Sedgefield - March 24

SEDGEFIELD – Tuesday March 24th

Going – Good (Good To Firm in places)

With the ground coming up on the fast side this was a meeting which may have a bearing on racing in the spring and summer. The ground was reported in very good condition by trainers and jockeys.

PROFESSOR HIGGINS has produced some decent placed form if just been pipped for the winner’s spot a couple of times. Once the rather wayward Beherayn had departed this was a straightforward task and it’s difficult to judge in relation to the future.
BEHERAYN has dipped out of races before and veered towards the small gap between wing and rail at the sixth. He crashed through the rail and chased the winner on the vehicle track inside the course. Thankfully he decided against running into the course enclosure and was apparently none the worse. He remains a horse to be wary of.
WHATADIFFERENCE displayed some fair hurdle form in Ireland in 2005 but has had below par results since then. He couldn’t trouble the winner here and needs trying in a handicap.
LINDSEYFIELD LODGE plodded around for third. She isn’t very good.
BILLSGREY has been well beaten in all 19 races he has contested.
FORTUNE’S FOOL had been poor over hurdles recently and didn’t provide any more encouragement back over fences.

4.00 2m 4f 0-95 Handicap Chase

NICOZETTO’s recent form had been poor but it seems a change of yard has revitalised him. A tongue–tie was applied here, having not been noticeably successful when tried on the odd previous occasion. Pulling hard from the start, he led after the fifth and ran away from his field down the straight. He has dropped a long way in the handicap and, assuming he remains in good heart, is likely to score again.
I’M YOUR MAN stayed on from two out without ever threatening to win. He was in decent form last summer and will presumably be kept on the go.
PISTOL BASC is starting to show some ability. He seemed to handle the quicker ground well enough and, while never getting to the leader, stayed on for third. He has dropped 5lbs since his last outing and seems to be progressing steadily.
SANDS RISING hasn’t won for two years and was held from three out.
LONGDALE made progress until hitting three out. He took a while to recover but was staying on when stumbling after the last.
NAVAL ATTACHE went up 20lbs for winning an uncompetitive maiden chase here last time and that may have put paid to his winning chances in the near future. He was well held.
SYCHO FRED mad no impact, and SYBELLIUS D’ARTAIX and MALT DE VERGY both saw jumping errors put paid to any chance they had.
SPIVITUS ran a poor race. His stable has been going well but he is right off his game.
PHYSICAL FORCE ran prominently early but was feeling the pinch when unseating at the ninth.
ARCTIC GHOST and PRINCESS STEPHANIE were both always behind and were pulled up.

5.00 2m 4f Open Hunters’ Chase

BELEM RANGER, a win under Rules at Musselburgh last season, looks in good heart this season having won his Club Members’ at Corbridge recently. Staying on behind the leaders from two out, he stood off the last and stumbled on landing, but recovered to run on for victory. He goes well on fast ground and should continue to prove competitive in this sort of event.
NOUVEAU MAIRE ran a sound enough race but found this a bit tougher under a penalty than his previous race here. He appeared to run to his previous level.
WILLYWONT HE was run out of it after the last but performed creditably on his first effort over regulation fences.
The was a big gap back to the remainder, led by SMART CAVALIER who went off in front as at Kelso, but too fast for his own good and was done for from the third last.
STROOM BANK and OAKLANDS LUIS raced prominently but struggled from four out.
BENWELL made no impact and his sixth position was as close as he ever got.
BEN NELLY has shown no ability to date and was always in the rear, while maiden point winner HIGH MOOR couldn’t cope here and finished a remote last.
BILLSLEGACY, from a stable full of slowcoaches, has never been closer than beaten 99 lengths under Rules and isn’t a racehorse.
RIVER LINE lost his place after halfway and was pulled up. He has achieved very little to date.
JIMMY’S DUKY hit the first hard and Lucy Bell had no chance of staying in the plate.
JUPITER’S FANCY never got competitive and unseated two out when tailed off.