13:20 Wolverhampton

Thursday 16 August 2018

All13:2013:5014:2014:5015:2015:5016:2016:55

sportnation.bet UK Racing Specialist Novice Stakes (Div 1)

Off time: 13:21 | Winning time: 1m 14.64s

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Selected odds by:

(1)

Axe Axelrod²⁴

Age: 2| Weight: 9-2| J: T Hamilton| T: R A Fahey| BF

2/1

125,000 gns juvenile who was turned over at short odds in a very winnable novice event at Ayr last month (6f, good); chance on AW bow if able to put that below-par effort behind him and build on his initial debut promise.

Form: 22

(10)

Beleaguerment¹⁹

Age: 2| Weight: 9-2| J: S Donohoe| T: D R Lanigan| OR: 74| BF

4/1

Beaten just a neck by an 81-rated rival on his second start over C&D in July, but folded tamely inside the final furlong when a beaten favourite at Salisbury since (6f, good to firm); poorly drawn.

Form: 425

(2)

Brother Bentley⁶

Age: 2| Weight: 9-2| J: David Probert| T: R Harris

100/1

80/1 and never able to land a competitive blow on debut here last week (5f), finishing seventh of nine to Fizzy Feet; extra furlong should suit, but others rate as far more likely winners.

Form: 7

(4)

Budaiya Fort²⁶

Age: 2| Weight: 9-2| J: E J Walsh⁽³⁾| T: R M H Cowell

22/1

£160,000 juvenile (€55,000 yearling); held up and never threatened over 5f on debut at Ripon last month (seventh of nine); likely capable of better upped in trip and switched to synthetics if able to draw from that experience.

Form: 7

(7)

Cracking Speed¹⁵

Age: 2| Weight: 9-2| J: Gary Mahon⁽⁵⁾| T: R Hannon

12/1

Resold for €70,000 as a yearling, but has made just a steady start to his racing career; better over 6f at Leicester recently when finishing just over 2L fifth to Sparklealot; likely to handle synthetics (dam a 1m2f AW winner).

Form: 75

(3)

Shallow Hal¹⁵

Age: 2| Weight: 9-2| J: C Lee⁽³⁾| T: K R Burke

14/1

Cost £30,000 as a juvenile and is a half-brother to the 6f winner Bazzana; showed speed on debut at Redcar earlier this month (6f, good to soft), but not quite strong enough to see out his race; improvement possible.

Form: 9

(6)

Suppressor²³

Age: 2| Weight: 9-2| J: Louis Steward| T: R M Beckett

9/4

Finished in the frame on debut at Chelmsford (6f) last month, but was a well held third behind decisive winner Moyassar; should progress with a run under his belt, but likely to have to settle for minor honours at best.

Form: 3

(8)

Zmhar¹⁸

Age: 2| Weight: 9-2| J: P J McDonald| T: J Tate| OR: 76

9/2

Half-brother to a number of winners including AW scorers Certified (6f-7f) and Surety (6f), but has proved tricky to get settled so far, and that accounts for the drop back in trip; possible player if dropping the anchor.

Form: 435

(9)

Lottie Deno³

Age: 2| Weight: 8-11| J: Connor Murtagh⁽⁵⁾| T: J Riches

150/1

Cheap foal (3,200 gns) who has shown little promise so far, including when finishing last of nine (50/1) over C&D on Monday; not considered.

Form: 79

(5)

Shesadabber

Age: 2| Weight: 8-11| J: J F Egan| T: B P J Baugh

150/1

Half-sister to a couple of winners, including Captain Future (5f AW), but this fifth foal hails from a fairly moderate dam (Saorocain), represents a trainer not known for saddling juvenile winners and is therefore predicted to struggle on debut.

Form:

Forecasts

Axe Axelrod (2/1), Suppressor (9/4), Beleaguerment (4/1), Zmhar (9/2), Cracking Speed (12/1), Shallow Hal (14/1), Budaiya Fort (22/1), Brother Bentley (100/1), Lottie Deno (150/1), Shesadabber (150/1)

Connections must be hopeful that AXE AXELROD is far better than he demonstrated in defeat at odds of 2/13f at Ayr last month, so in a fairly modest opener, a line is best drawn through that run and he's taken to build upon his more encouraging debut at Hamilton. A number of the others could prove capable of stepping up on their respective debut efforts (including Suppressor, Shallow Hal and Budaiya Fort), but in truth they need to do so, so perhaps Zmhar is the best advice for the forecast assuming that P J McDonald can get this free running colt to drop the anchor a fraction in the early stages.