14:50
Blaze A Trail Stratford Hat-Trick Hero Handicap Hurdle Race
Class 5, 2m2½f (2m2f148y), Hurdle, 3yo+, Rated 0-100, £4,040, 11 runners
- Going
- GOOD TO SOFT, Soft in places
- Surface
- Turf
- Weather
- Mostly Cloudy
Tip for this race
All today's tips ›Bannister heads our ratings at 94 and gets the nod for this Class 5 over 18 furlongs on soft ground, narrowly ahead of a tightly packed group at the top. Wind Your Neck In and Drakaris are each just a pound behind on 93, so they are the chief dangers, with Finjimk only three pounds adrift on 91 and well capable of making it a proper race. Bannister's slight edge at the head of the list is enough to make him the one to be on in a competitive-looking contest, with the rest of the field a fair way back. Bannister is the selection.
Runners
Rebecca Hitchen (7)
Sam England 3/23
Wind Your Neck In looks a leading danger, having won two starts back and finished second in the two runs before that, and he has run over today's trip and going before. The main risk is a 208-day absence, plus 168 lb, after a fifth last time out.
- Sire
- Decorated Knight (GB)
- Dam
- Samite (USA) by Distorted Humor
- Owner
- Wyniers
- Foaled
- 15 Mar 2019
- Stable
- Guiseley, W Yorks
- Trainer last 14 days
- 3 wins from 23 runs (13%)
- Trainer running to form
- 40%
- Ratings
- Perf 93
Robbie David (5)
Daisy Hitchins 1/5
Black Dakota is consistent, finishing third last time out and fourth two starts back, and he has run over today's trip after 26 days off, but he is yet to win in his last five and carries 165 lb off an official 94, with our rating of 86 ranking him sixth of 11.
- Sire
- Westerner (GB)
- Dam
- Theklana (IRE) by Definite Article
- Owner
- Simonell Racing Club
- Foaled
- 12 Apr 2019
- Stable
- Sherborne, Dorset
- Trainer last 14 days
- 1 wins from 5 runs (20%)
- Trainer running to form
- 40%
- Ratings
- Perf 86
Harry Skelton
Dan Skelton 18/79
Drakaris is a leading danger on our figures, with a fresh 22-day gap, experience on today's going and a third five starts back showing the ability is there. The risk is a recent slide, with an unplaced effort last time and two eighths before that, while carrying 163 lb.
- Sire
- Affinisea (IRE)
- Dam
- Manuels Sister (IRE) by Lend A Hand
- Owner
- Cherry Knoll Farm Dan Skelton
- Foaled
- 10 Mar 2021
- Stable
- Alcester, Warwicks
- Trainer last 14 days
- 18 wins from 79 runs (23%)
- Trainer running to form
- 63%
- Ratings
- Perf 93
Ben Godfrey
Claire Hitch 0/0
Third last time out is a positive for Tobi Kanobee, who has run on today's going, but he is winless in his last five and returns after 198 days off. Carrying 160 lb from an official mark of 89, he may need the run, and our rating of 87 ranks him fifth of eleven.
- Sire
- Dansant (GB)
- Dam
- Wilde Gossip (IRE) by Oscar
- Owner
- Claire Hitch Rme Wright
- Foaled
- 3 Jun 2019
- Stable
- Stoke Rivers, Devon
- Trainer last 14 days
- 0 wins from 0 runs (None%)
- Ratings
- Perf 87
Toby McCain-Mitchell (3)
Sam Allwood 0/4
Little Pi has finished in the first three in four of his last five starts, including a win four starts back, but he was only seventh last time out, 18 days ago. He has run over today's trip and going, yet carries 160 lb off 89 and ranks only seventh of 11 on our rating.
- Sire
- Dunaden (FR)
- Dam
- Faustina Pius (IRE) by Antonius Pius
- Owner
- Lost In The Summer Wine
- Foaled
- 23 May 2018
- Stable
- Whitchurch, Shropshire
- Trainer last 14 days
- 0 wins from 4 runs (0%)
- Trainer running to form
- 37%
- Ratings
- Perf 85
Tom Broughton (3)
Nick Kent 0/3
Bannister is our top-rated runner, and he arrives fresh from a fourth last time out just 21 days ago, with experience of both today's trip and the going. He is yet to win in his last five starts and carries 154 lb, but our rating of 94 against his official 83 makes him the one to beat.
