Racecards
12:55 Taunton
Cornish Rock Gin Conditional Jockeys' Selling Hurdle (Class 5)
- 4 Runners
- Distance: 2m 3f 1y
- Going: Good to Firm (Good in Places)
- Surface: Turf
- £6,435 added
- Winner: £2,722
- 2nd: £1,254
- 3rd: £627
- 4th: £350
- Form 143343
- Age 6
- Weight 11-12
- Official Rating 120
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey Lorcan Williams
held up behind leader, not fluent 5th, pushed along briefly home turn, pressed leader before 2 out, led narrowly 2 out, ridden out after last to assert run-in
- Form 763803
- Age 7
- Weight 11-6
- Official Rating 93
- Trainer Katy Price
- Jockey Sean Houlihan
led, pushed along home turn, pressed before 2 out, headed narrowly 2 out, kept on, no extra run-in
- Form 295701
- Age 5
- Weight 11-6
- Official Rating 102
- Trainer G Harris
- Jockey Conor Ring
chased leaders, pushed along before 2 out, outpaced from 2 out, held when not fluent last
- Form 8-P
- Age 6
- Weight 11-0
- Trainer H James
- Jockey Mr Nathan Brennan
raced in rear, pushed along and lost touch after 3 out, tailed off
In depth
Verdict
CELESTIAL FORCE is penalised 12lb for earlier wins over hurdles but still comes out best at the weights as he drops down in class. Paul Nicholls’ charge gets the vote dropping down to this level and arrives in better form than Ar Mest. The latter won a selling hurdle back in May and is fitted with blinkers today while Secret Secret won a seller at Stratford recently with Eclair Des Sablons back in third though the latter re-opposes on better terms.
Formwatch
Celestial Force (IRE) 2-1fav (12-1) Tracked leader until after 2nd, handy 3rd, 2nd again before 6th, challenged and hit 4 out, led on long run before next where headed and soon no extra in 3rd, 3rd of 8, 5 1/2l behind Ferrobin (11-10) at Ludlow 2m 5f hcp (4) gd in Nov.
Eclair Des Sablons (FR) 6-1 (11-2) Towards rear, mistake 10th, headway 11th to go prominent, hit 2 out, soon driven and gradually faded, 3rd of 8, 3l behind Secret Secret (10-12) at Stratford 2m 3f (5) gd in Oct.
Secret Secret (IRE) 10-3 (10-12) Tracked front rank, ridden home turn, pressed front pair before last, upsides leaders jumping last, kept on well to lead run-in, won at Stratford 2m 3f (5) gd in Oct beating Gaia Vallis (10-5) by 1 3/4l, 8 ran.
Junior Massini 150-1 (10-12) Towards rear, struggling from 3 out, pulled up 2 out, at Stratford 2m 3f (5) gd in Oct.
Ar Mest (FR) 33-1 (11-3) Towards rear, pushed along and went fourth home turn, not fluent 3 out, faded 2 out, 5th of 6, 18 1/4l behind See The Sea (11-9) at Taunton 2m hcp (3) gf in Oct.
The Garrison (IRE) 12-1 (10-7) Held up in touch, ridden after 3 out, well adrift 2 out, stayed on from last, took 3rd on line, 3rd of 13, 21l behind Yauthym (11-11) at Hereford 2m hcp (5) gd in Nov.