Racecards
15:15 Kempton Park
William Hill Dovecote Novices' Hurdle (Grade 2) (Class 1)
- 5 Runners
- Distance: 2m
- Going: Good, Good to Soft in places
- Surface: Turf
- £27,500 added
- Winner: £15,661
- 2nd: £5,877
- 3rd: £2,942
- 4th: £1,466
- Form 766111
- Age 6
- Weight 11-9
- Official Rating 146
- Trainer Miss V Williams
- Jockey Aidan Coleman
led at steady pace, quickened appraching 2 out, hit 2 out, headed and outpaced last, no chance with easy winner, kept on well for 2nd
- Form 114
- Age 8
- Weight 11-6
- Official Rating 138
- Trainer N J Henderson
- Jockey B J Geraghty
took keen hold early, tracked leader, quickened to lead last, soon clear, easily
- Age 6
- Weight 11-2
- Trainer N J Henderson
- Jockey Andrew Tinkler
took keen hold, held up last, not fluent 2nd, mistake 3 out, closed before 2 out, weakened soon after 2 out, went left last
- Form 231
- Age 6
- Weight 11-2
- Official Rating 120
- Trainer A King
- Jockey R Thornton
took keen hold early, held up in 4th, effort to dispute 3rd between last two, weakened before last
- Form 2
- Age 4
- Weight 10-7
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey Ruby Walsh
took keen hold early, tracked leading pair, pushed along and not quicken approaching 2 out, stayed on same pace approaching last
Previous results
In depth
Verdict
Brick Red has rattled up a hat-trick in handicaps since the turn of the year but has to give weight to some potentially decent novices here and may be found wanting. Forgotten Voice may have needed the run when fourth to Whitby Jack here last month while Nicky Henderson also runs Black Spirit, a Group 3 winner on the Flat last year. He'll enjoy the better ground but so will FAIR TRADE, who has already shown plenty of promise over timber at Ascot and Newbury and beat a useful field in a jumpers' bumper here last month. Fancied for the Supreme Novices' at Cheltenham, he'll have to win this to earn his place. Lac Fontana was only beaten two lengths by Chatterbox on his hurdling debut at Newbury and will be winning soon but Flat winner Figaro hasn't run since finishing tailed off in last year's Northumberland Plate, though this is his ground.
Formwatch
Brick Red 5-2fav (11-12) Mid-division, headway after 3rd, not fluent when close up 3 out, led before next where jumped left, went left and not fluent last, driven out, won at Musselburgh 2m hcp hdl 0-145 (2) gs beating Constant Contact (11-5) by 3 1/2l, 10 ran.
Forgotten Voice (IRE) 5-2fav (11-7) Pulled hard, restrained in rear, mistake 2nd, headway to chase chase leaders and still keen 3 out, ridden in 4th before blundered and weakened 2 out, left modest 4th and slightly hampered last, 4th of 11, 15l behind Whitby Jack (10-5) at Kempton 2m hcp hdl 0-140 (3) sft in Jan.
Black Spirit (USA) 13-2 (9-8) Mid-division, ridden in 8th 2f out, no impression, 8th of 12, 7l behind Declaration Of War (9-3) at Dundalk 1m 3f Group 3 stks (3yo+) (1) pol in Oct (flat).
Fair Trade 5-1 (11-4) Held up towards rear, headway on inner over 3f out, ridden to lead inside final furlong, stayed on strongly, won at Kempton 2m n h flat (4) std in Jan beating Pearl Swan (11-4) by 2 1/2l, 14 ran.
Lac Fontana (FR) 11-8 (10-6) Held up in mid-division, mistake 2nd, making steady headway on inside when hampered and lost momentum after 2 out, soon switched right, rallied approaching last, went 2nd last, kept on flat, no impression on winner, 2nd of 12, 2l behind Chatterbox (11-8) at Newbury 2m nh nov hdl (3) sft.
Figaro 16-1 (8-6) Led, headed over 4f out, soon weakened, last of 16, well behind Ile De Re (9-3) at Newcastle 2m hcp (2) hvy in Jun (flat).