15:15 Newmarket

Thursday 18 June 2020

All13:0013:3014:0514:4015:1515:5016:2517:00

Betway Heed Your Hunch Handicap

Off time: 15:19 | Winning time: 2m 7.87s

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Selected odds by:

(5)

Escape The City¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 9-7| J: Dane O'Neill| T: H Morrison| OR: 72| D

5/1

Can start slowly, as she did over C&D last time, but she ran well when fourth of 12 to Inclyne off 1lb higher, and this Brighton winner handles good and soft ground, so plenty to like about her chances.

Form: 31206-4

(2)

Rotherwick^b,t¹⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 9-7| J: L Morris| T: P & O Cole| OR: 72| D

6/1

Not beaten far at Kempton on his penultimate start, but below his recent best there last time, and this exposed gelding may find a few too strong again.

Form: 50-3046

(11)

Venusta^v¹⁰³

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: Louis Steward| T: P Owens| OR: 72| BF

20/1

Made a winning start for this yard at Chelmsford in January, and not discredited off his revised mark there recently, but he will need to step up if he's to return to winning ways judged on his overall form.

Form: 7434-14

(8)

Melburnian¹⁸⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-6| J: Tim Clark| T: Jane Chapple-Hyam| OR: 71

28/1

Seemed to improve on earlier efforts when 2¾L fifth of 11 to Sharp Suited in a novice at Newcastle on his final 2019 start, but his opening mark is stiff on balance, and others look stronger.

Form: 0765-

(4)

Slade King²¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-5| J: Tom Marquand| T: G & J Moore| OR: 70

4/1

Placed on his last three turf handicaps at this trip, and beaten less than a length off this mark at Sandown on the last of them. Best to forgive a lesser effort on AW last time, and he shouldn't lack for fitness despite a lengthy break.

Form: 853236-

(10)

Lady Dauphin¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 9-5| J: M Harley| T: S Pearce| OR: 70

50/1

Respectable third on handicap debut at Yarmouth (1m) in September having won a weak Redcar maiden prior to that. Needs to improve on that, however, and failed to beat a rival on her return/stable debut at Yarmouth 15 days ago.

Form: 7/1337-0

(7)

Exmoor Beast¹⁵²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-5| J: Daniel Muscutt| T: P Charalambous| OR: 70| BF| D

6/1

Won over this trip at Lingfield in December, and not disgraced dropped back to 1m on his only subsequent start. Return to 1¼m will help, but all his form to date has come on artificial surfaces.

Form: 42721-4

(14)

Twpsyn^b¹⁰⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 9-5| J: A Kirby| T: P D Evans| OR: 70| D

25/1

Won a weak race over further at Kempton in February, but has since run poorly over hurdles, and while the refitting of blinkers may be a positive, he has a bit to prove on balance.

Form: 618-415

(9)

Greek Kodiac^p⁹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-3| J: F Norton| T: M Quinn| OR: 68| D

18/1

Was looking a rather regressive maiden until making all the running (change of tactics) to win a weakly-contested novice at Chelmsford in March. Remains to be seen if he can back that up.

Form: 6575-51

(12)

Junoesque^p²³⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 9-1| J: H Crouch| T: J Gallagher| OR: 66| D

11/2

Won over this trip at Brighton last August, her fourth win of the season. Handicapped to the hilt, but did win on her reappearance last year, and also handles soft ground, so can't be dismissed.

Form: 131354-

(3)

Country'n'western¹⁰⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 8-13| J: Darragh Keenan⁽³⁾| T: R Eddery| OR: 64| D

28/1

Won a heavy-ground amateur event at Nottingham in the autumn, but patchy form otherwise, and would need the going to soften dramatically to be of serious interest here.

Form: 06610-4

(6)

Golden Wolf¹⁰¹

Age: 6| Weight: 8-13| J: B Doyle| T: A W Carroll| OR: 64| D

17/2

Useful at his best, but little encouragement in handicaps last year, and not really done enough in two runs this term to suggest he can turn the corner.

Form: 8008-46

Non-Runners

(13)

Craneur²⁷²

Weight: 9-1| Age: 4

T: H J L Dunlop J: Rob Hornby

(1)

Rakematiz¹⁶⁶

Weight: 9-0| Age: 6

T: B R Johnson J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Slade King (4/1), Escape The City (5/1), Junoesque (11/2), Rotherwick (6/1), Exmoor Beast (6/1), Craneur (13/2), Golden Wolf (17/2), Rakematiz (10/1), Greek Kodiac (18/1), Venusta (20/1), Twpsyn (25/1), Country'n'western (28/1), Melburnian (28/1), Lady Dauphin (50/1)

ESCAPE THE CITY can spoil her chance by starting slowly, but she shaped very well after a break last time, and has a touch of class in this company, She can get back to winning ways, with the main threats to her coming from Slade King and Craneur, neither of whom would be inconvenienced by any softening of the ground.