FAKENHAM (21 May 2006)

Good

2:20 Independent Racecourse Group Selling Handicap Hurdle (class 5) (4yo+,0-90)

[off 2:21] £2,398.20, £698.95, £349.65 9 hdles 2m

Comments In Running OR TS RPR

1 Chariot (IRE) M R Bosley 5 10-13 t Sean Curran 8/1 76 — —

2 5 Theflyingscottie B N Pollock 4 10-3 v1 Tom Messenger(7) 6/1 77 — —

3 ½ Rabbit Mrs A L M King 5 10-13 Tom Scudamore 4/1 76 — —

4 1½ Mabel Riley (IRE) C N Kellett 6 11-2 Leighton Aspell 14/1 79 — —

5 3½ Loup Bleu (USA) Mrs A V Roberts 8 11-12 v1 Jodie Mogford 7/1 89 — —

6 14 Joe Malone (IRE) Mrs A E Brooks 7 10-10 James Diment(5) 14/1 78 — —

7 9 Sound And Vision (IRE) J K Price 4 10-7 Andrew Glassonbury(7) 17/2 81 — —

8 12 Socarineau (FR) N J Pomfret 8 10-11 p Mark Nicolls(5) 25/1 79 — —

PU City Palace Evan Williams 5 10-13 tp Christian Williams 11/4F 76 — —

9 ran TIME 3m 59.80s (slow by 11.80s) TOTAL SP 112%

NON RUNNER: Sharaab (USA)

1st OWNER: Mrs Jean M O'Connor BRED: Newlands House Stud TRAINER: M R Bosley

2nd OWNER: Roger Milward

3rd OWNER: P Hepworth Mrs R Wyles Mrs A King

TOTE WIN £8.30 PL £1.90, £2.70, £1.90; Ex £80.30; CSF £53.58; TRICAST £219.46

The winner was bought in for 5,500gns.

ANALYSIS: The course soaked up 4mm of rain in the 24 hours up to racing to have jockeys reporting the ground riding genuinely good. They went a strong pace which saw the pacesetters drop away in what was a weak contest even by selling standards, contested by maidens.

CHARIOT has run well at the track before in this grade, and he battled on too strongly for Theflyingscottie, who, despite a first-time visor, was vigorously ridden through the second mile circuit to hang on to the back of the leading group before outstaying his other rivals. Unfortunately, he has shown before that further is beyond his stamina so he is going to be a hard horse to place.

Rabbit was always chasing the pace and looked a possible danger off the home turn, but could only keep on at the one pace.

Mabel Riley looked all over the winner turning out of the back straight as she kicked fully 5l clear travelling well, but folded quickly off the home turn. Her stamina has nearly lasted on really fast ground, and a return to that will improve her chances at this level.

Loup Bleu looks one to avoid. He travelled well in a first-time visor, but gave up tamely turning into the back straight despite taking a drop in class here.

City Palace was reported to have a breathing problem.