13:10 Southwell

Thursday 28 January 2021

All13:1013:4014:1514:4515:2015:5516:25

Play 4 To Win At Betway Handicap

Off time: 13:10 | Winning time: 1m 14.37s

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Selected odds by:

(2)

Aljari¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 9-7| J: L Morris| T: M Botti| OR: 92| C| D

7/2

Course winner. Two wins from 6 runs last year. Proved too free when eleventh of 12 in handicap on return from 3 months off at Newcastle (7.1f) 16 days ago and fancied to be much closer to form here.

Form: 14146-0

(6)

Astro Jakk²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-4| J: Megan Nicholls| T: K R Burke| OR: 89| CD

9/1

C&D winner who landed back-to-back 6f handicaps Newcastle late last year. Revised mark enough to prevent further success more recently but he's certainly no forlorn hope.

Form: 901147-

(8)

Alexej⁴²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-4| J: R Havlin| T: J & T Gosden| OR: 89

10/3

Off the mark on debut at Leicester (7f) in October. Hard to knock consistency in defeat since, good third of 9 in handicap at Chelmsford City (7f) 42 days ago. One to consider for powerful stable.

Form: 1323-

(1)

Gabrial The Devil²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 9-3| J: Connor Murtagh⁽³⁾| T: R A Fahey| OR: 88| CD

13/2

4/1, career best when winning 4-runner handicap at this C&D 20 days ago, having run of race. Should remain competitive from 3 lb higher mark.

Form: 72104-1

(5)

Shallow Hal¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 9-3| J: Pierre-Louis Jamin⁽⁵⁾| T: K R Burke| OR: 88| CD

5/1

C&D winner. Eighth of 12 in handicap (9/1) at Newcastle (7.1f) 16 days ago, finding test too much. Return to sprinting rates a likely plus.

Form: 01251-8

(7)

Zapper Cass^v⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 9-0| J: Frederick Larson⁽⁷⁾| T: M Appleby| OR: 85| C| D

12/1

5-time course winner. Creditable 3 lengths second of 5 to Zylan in handicap at this C&D (8/1) 8 days ago, albeit the habit of his slow starting becoming a concern again.

Form: 35119-2

(3)

Zylan^p⁸^{(ex 4)}

Age: 9| Weight: 8-12| J: Tyler Heard⁽⁷⁾| T: R Fell & S Murray| OR: 79| CD

15/2

4/1, made it 2 wins from last 3 starts when landing 5-runner C&D handicap 8 days ago by 3 lengths from Zapper Cass, keeping on well. Not ruled out under a penalty.

Form: 467-161

(4)

Katheefa^t¹¹

Age: 7| Weight: 8-7| J: A Mullen| T: Mrs R Carr| OR: 78| BF| CD

9/1

Multiple C&D winner. 7/2, good third of 9 in handicap over C&D 11 days ago, leading briefly 1f out and no extra only late on. Operating from a workable mark and another good showing not ruled out.

Form: 0000-33

Forecasts

Alexej (10/3), Aljari (7/2), Shallow Hal (5/1), Gabrial The Devil (13/2), Zylan (15/2), Katheefa (9/1), Astro Jakk (9/1), Zapper Cass (12/1)

A competitive opener featuring a host of in-form sorts. ALEXEJ is easily the least exposed and gets the vote. He's run well on all 3 starts on the back of his Leicester debut success and may well be suited by the likely good gallop stepping down to 6f for the first time. Gabrial The Devil and Zylan are just a couple of others to consider.