped cap
100/1
  • Form 0FU2F/9-
  • Age 11
  • Weight 10-2
  • Official Rating 72

led, hit 6th, not fluent 3 out, narrow advantage 2 out, ridden and headed before last, weakened flat

7
NR
8/1
  • Form 1057-P0
  • Age 7
  • Weight 10-12
  • Official Rating 82

NonRunner

Previous results

In depth

Verdict

Flanagans Field is only a plater and in the veteran stage now but he’s capable of playing a part in a race like this. Hier Encore is eased in grade and is a past winner here with maiden Highway One another to consider. Fitness shouldn’t be an issue with Embole, though he may have preferred better ground. Flat winner HORATIO STAR may offer a bit of value facing his easiest task to date over timber as Cristal Spirit is going backwards.

Formwatch

Highway One (USA) 18-1 (11-6) Raced keenly in last pair, modest headway in 5th after 3 out, plugged on run-in, 4th of 8, 14 1/2l behind Mount Windsor (11-7) at Lingfield 2m hcp (4) sft in Nov.

Hier Encore (FR) 5-1 (10-0) In rear, shaken up at 6th, badly hampered 3 out, tailed off but kept on into modest 4th, 4th of 6, 32 3/4l behind Adicci (11-4) at Fontwell 2m 2f hcp (3) hvy in Nov.

Cristal Spirit 13-2 (11-1) Always behind, 8th of 10, 23 3/4l behind Glimpse Of Gold (11-4) at Fakenham 2m hcp (4) gd in Oct.

Embole (FR) 7-1 (11-12) Held up towards rear, driven after 3 out, headway last, never dangerous, 6th of 12, 5 1/4l behind Tingo In The Tale (10-8) at Uttoxeter 2m hcp (5) gd in Sep.

Horatio Star 50-1 (9-4) Tracked leader, pushed along over 2f out, ridden and weakened inside final furlong, last of 6, 12 1/2l behind Coltrane (8-11) at Newmarket 1m 6f hcp (3) gf in Aug.

Jan Wellens 40-1 (10-12) Last trio, pushed along in modest 5th before 3 out, plugging on but no chance when when hit next, 5th of 8, 16l behind Orchestral Rain (11-4) at Huntingdon 2m (4) gd in Nov.

Little Vern (IRE) 6-1 (10-13) Mid-division, jumped left 3rd, weakened 6 out, tailed off when pulled up after 4 out, at Exeter 2m 3f hcp (5) sft in Nov.

Flanagans Field (IRE) 5-1 (10-11) Chased leaders, went second before 2 out, ridden to challenge before last, lost second flat, kept on one pace, 3rd of 10, 2 3/4l behind Devious Dicks Dame (10-2) at Plumpton 2m hcp (5) hvy in Nov.

Jappeloup (IRE) 66-1 (10-2) Led 1st, not fluent 2nd, headed 5th, led next, headed 3 out, soon weakened, last of 9, dist behind Timely Gift (10-3) at Plumpton 3m 1f hcp (5) sft in Nov.

Gris De Pron (FR) 10-1 (10-6) Prominent, short of room when ridden and weakening turn for home, tailed off before 3 out, 11th of 13, dist behind Del Duque (11-12) at Uttoxeter 2m 4f hcp (5) gd in Aug.