Racecards
15:45 Leicester
Market Harborough Handicap Hurdle (Class 4)
- 9 Runners
- Distance: 2m
- Going: Good, Good to Firm in places
- Surface: Turf
- £5,000 added
- Winner: £3,249
- 2nd: £954
- 3rd: £477
- 4th: £238
- Form 112111
- Age 8
- Weight 11-7
- Official Rating 115
- Trainer J & S Quinn
- Jockey Dean Pratt
held up in touch, good headway 3 out, ridden and every chance next, stayed on flat
Castlerock
173- Form 382/50-2
- Age 7
- Weight 11-7
- Official Rating 115
- Trainer J & A O'Neill
- Jockey A P McCoy
prominent, joined leader 3rd, led 3 out, headed before next, soon weakened
- Form 11F0-98
- Age 4
- Weight 11-7
- Official Rating 115
- Trainer D Pipe
- Jockey T Scudamore
in touch, ridden 3 out, every chance when hit next, weakened last
- Form 726262
- Age 5
- Weight 11-5
- Official Rating 113
- Trainer K C Bailey
- Jockey Charles Greene
in touch, led before 2 out, hit 2 out, ridden and stayed on flat
- Form 554-130
- Age 4
- Weight 11-5
- Official Rating 113
- Trainer Mrs P Sly
- Jockey David England
in rear, headway 2 out, challenged winner next, ridden and stayed on flat
- Form 7812-22
- Age 5
- Weight 11-2
- Official Rating 110
- Trainer B J Llewellyn
- Jockey Mr R J Williams
held up, headway 2 out, kept on to go 4th flat
- Form 715/656-
- Age 6
- Weight 10-13
- Official Rating 107
- Trainer A W Carroll
- Jockey Lee Edwards
keen held up, in rear, ridden 3 out, headway next, kept on one pace
- Form 2264-45
- Age 7
- Weight 10-13
- Official Rating 107
- Trainer M H Tompkins
- Jockey Peter Carberry
prominent, ridden 4 out, weakened 2 out
Miereveld
20- Form 1344-P5
- Age 4
- Weight 10-1
- Official Rating 95
- Trainer S A Harris
- Jockey W T Kennedy
led, joined 3rd, ridden and headed 3 out, soon weakened
Verdict
Folk Tune's form figures are impressive and he gets on well with claimer Dean Pratt but he's been confined to sellers and claimers recently and may find a few of these more resolute at the weights. Castlerock has to go on the short-list as he's lightly-raced and has the champion to do the steering, while Quiet Whisper was runner-up to Not Til Monday over C&D earlier this month and the latter's run earlier in the day will be a pointer to his chances. Zafranagar doesn't look badly handicapped and Astrolibra also has claims at the weights but the versatile TASTE THE WINE can take this. Amateur Robert Williams is good value for his 7lb claim, as he proved at Taunton earlier this week, and can get Bernard Llewellyn's five-year-old home in front here.
Formwatch
Folk Tune (IRE) 10-11fav (10-6) Held up in 4th, headway approaching 4 out, joined leaders going well next, shaken up to lead flat, kept on, won at Huntingdon 2m clm hdl (4) gd in Oct beating Pillar Of Hercules (9-12) by 1l, 8 ran.
Castlerock 11-2 (11-5) Held up in rear, headway 7th, soon chasing leaders, ridden to challenge approaching last, kept on same pace, 2nd of 9, 1 1/4l behind Red Not Blue (11-12) at Southwell 2m 4f hcp hdl 0-115 (4) gd in Jun.
Trop Fort (FR) 9-2 (10-9) Mid-division, ridden and weakened soon after 3 out, tailed off, 8th of 13, 49l behind Kusadiki (10-4) at Fontwell 2m 4f 4yo nov stks (4) hvy.
Quiet Whisper (IRE) 11-2 (10-5) In touch in 4th, chased winner before and hit 3 out, ridden and evey chance before 2 out, kept on and always held, 2nd of 8, 3l behind Not Til Monday (11-2) at Leicester 2m hcp hdl 0-125 (3) gd.
Kayaan 20-1 (11-0) Tracked leaders, ridden after 5th, soon lost place, 13th of 17, 48l behind Edgardo Sol (11-9) at Cheltenham 2m nov hcp hdl (3) gs.
Taste The Wine (IRE) 4-1fav (11-5) Held up in rear, headway 4th, led 3 out, headed after last, stayed on, just held, 2nd of 13, hd behind Swift Chap (11-5) at Chepstow 2m hcp hdl 0-105 (4) gs in Oct.
Zafranagar (IRE) 14-1 (9-9) Mid-division, headway after 4 out, chased leader and every chance 3 out, ridden and lost 2nd 2 out, weakened soon after, 6th of 15, 20l behind Via Galilei (10-12) at Newbury 2m hcp hdl 0-135 (3) gs in Mar.
Astrolibra 8-1 (10-7) Held up towards rear, staying on when not clear run and switched right before last, hampered soon after last, kept on flat, not recover, 5th of 12, 12l behind Raya Star (11-11) at Wetherby 2m hcp hdl 0-125 (3) gd in Oct.
Miereveld 66-1 (11-5) Led, jumped left 7th, headed 4 out, weakened next, 5th of 10, 24l behind Lucky Lukey (10-11) at Southwell 2m 4f hcp hdl 0-100 (5) gd.
Ashammar (FR) 16-1 (10-8) Took keen hold and carried head high throughout, chased winner, hit 1st, mistake and lost 2nd 3 out, soon no chance, mistake and unseated rider last, in a race won by Empire Levant (11-4) at Newbury 2m con hcp hdl 0-130 (3) gs, 6 ran.