Soft

4:15 Letheby & Christopher Mares' Only Handicap Hurdle (class 5) (4yo+,0-95)

[off 4:17] £2,602.40, £764.00, £382.00, £190.80 7 hdles 1 omitted (2m110y) 2m½f

Comments In Running OR TS RPR

1 Bally Bolshoi (IRE) Mrs S D Williams 6 11-3 R Johnson 7/2 85 — —

2 9 Methodical B G Powell 4 9-13 J F Levins(5) 9/4F 83 — —

3 6 Royal Niece (IRE) D J Wintle 7 10-5 R Cummings(10) 9/2 83 — —

4 1½ Joli Classical (IRE) R J Hodges 4 10-6 N Fehily 13/2 85 — —

5 2½ Kildee Lass J D Frost 7 11-7 C Honour(5) 10/1 94 — —

6 5 Tinvane Rose (IRE) J G M O´Shea 7 10-6 C J Davies(7) 40/1 81 — —

7 2½ Femme D´Avril (FR) Miss Lucy Bridges 4 9-7 4 Miss Lucy Bridges(7) 20/1 79 — —

8 ¾ Lady Maranzi Mrs D A Hamer 7 10-12 B Hitchcott 33/1 80 — —

9 5 Shalati Princess D Burchell 5 10-3 Mr Rhys Hughes(7) 28/1 78 — —

10 9 Alchimiste (FR) Mrs E Langley 5 10-8 Mr R Langley(7) 100/1 83 — —

PU Soleil D´Hiver C J Drewe 5 10-0 J Kington(7) 25/1 75 — —

PU Probus Lady C J Down 9 9-11 4 R Stephens(3) 66/1 68 — —

REF Court Empress P D Purdy 9 10-7 C Llewellyn 40/1 75 — —

PU La Muette (IRE) M Appleby 6 9-10 b R Spate(7) 33/1 71 — —

14 ran TIME 4m 29.20s (slow by 41.20s) TOTAL SP 118%

1st OWNER: Mrs Rowena Cotton BRED: Stephen Lanigan-O'Keeffe TRAINER: Mrs S D Williams

2nd OWNER: Woodhaven Racing Syndicate

3rd OWNER: M & J Gent, C White, Mrs M Turner

TOTE WIN £4.80 PL £1.80, £1.70, £1.40; Ex £18.20; CSF £10.76; TRICAST £36.25Place 6 £102.05, Place 5 £44.44

PLACEPOT £48.30 to a £1 stake. Pool: £50,280.30. 759.10 winning tickets.

QUADPOT £12.50 to a £1 stake. Pool: £5,165.70. 304.00 winning tickets.

First flight in home straight omitted.

ANALYSIS: A moderate mares' handicap hurdle in which Methodical looked to have an obvious chance of following up her recent success in a Taunton seller, given she was due to be raised 17lb, but this was a tough enough ask racing against her elders on very testing ground, and BALLY BOLSHOI ultimately proved too strong. The winner relished the conditions and ran on strongly under pressure, having looked as though she might finish second when challenged by Methodical. On this evidence, she can prove as effective back over further and is one to have on your side when the ground is testing.

Royal Niece, returning from a two-month break, ran better than on her reappearance and is going in the right direction.

Joli Classical was not without promise on the Flat and in three runs in novice hurdles, and there was enough encouragement in this effort to suggest she can make her mark in similar company.