17:08 Taunton

Thursday 3 March 2022

All14:0814:3815:0815:3816:0816:3817:08

Gold Cup & Grand National Lunches Open NH Flat Race (GBB Race)

Off time: 17:09 | Winning time: 4m 22.05s

Settings

Selected odds by:

Dollar Bae²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Jonjo O'Neill Jr.| T: J & A O'Neill

11/2

Easy winner of sole point and followed up in a Wincanton bumper on Rules debut. Had a bit in hand and ought to be competitive under a penalty.

Form: 11

Exmoor Forest^h²³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Ben Godfrey⁽³⁾| T: B Lund

17/2

Has looked a bit of a handful but latest C&D fifth shows he has ability. More will be needed if he's to get heavily involved, though.

Form: 75

Jet Marshall⁴⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Mr Ben Sutton⁽⁷⁾| T: P Hobbs & J White

17/2

£50,000 purchase after finishing runner-up on both starts in Irish points. Yard won the race last year.

Form: 22

Off To A Flyer⁹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Brendan Powell| T: C L Tizzard

13/8

Cost £180,000 after making a winning point debut in November. Would very much enter the reckoning should the betting speak in his favour.

Form: 1

Urban Soldier

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

15/2

€28,000 Soldier of Fortune gelding from a top stable. Market confidence would look significant.

Form:

Bothie Lady

Age: 5| Weight: 10-10| J: Sean Houlihan| T: Claire Hitch

66/1

Kalanisi mare. Dam unraced sister to fairly useful hurdler/smart chaser (stayed 25f) Casey Jones. Likely outsider on debut.

Form:

Gracefull Dancer⁴⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: Bryony Frost| T: J D Frost

300/1

Well held both starts and likely booked for another struggle.

Form: 90

Iron Wings^t⁴⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: David Noonan| T: N J Hawke

25/1

Bit better than the result on both his starts without doing enough to fancy him for win purposes here.

Form: 64

Major Fortune

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: Stan Sheppard| T: T Lacey

5/1

Soldier of Fortune gelding. Dam unraced half-sister to useful chaser (winner around 2m) Festive Affair. Stable has a solid bumper record. Interesting to see how he goes in the market.

Form:

Sergeant Wilson

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: Mr Eddie Edge⁽¹⁰⁾| T: N & W Twiston-Davies

11/1

€22,000 Soldier of Fortune half-brother to fair hurdler Stucker Hill and bumper winner/fair hurdler Decision Time. Dam 7f winner. Yard no stranger to bumper success. Betting should guide.

Form:

Non-Runners

Robiola⁴²

Weight: 10-7| Age: 4

T: A King J: James Bowen

Forecasts

Off To A Flyer (13/8), Robiola (9/2), Major Fortune (5/1), Dollar Bae (11/2), Urban Soldier (15/2), Jet Marshall (17/2), Exmoor Forest (17/2), Sergeant Wilson (11/1), Iron Wings (25/1), Bothie Lady (66/1), Gracefull Dancer (300/1)

OFF TO A FLYER was quite an expensive purchase after his point win so he gets the nod to make a winning start under Rules. Last-time-out Ludlow runner-up Robiola promises to be suited by the step up to 2m and rates an obvious danger, while Urban Soldier and Jet Marshall are newcomers who would enter the reckoning should the betting speak in their favour.