Timeform analysis | Strong form and horses to follow
Timeform highlight a couple of jumps races that look like strong form and should work out well.
3m handicap chase, Ascot
Friday 22 November
This has the distinct feel of strong form for the grade, the first 3 in particular still low mileage and sure to remain of interest, while the time is further reason for positivity.
LAW OF SUPPLY has been most progressive since going chasing, excelling faced with both a much stiffer jumping test and much less testing ground; handy, jumped accurately, went with zest, still going well when led approaching home turn, tackled approaching 2 out, better than runner-up over last 2, kept up to work; likely to progress further, and can go through the grades for a while yet.
REGATTA DE BLANC was quite easy to back but probably ran her best race to date back over fences and in a handicap for the first time, going down only to a really progressive one; chased leaders, challenged early in straight, not as fluent as winner last 2, kept on; open to further improvement.
REGARDE probably improved a little further and would have proved more of a match for the less-exposed front 2 had he warmed up sooner; soon detached and early mistakes, headway out wide from twelfth, went fourth 4 out, took third early in straight, stayed on and seemed to have some running left in him at the line; he can do better still with the emphasis more on stamina.
HALL LANE, in first-time cheekpieces, ran better than last time with a conditional able to claim 10 lb up, but he's vulnerable to progressive ones, his Market Rasen win in the summer coming in a particularly weak race; mid-field, not fluent fifteenth, outpaced 4 out, plugged on straight.
BERTIE WOOSTER, a fair winning hurdler with a recent run behind him, ran below that level sent chasing; soon steadied, shaken up 5 out, made no impression.
TIME TO BITE failed to come on for recent run, for all that he didn't shape as badly as the bare result might suggest; led, untidy first, again 5 out, headed approaching home turn, folded.
LASKALIN, without the headgear this time, has won first time out and comes from a stable whose other 2 runners on the card both did just that, but he turned in a particularly lacklustre display after 7 months off; mid-division, untidy seventh, lost ground next, last and labouring thirteenth.
CONCETTO, back in blinkers, failed to come on for recent run; prominent, made mistakes (including when jumping right and going through the brush on the inside of the fence at both the thirteenth and fourteenth), left behind after another sticky jump 5 out.
MORFEE, easy to back, did no better than when reappearing over hurdles, possibly still needing this run and more at home in a slightly lower grade at some of the smaller tracks; held up, not always fluent, labouring fifteenth, lost touch 3 out, pulled up straight.
NORTHERN BOUND was beaten by more than the trip, simply running one of his lesser races back under a fully-fledged rider; held up, ridden fifteenth, pulled up straight.
2m3½f handicap hurdle, Chepstow
Friday 22 November
A short-priced favourite but that's not to say there wasn't depth to this, and he was denied only narrowly by another of the lightly-raced brigade in a race that it could pay to keep an eye on, most of the first 7 unexposed.
MOLTO BENE came out on top after 8 months off with a game effort on the back of a breathing operation; never far away, jumped on 3 out, tackled briefly next, found extra and proved determined when closed down by favourite final 100 yds; there's plenty of stamina in her pedigree and this reaffirms that she could well have even more to offer as she goes up in trip.
LOVERDOSE was narrowly thwarted in his hat-trick attempt by a game mare, though it might well have been a different story had he jumped the second last cleanly, and the way he saw out the longer trip certainly opens up more options going forward; tracked pace, not fluent first, effort after 3 out, mistake next and lost several lengths, switched to outer, rallied well and closed down winner final 100 yds as they came clear; open to further improvement and can make amends for this.
HOLLY HARTINGO, whose C&D win last time is working out pretty well, backed up that form having gone up 5 lb; mid-division, chased leaders 5 out, not fluent 3 out, outpaced briefly next, stayed on latter stages.
KING OF TARA stepped up on reappearance run, not far off his best and perhaps still working his way back to the very peak of fitness, likely to be of interest next time; raced wide in mid-division, went handy 5 out, every chance 2 out, hung left between last 2, not fluent last, no extra; he's got unfinished business over hurdles and is the type to make at least as good a chaser in time, too.
MAXIMUM EFFORT stepped up on recent run back in a handicap, just as at times last season shaping like he could have more to offer over longer trips; chased leaders, outpaced 3 out, keeping on when untidy last, plugged on.
BLUE HOP, back over hurdles, proved that he retains ability after 9 months off and he's entitled to be a fair bit sharper for this, though how well he stands up to training does remain to be seen; mid-division, untidy fourth, met some trouble and shuffled back a bit approaching home turn, mistake 2 out, only ninth still approaching last, stayed on.
HIDDEN HISTORY, switched to a handicap on the back of just 2 runs, offered more than enough to think he can make an impact from this sort of mark another day, looked after in the latter stages back from 9 months off; mid-field, yet to be asked for effort when untidy 3 out, fifth when overjumped and stumbled next, not recover, not unduly punished; remains capable of better.
SAMBEZI took a step back in the right direction; held up, crept closer early in straight, untidy 2 out, hung left, no further impression.
KEPAGGE fared better than on his last couple of starts in first-time blinkers (replacing a visor), coming in for a dashing ride back down in trip but unable to hold off younger legs in the straight; pressed leader, went on fourth, mistake next, pressed on end of back straight, headed 3 out, no extra before last.
LOOKING FOR LARRY shaped as if better for the run after 20 months off, some promise with the way he got involved for a while; in rear, crept closer 4 out, lost ground after next, hung left, one paced.
PUSH TO PASS, upped in trip, proved to be a disappointment on his handicap bow; raced off the pace, shaken up approaching home turn, outpaced soon after, no threat after.
SIREKOFF, after 3 months off, underperformed switched to a handicap; tracked pace, mistake third, hit 5 out, shuffled back on inner leaving back straight, pecked 2 out, one paced.
IMPERIAL STORM, who'd pulled up in a point in the spring since leaving Fergal O'Brien, shaped as if needing the run back under Rules for the first time in approaching 2 years; soon behind, lost touch before end of back straight.
BOYLES HILL ran poorly on his handicap bow after 3 months off; led until flattened fourth, remained prominent until end of back straight, dropped away early in straight with his head carriage seeming a bit awkward.
IT COULD BE YOU went with no encouragement on first outing since leaving Thomas Mullins after 6 months off; mid-field, dropped away entering straight.
CAPTAINS ROAD went amiss on his handicap debut; mid-field, lost ground 4 out, soon done with, eased end of back straight, lame.
BRAZOS presumably needed the run after 20 months off, but he's yet to show much at all for current connections; raced off the pace, not fluent 4 out, left behind end of back straight.
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