14:40 Kempton

Saturday 17 March 2018

All13:3014:0514:4015:1515:5016:2517:00

Matchbook Racing Is Commission Free Silver Plate Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 14:40 | Winning time: 5m 18.0s

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Selected odds by:

Zubayr¹²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Lorcan Williams⁽⁷⁾| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 135| BF| C

17/2

High-class as a juvenile hurdler, having won a Grade 2 event here before running the mighty Footpad close in France. Hasn't kicked on as expected however, running down the field in a handicap at Sandown on his last hurdles start.

Form: 62-5602

Arthur's Gift²⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Tom Humphries⁽⁷⁾| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 135| D

11/1

Winner at around this trip at Market Rasen in November and also scored at Cheltenham over 3m on his next outing and going credibly since. Runs here having missed the cut for an intended Cheltenham Festival engagement, respected.

Form: 111444

Kildisart²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: D A Jacob| T: B Pauling| OR: 135| BF

5/1

Ascot maiden hurdle winner who followed that by finishing second over 2m5f (soft) on Boxing Day. Was raised 7lb for that and could only finish mid-division at Ascot last time but still lightly-raced and open to progression. Not ruled out.

Form: 2/2-2125

Azzerti³⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Adrian Heskin| T: A King| OR: 135

11/2

Consistent performer and ran well to finish third over 2m here (soft) in December before winning in decent style at Huntingdon last time out (2m3f, soft). Plenty to like but hefty 10lb rise makes task difficult.

Form: 13-7431

Treackle Tart⁸⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Paul O'Brien⁽⁵⁾| T: C E Longsdon| OR: 135

40/1

Dual novice winner up to 2m4f has always looked like she might appreciate 3m but found it tough going in two attempts at this trip here late last year. Break may have re-energised her as she drops back in trip.

Form: 12-126P

Solomn Grundy³⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-9| J: R T Dunne| T: N P Mulholland| OR: 132WS

12/1

Won a Class 2 handicap hurdle at Newbury in November 2016 (3m soft) but has never scored since despite several fine efforts over both hurdles and fences. Second from this mark at Exeter last time and has had wind surgery since. Of interest.

Form: 5-P6222

Graasten³³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Joshua Moore| T: G & J Moore| OR: 130| D

16/1

Useful German Flat performer who won a maiden hurdle at Plumpton in October 2016 and was having just his third subsequent run when bolting up emphatically there (2m4f, heavy) last month. Raised 12lb but likely there is plenty more to come.

Form: 23174-1

Just A Sting⁵⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: N D Fehily| T: H Fry| OR: 125| BF

9/2

Dual easy ground bumper scorer who has been placed in each of his three novice hurdle starts, finishing 13L behind Vindication over this trip at Ascot (soft) last time. Opening handicap mark looks exploitable, shortlist material.

Form: 11-233

Django Django²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Jonjo O'Neill Jr.⁽⁷⁾| T: J & A O'Neill| OR: 125

7/1

Took advantage of a rival's last-flight blunder to get off the mark in a novice event at Huntingdon (2m, soft) but could only manage fourth off this mark over C&D (good) on his handicap debut. May do better on easier ground now.

Form: 456214

Monbeg Theatre^p,t²⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 11-2| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: Jamie Snowden| OR: 125| D

14/1

Dual novice winner in 2014 who has had an interrupted career over the past couple of seasons. For all that, he bounced back from wind surgery to go close over this trip on soft ground at Ludlow last month. Up 3lb now.

Form: U3/F2P2

Stick To The Plan^t¹⁰⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: P J Brennan| T: D Skelton| OR: 122

8/1

Victorious off a mark of 113 in a 2m4f handicap hurdle at Perth (good) 11 months year ago but shot up in the weights and just found wanting in a couple of completed starts this season. Still, dangerous to dismiss with improvement possible.

Form: 641-U52

Forecasts

Just A Sting (9/2), Kildisart (5/1), Azzerti (11/2), Django Django (7/1), Stick To The Plan (8/1), Zubayr (17/2), Arthur's Gift (11/1), Solomn Grundy (12/1), Monbeg Theatre (14/1), Graasten (16/1), Treackle Tart (40/1)

A competitive handicap in which it's not hard to build a case for impressive recent winners Azzerti and Graasten despite hefty subsequent weight rises. Solomn Grundy is of interest after recent wind surgery but dual bumper scorer JUST A STING has shown enough in novice events to suggest he's potentially well-treated on his handicap debut and he is bound to appreciate the testing conditions more than most.