bet365 Standard Open NH Flat Race

Off time: 16:20 | Winning time: 3m 50.2s

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Above Suspicion

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: J J Burke| T: T R George

9/2

Unraced Oscar gelding (cost €55,000 as a 3yo); trainer Tom George has operated a 19% strike-rate (21-113) in bumpers over the past five seasons.

Form:

Dartum Tempus

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: B S Hughes| T: R A Fahey

9/2

Unraced Arcadio gelding; trainer Richard Fahey has operated a 23% strike-rate (3-13) in bumpers over the past five seasons, saddling the impressive debut winner Lubeat Foras at Sedgefield last month.

Form:

Kearney Hill²³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Henry Brooke| T: B Ellison

20/1

Former pointer; twice raced under rules since joining Phil and Julie Martin for £44,000 (May 2019); an improved third to Richard Fahey's Lubeat Foras at Sedgefield (2m1f, soft) 23 days ago; others open to more natural progression.

Form: 2F-63

Mortlach⁵⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: H Cobden| T: P F Nicholls| BF

7/4

Yeats gelding (cost €48,000 as a 3yo); tried vainly to get to grips with Chris Gordon's Cadmar on debut at Chepstow (2m, soft) in early December - eventually beaten by 4L; Paul Nicholls is 38-161 (24%) in bumpers over the past five seasons.

Form: 2

Wireless Operator³³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Adrian Heskin| T: B Pauling

7/2

Presenting gelding (cost €65,000 as a 3yo); brother to the bumper winner Monastery and also a half-brother to Good Boy Bobby; beaten in excess of 9L (third) by Wilde About Oscar on debut at Warwick (2m, soft) on New Year's Eve.

Form: 3

Hand In My Pocket⁸⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-10| J: D A Jacob| T: J C McConnell

8/1

Nearest at the finish (second) on sole point-to-point start for Mary E Doyle; sold for £50,000 at the Cheltenham November Sale; this daughter of Mahler makes her rules debut at a realistic level; trainer 3-7 (43%) in GB bumpers since January 2016.

Form: 2

Billy Bathgate

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: Craig Nichol| T: A C Whillans

40/1

New Approach gelding from a Danehill mare (Bustling); looks to have plenty on his plate on racecourse debut; Hawick based trainer Alistair Whillans is just 2-49 (4%) with his bumper runners over the past five seasons.

Form:

Forecasts

Mortlach (7/4), Wireless Operator (7/2), Above Suspicion (9/2), Dartum Tempus (9/2), Hand In My Pocket (8/1), Kearney Hill (20/1), Billy Bathgate (40/1)

As always the market should offer the best guide for dissecting the bumper which concludes Scottish Trials Weekend at Musselburgh. Mortlach (Paul Nicholls) and WIRELESS OPERATOR (Ben Pauling) both made pleasing starts to their racing careers when sporting high-profile silks at Chepstow and Warwick respectively. Meanwhile, it makes sense to afford a degree of respect to the Richard Fahey-trained newcomer Dartum Tempus (with the victory of Lubeat Foras firmly in mind) and the Irish-trained mare Hand In My Pocket (cost £50,000 out of the point-to-point scene).