A greater willingness to settle could do the trick for recent Bath close fourth Opening Bat, who's bred to be way better than a Class 6 handicapper. Should he decline to help himself sufficiently, chief beneficiary may prove to be A LA LOUCHE, with reminders of Sir Mark Prescott's gifts with handicap newcomers upped in trip not hard to find already this term. Champagne Belle and Letsbeatsepsis head a long list of place possibles. [Jeremy Grayson]
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Initial refusal to settle found her out on last month's Windsor return rather than the step up to 1m (good to firm; beaten 10l); initial mark looks about right if last year's Salisbury Class 2 run is taken as gospel.
Likely attainment level in handicaps not easily determined from last month's Epsom run (wouldn't settle; hung off home bend); wind surgery since, and now returns to scene of best novice/maiden effort (albeit over 7f).
Disputed lead appeared more the issue than the step up from sprint trips when just over 1l third on this month's C&D handicap/stable debut (English Lady sixth); mark unchanged, and slightly better drawn tonight.
Too free on return from four months out at Bath last month (1m, good to firm), but his 1l fourth still represented a clear personal best; easier task than on sole previous Polytrack start (Class 3 novice).
Not yet done with when hitting traffic at Wolverhampton latest (7f; beaten 10l); that effort can be marked up and it was his best to date, but likely another big leap forward required to defy a stiff opening mark.
Got up on the line from an unpromising position on March's Wolverhampton handicap debut (7f), and maybe best excused a moderate follow-up effort back there after spending too long on the outer; some encouragement for 1m on breeding, for all that the dam was a winning sprinter.
1m trip should have suited on breeding, so have to hope last month's anonymous Nottingham eleventh on seasonal/handicap debut was simply needed; not the appeal of some despite a 3lb drop.
Not obviously well treated on the basis of her efforts in 6f-7f novice/maiden class last autumn, but betrayed inexperience at least once; new trip likelier to be in range, and a threat to all if more mature now.
Last-gasp Southwell scorer in December (7f) but frequently a hostage to fortune with her hold-up race style and hasn't faced this many rivals since her debut 12 runs ago; 3lb above that winning mark.
Hasn't gone on from November's 33-1 Chelmsford debut success (7f), failing again to convince over 1m when three places and over 3l behind Bintshuaa over this C&D latest; further 2lb drop isn't persuasive.
RPRs continue to paint a regressive profile, but this is appreciably easier than the Class 4s of either 2025 start and his dam landed her sole 1m score over this C&D; not without interest; blinkers go on.
One-paced when it mattered over 7f here back in February; sensible on that basis to return to the trip of her best effort to date, on which piece of form she looks realistically treated for handicaps, too.
3-3 in handicaps here (one C&D) under Rob Hornby, who partners Bizou instead; latest effort necessarily ignored (hampered and stumbled early) and this should reveal more as to whether the assessor is now on top.
Game Doncaster scorer latest, the improvement presumably attributed to the gelding operation rather than the 1m2f considering this immediate drop back in trip; 3lb rise tolerable, but drawn widest again.
1/5 Odds Place 1,2,3,4
( Pool guide displayed could change before the race starts & should be used as a guide only )
