15:45 Bangor

Saturday 22 April 2017

All14:0014:3515:1015:4516:2016:5517:25

Maelor Handicap Hurdle (Div 1)

Off time: 15:46 | Winning time: 4m 52.6s

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Selected odds by:

Prince Khurram^t²⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: James Cowley⁽⁵⁾| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 102

7/2

Regressing worryingly quickly and has been dropped another wedge by the handicapper after another poor effort at Bangor on latest start. Hard to see why he should turn things around here and can only be watched in current frame of mind.

Form: 27654-3

Exotic Friend¹²³

Age: 9| Weight: 11-9| J: Benjamin Poste⁽³⁾| T: A Wintle| OR: 97

22/1

Has shown next to nothing in three starts this season, beating only a handful of horses home and finishing very weakly last time. Can't be entertained as a likely winner here.

Form: 1F/9P01-

Texas Forever^v1³³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-7| J: Henry Morshead⁽⁷⁾| T: K Bailey & M Nicholls| OR: 95

5/1

Can look hard work at times and to that end, the change of headgear here looks a positive move (ran well when given cheekpieces for the first time). A drop of rain wouldn't go amiss, but trip is fine and there may well be more to come if the visor works today. Not discounted.

Form: P22362-

Squeeze Me¹⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 11-6| J: Conor Shoemark| T: G Hanmer| OR: 94

9/2

Ran well here against the improving Atlantic Storm two runs ago, but not so good at Sedgefield last time out. Needs to bounce back from that but on a winning mark, so has to be on the shortlist in a winnable contest.

Form: 6P6353-

Tropical Sunshine¹⁷⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 11-3| J: Ian Popham| T: Pippa Bickerton| OR: 91

33/1

Second to the useful Dexcite here last May now looking like a distant memory after two poor efforts later in the year. Plenty to prove now, not least the suitability of this trip, and well-being after a break.

Form: PP6-2P0

Rocky Elsom^p,t²⁷

Age: 10| Weight: 10-12| J: T Scudamore| T: Mrs S Leech| OR: 86

9/1

Simply not showing enough at present to make him of interest here, and although a return to this likely better ground may help, bottom line is that he's not won since 2014 and there are more likely winners here.

Form: 6PF5/7P-

Bonvilston Boy^p,t⁵³

Age: 6| Weight: 10-11| J: Alan Johns⁽³⁾| T: Tim Vaughan| OR: 85

2/1

Not had many starts over hurdles and appears to be slowly getting the hang of things, if two most recent placed efforts are anything to go by. Has finished weakly on both occasions and better ground here may help in that regard. More likely to place than win, all the same.

Form: 563-P50

Primo Rossi^p,t¹⁷²

Age: 8| Weight: 10-3| J: James Davies| T: T R Gretton| OR: 77

12/1

Did win a novices handicap hurdle at Market Rasen last summer but that piece of form sticks out like a sore thumb amongst a sea of otherwise moderate efforts, although may have gone close at Stratford in August but for falling. Can only be watched coming back after a break.

Form: 1FF505-

Non-Runners

Blue April⁵⁷

Weight: 10-12| Age: 6

T: J Scott J: Mr Robert Hawker

Forecasts

Bonvilston Boy (2/1), Blue April (9/4), Prince Khurram (7/2), Squeeze Me (9/2), Texas Forever (5/1), Rocky Elsom (9/1), Primo Rossi (12/1), Exotic Friend (22/1), Tropical Sunshine (33/1)

This is very winnable, and if the slight step up in trip brings out a bit more in BLUE APRIL then he's unexposed enough to think he can take this. That was a much better effort at Exeter last time and if he's held onto a bit longer here, can get on the scoresheet. Squeeze Me went well here in late March and a repeat of that puts her on the premises, and if the headgear does the trick for Texas Forever a better effort can be expected.