Racecards
15:30 Nottingham
Paddocks Conference Centre Handicap (Class 5)
- 8 Runners
- Distance: 2m 9y
- Going: Good to Firm
- Surface: Turf
- £4,000 added
- Form 15637-3
- Age 6
- Weight 9-9
- Official Rating 67
- Trainer J Candlish
- Jockey J Fortune
tracked leaders, went 2nd 4f out, led over 2f out, driven from over 1f out, stayed on well, ridden out
- Form 2-74946
- Age 4
- Weight 9-4
- Official Rating 64
- Trainer B Ellison
- Jockey J P Spencer
slowly into sride and ridden along early, in rear, headway on inside over 3f out, soon switched right, stayed on under pressure to take 2nd inside final furlong, unable to trouble winner
- Form 057418-
- Age 7
- Weight 9-2
- Official Rating 60
- Trainer George Baker
- Jockey Tony Culhane
mid-division, pushed along over 4f out, weakened 3f out
- Form 86387-2
- Age 9
- Weight 9-2
- Official Rating 60
- Trainer G A Harker
- Jockey S Sanders
mid-division, headway 4f out, ridden to chase winner 2f out, stayed on under pressure until lost 2nd and no extra inside final furlong
- Form 8011-63
- Age 5
- Weight 8-13
- Official Rating 57
- Trainer Mrs K Walton
- Jockey Kelly Harrison
tracked leaders, ridden and hung left from over 3f out, weakened over 2f out
- Form 660-5
- Age 4
- Weight 8-9
- Official Rating 55
- Trainer W J Knight
- Jockey S W Kelly
led, headed 11f out, chased leader until 4f out, hung left and weakened over 2f out
- Form 1-44500
- Age 4
- Weight 8-9
- Official Rating 55
- Trainer P T Midgley
- Jockey P Mulrennan
dwelt badly, in rear, ridden and weakened over 4f out
Verdict
COURT PRINCESS is the suggestion ahead of Eijaaz, Rare Ruby and Strikemaster. The selection is relatively unexposed as a stayer but she certainly seemed to appreciate the step up in distance when scoring at Lingfield in December. She finished tailed off on her only subsequent outing but has been given a break so presumably something was amiss and she is put forwards here as she has the scope to make further progress if able to return at somewhere near her best on only her second turf start. Strikemaster didn't run too badly at York last time in a better race than this although it may not have been quite as competitive as the numbers and prize money suggest. He is entitled to go well though whilst Rare Ruby enters calculations on the back of a fair run at Bath and Eijaaz is sure to be popular with Sanders in the plate but he's entering new territory with regard to the trip. Stamina is also an issue that Straight Laced has to resolve but one that isn't a problem for Unawatuna or Ingenue nor for the selection Court Princess.
Formwatch
Rare Ruby (IRE) 3-1 (8-8) Keen in last pair, headway on outside over 2f out, stayed on to modest 2nd well inside final furlong until last strides, 3rd of 6, 3 1/2l behind Callisto Moon (9-12) at Bath 2m 1f hcp 0-85 (4) gd.
Strikemaster (IRE) 14-1 (8-9) Slowly into stride, in rear of main group, headway over 4f out, ridden and every chance over 3f out, weakened final furlong, 6th of 13, 9l behind Hollins (9-4) at York 2m 2f hcp 0-80 (4) gf.
Court Princess 2-1fav (9-0) Prominent, ridden over 3f out, weakened over 2f out, 8th of 9, 32l behind Dani's Girl (9-7) at Kempton 2m hcp 0-75 (5) pol in Dec.
Eijaaz (IRE) 3-1 (8-7) Held up behind, headway over 3f out, went 2nd 1f out, soon ridden, stayed on and every chance inside final furlong, just failed, 2nd of 12, hd behind Slip (8-13) at Catterick 1m 4f clm stks (6) fm.
Unawatuna 3-1 (8-9) Chased clear leader, ridden to challenge over 3f out, soon every chance, lost place well over 1f out, 3rd of 9, 4l behind Spruzzo (8-2) at Ripon 2m hcp 0-70 (5) gf.
Ingenue 20-1 (9-11) Chased leader, driven and lost place 7f out, soon behind, tailed off, last of 11, well behind William's Way (10-9) at Southwell 2m am hcp 0-65 (6) fbs in Jan.
Straight Laced 16-1 (8-4) Prominent, went 2nd 8f out, ridden well over 2f out, lost 2nd 2f out, weakened approaching final furlong, 5th of 12, 2l behind Lytham (8-10) at Kempton 1m 3f hacp 0-70 (5) pol in Apr.
Lava Steps (USA) 20-1 (8-8) Towards rear, ridden 2f out, no headway, 10th of 11, 13l behind Monreale (9-1) at Newcastle 1m 4f hcp 0-70 (5) gf.