- Sire
- Olympic Glory (IRE)
- Dam
- Amou Daria (FR) by Kendor
- Owner
- Crossed Fingers Partnership
- Foaled
- 17 Feb 2017
- Stable
- Brigg, Lincs
- Trainer last 14 days
- 0 wins from 3 runs (0%)
- Trainer running to form
- 30%
- Ratings
- Perf 94
Conor O'Farrell
Tom Gretton 1/3
Fresh from a win last time out and a third two starts back, Milan Milos has the form to build on, but he returns after 207 days off and carries 151 lb, while our rating of 80 ranks him eighth of eleven. He has run over today's trip.
- Sire
- Milan (GB)
- Dam
- Mop My Brow (IRE) by Vinnie Roe
- Owner
- Team Payne Powell Ray And Warburton
- Foaled
- 20 Apr 2020
- Stable
- Inkberrow, Worcs
- Trainer last 14 days
- 1 wins from 3 runs (33%)
- Trainer running to form
- 26%
- Ratings
- Perf 80
Kielan Woods
Nick Scholfield 0/13
Finjimk's recent form is poor, with a pulled up last time out and nothing better than a seventh in his last six, but he returns after 22 days off 150 lb with our rating of 91 well clear of his official 81. The risk is plain: he's yet to find any consistency.
- Sire
- Sumbal (IRE)
- Dam
- Bebinn (IRE) by Brian Boru
- Owner
- Felstead Partnership
- Foaled
- 7 Jun 2022
- Stable
- Lambourn, Berks
- Trainer last 14 days
- 0 wins from 13 runs (0%)
- Trainer running to form
- 43%
- Ratings
- Perf 91
Jonathan Burke
Alastair Ralph 2/7
Churchman has been placed in four of his last five, including a second last time out, yet he is winless in that spell and returns after 154 days off, carrying 148 lb. He has run over today's trip and going, but ranking last of 11 on our figures makes him hard to fancy.
- Sire
- Dunaden (FR)
- Dam
- Pickersleigh (IRE) by Saddlers' Hall
- Owner
- Mervyn Jones
- Foaled
- 21 May 2018
- Stable
- Bridgnorth, Shropshire
- Trainer last 14 days
- 2 wins from 7 runs (29%)
- Trainer running to form
- 48%
- Ratings
- Perf 74
Paul O'Brien
Barry Murphy 0/7
Yanka Blue is winless in her last six, though a third last time out, a fourth two starts back and a fourth three starts back show she is competitive, and she has run over today's trip and on this going. Carrying 147 lb off 76, she is hard to fancy, with our figures ranking her tenth of 11.
- Sire
- Blue Bresil (FR)
- Dam
- Bee Yanka (GB) by Shirocco
- Owner
- L H Evans
- Foaled
- 4 Feb 2021
- Stable
- Caerfyrddin, Carmarthenshire
- Trainer last 14 days
- 0 wins from 7 runs (0%)
- Trainer running to form
- 16%
- Ratings
- Perf 75
Lilly Pinchin
Emma-Jane Bishop 0/0
River Glance is winless in his last five, with a fifth last time out the best of a modest bunch after a pulled up four starts back, and he returns from 215 days off carrying 142 lb. Our rating of 77 puts him ninth of 11, though his official mark of 71 is the one small positive.
- Sire
- Passing Glance (GB)
- Dam
- River Arrow (GB) by Kayf Tara
- Owner
- Mrs M J Arnold
- Foaled
- 21 Apr 2021
- Stable
- Cleeve Hill, Gloucs
- Trainer last 14 days
- 0 wins from 0 runs (None%)
- Ratings
- Perf 77
- Wind surgery
- w 1
Draw in brackets. Headgear: b blinkers, v visor, h hood, t tongue strap, p cheekpieces, e/s eye shield; ¹ first time. C course winner, D distance winner, CD course and distance winner. Form reads oldest to newest.