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20:15 Wolverhampton

Betway Best For Cheltenham Festival Betting Handicap (Class 5)

  • 12 Runners
  • Distance: 1m 1f 104y
  • Going: Standard
  • Surface: AllWeather
  • £7,521 added
  • Winner: £3,752
  • 2nd: £1,116
  • 3rd: £558
  • 4th: £400
Weighed In
  • Winning Time: 1m 59.11s
  • Off Time: 20:16:09
  • 12 Ran
1(7)
Silk - Maroon and Royal Blue (quartered), Maroon sleeves, Royal Blue armlets, Royal Blue cap, Maroon star
  • Form 20-3
  • Age 4
  • Weight 9-10
  • Official Rating 76

tracked leaders, pushed along 3f out, ridden and unable to quicken inside final furlong, no extra

2(11)
Silk - Black, Red triple diamond, sleeves and diamond on cap

Mearing

19 p
14/1
  • Form 31213-4
  • Age 4
  • Weight 9-7
  • Official Rating 73

dwelt in rear, never on terms

3(8)
Silk - Royal blue, white braces and sleeves, white and royal blue striped cap

Stormy Blues

41 pt
7/1
  • Form 020/652
  • Age 5
  • Weight 9-7
  • Official Rating 73

tracked leader, ridden and every chance 2f out, unable to quicken inside final furlong, no extra close home

4(12)
Silk - Maroon and Yellow check, Maroon sleeves, Yellow cap
25/1
  • Form 23221-5
  • Age 6
  • Weight 9-6
  • Official Rating 72

took keen hold towards rear, never on terms

5(9)
Silk - Light blue, white epaulets, striped sleeves, black cap
6/1
  • Form 24-5353
  • Age 4
  • Weight 9-6
  • Official Rating 72

soon led, ridden over 1f out, headed inside final furlong

6(2)
Silk - Yellow, Purple seams, striped cap

Rubensian

38 C
12/1
  • Form 20482-4
  • Age 6
  • Weight 9-4
  • Official Rating 70

held up, pushed along 2f out, never nearer

7(3)
Silk - Royal blue, white stars and sleeves, red cap, white stars

Manfadh (IRE)

21 h CD
10/1
  • Form 507-17
  • Age 4
  • Weight 9-3
  • Official Rating 69

in touch, pushed along 4f out, weakened approaching final furlong

8(10)
Silk - Red, Black star, White sleeves, Red armlets, Red cap, Black star
  • Form 1560-89
  • Age 5
  • Weight 9-2
  • Official Rating 68

in touch, headway 2f out, ridden and stayed on to go 3rd close home

9(6)
Silk - Black, pink inverted triangle and armlets
  • Form 48536-9
  • Age 5
  • Weight 9-2
  • Official Rating 68

keen tracked leaders, pushed along over 2f out, weakened final furlong

10(5)
Silk - Black, White sleeves, Black spots, Royal Blue cap
6/1
  • Form 0/77-084
  • Age 5
  • Weight 9-1
  • Official Rating 67

held up, headway 2f out, quickened to lead inside final furlong, pushed out, readily

12(4)
Silk - Yellow, Dark Green hoop and armlets

Rockwood

12 v DCD
8/1
  • Form 6375-44
  • Age 8
  • Weight 8-13
  • Official Rating 65

always towards rear

13(1)
Silk - Dark Blue and Pink diabolo, chevrons on sleeves, Pink cap, Dark Blue diamond
  • Form 9/53327-
  • Age 4
  • Weight 8-11
  • Official Rating 63

keen close up,pushed along over 2f out, weakened over 1f out

11(13)
NR

Bollihope

26 CD
8/1
  • Form 7/43-124
  • Age 7
  • Weight 9-0
  • Official Rating 66

NonRunner

In depth

Verdict

STORMY BLUES has yet to win but will be doing so soon on the evidence of a neck defeat at Lingfield last time. He had a subsequent winner back in third and is preferred to Lovely Approach. The latter makes his handicap debut after placing over a mile on his reappearance while much better is expected of Mearing after a below-par effort on the Fibresand at Southwell. Manfadh won over track and trip in between modest runs and gets first-time headgear while Rubensian could go well off his current mark.

Formwatch

Lovely Approach 20-1 (10-0) Mid-division, pushed along over 3f out, went 4th over 1f out, went 3rd inside final furlong, no impression on front pair, 3rd of 8, 5 3/4l behind Kinver Edge (8-9) at Chelmsford City 1m stks (4) pol in Feb.

Mearing 11-4 (9-7) Slowly into stride, held up and behind, ridden in 4th and hung left 2f out, weakened inside final furlong, 4th of 6, 11 3/4l behind Argus (9-6) at Southwell 1m 4f hcp (5) pol in Feb.

Stormy Blues 7-1 (9-10) Close up, ridden over 1f out, kept on towards finish, held close home, 2nd of 9, nk behind Narjes (9-6) at Lingfield 1m 2f hcp (5) pol in Jan.

Beatbybeatbybeat 12-1 (8-13) Held up in rear, ridden and headway over 1f out, no extra inside final furlong, 5th of 7, 8 1/2l behind Toy Theatre (9-5) at Newcastle 1m hcp fll (3) pol in Feb.

Ambient (IRE) 7-1 (9-5) Held up towards rear, headway over 1f out, chased leaders inside final furlong, stayed on well, 3rd of 10, 2 3/4l behind Pheidippides (9-6) at Lingfield 1m hcp (5) pol in Mar.

Rubensian 12-1 (9-7) Held up, not much room over 2f out, switched left over 1f out, no extra well inside final furlong, 4th of 7, 3 3/4l behind Ilhabela Fact (9-11) at Kempton 1m 4f hcp (5) pol in Feb.

Manfadh (IRE) 5-1 (9-1) Raced keenly in mid-division, headway on outside chasing leaders 5f out, ridden inside final 2f, weakened inside final furlong, 7th of 11, 7 1/2l behind Illustrissime (9-7) at Wolverhampton 1m 1f hcp (5) pol in Feb.

Captain Pugwash (IRE) 50-1 (8-13) Held up in touch inside, struggling from 2f out, 9th of 10, 13 3/4l behind Desert Ruler (9-10) at Newcastle 1m 4f hcp (4) pol in Feb.

The Eagle's Nest (IRE) 20-1 (9-7) Towards rear, some headway over 2f out, soon beaten, 9th of 12, 11 3/4l behind Magic Mirror (9-8) at Kempton 1m hcp (5) pol in Feb.

Badenscoth 10-1 (9-4) Held up towards rear, headway on inside over 2f out, kept on final furlong, 4th of 12, 2 3/4l behind Magic Mirror (9-8) at Kempton 1m hcp (5) pol in Feb.

Rockwood 3-1 (9-2) Tracked leaders and keen, ridden over 1f out, kept on same pace, 4th of 7, 4 1/4l behind Thawry (9-5) at Newcastle 1m 2f hcp (4) pol in Feb.

Seek The Moon (USA) 4-1 (9-9) Tracked leaders on inside, pushed along over 2f out, ridden over 1f out, weakened inside final furlong, 7th of 13, 6 1/2l behind The Night King (9-8) at Chelmsford City 1m 2f hcp (6) pol in Nov.

Bollihope 4-1 (8-10) Led until entering final furlong, no extra closing stages, 4th of 7, 4 1/4l behind Executive Force (9-10) at Chelmsford City 1m 2f hcp (4) pol in Feb.