Racecards
15:50 Leicester
Leicester Mercury Family Day Handicap (Class 2)
- 6 Runners
- Distance: 7f 9y
- Going: Good, Good to Firm in places
- Surface: Turf
- Form 130-740
- Age 3
- Weight 9-7
- Official Rating 95
- Trainer P & O Cole
- Jockey J Fanning
held up, ridden 3f out, weakend over 1f out
Pearly Wey
10- Form 122000
- Age 3
- Weight 9-3
- Official Rating 91
led, clear halfway, ridden 2f out, headed no extra inside final furlong
- Form 83-161
- Age 3
- Weight 9-2
- Official Rating 90
- Trainer B W Hills
- Jockey Richard Hughes
held up patiently ridden, always travelling well, smooth headway over 1f out, led on bit inside final furlong, soon clear
- Form 12-0100
- Age 3
- Weight 9-1
- Official Rating 89
- Trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam
- Jockey R Winston
close up, ridden over 2f out, every chance of a 1f out, weakened inside final furlong
- Form 000560
- Age 3
- Weight 8-10
- Official Rating 84
- Trainer M R Channon
- Jockey J F Egan
reared start, slowly away, in rear, ridden 3f out, headway over 1f out, stayed on inside final furlong
- Form 722544
- Age 3
- Weight 8-5
- Official Rating 79
- Trainer N P Littmoden
- Jockey James Doyle
chased leader, ridden over 2f out, every chance over 1f out, kept on same pace final furlong
- Form 7-09112
- Age 3
- Weight 8-2
- Official Rating 74
- Trainer Sir Michael Stoute
- Jockey F Norton
Nonrunner
Verdict
There is a good line-up for this contest, as there should be for the money on offer, and we will side with Dream Theme ahead of Power Politics and Scrummage. He may have been absent for over a year but if Power Politics, who beat the very progressive Formal Decree in his maiden last year, is on top of his game, he could yet be very fairly weighted today. Watch the betting for clues. Pearly Wey has been running with credit in valuable handicaps since his Newmarket win and has to be respected, while much as Scrummage's winning run came to an end at Sandown last time, he still looks competitive from his current rating, and is very closely weighted with Ans Bach based on that Sandown defeat. Two wins in his last three races, including in a valuable Goodwood handicap last time, mark Dream Theme down as progressive and he has to be seriously considered, while the remainder cannot be entirely ruled out of good runs, including Art Market, who might improve for a tongue tie. Overall, though, we will stick with Dream Theme.
Formwatch
Art Market (CAN) 100-1 (9-4) Raced near side with leader on outer, ridden over 3f out, weakened quickly, 28th of 30, 42l behind Sir Gerard (8-12) at Ascot 1m 3yo hcp 0-105 (2) gf in Jun.
Pearly Wey 12-1 (8-11) Slowly into stride, always behind, 12th of 15, 10l behind Dream Theme (8-6) at Goodwood 7f 3yo hcp (2) gf.
Dream Theme 13-2 (8-6) Held up mid-division, headway on rails well over 3f out, ridden over 1f out, drifted left inside final furlong, led final 50 yards, ridden out, won at Goodwood 7f 3yo hcp (2) gf beating High Curragh (8-8) by a nk, 15 ran.
Red Cape (FR) 25-1 (8-11) Raced far side, pushed along halfway, never dangerous, last of 20, 14l behind Dark Missile (8-6) at Newmarket 6f 3yo hcp 0-105 (2) gf in Jul.
Guest Connections 40-1 (9-3) Mid-division, ridden and headway over 2f out, challenged 1f out, weakened, 10th of 18, 4 1/2l behind Illustrious Blue (9-4) at Goodwood 1m hcp 0-90 (3) gd.
Jimmy The Guesser 10-1 (8-2) Tracked leaders, effort over 1f out, no extra entering final furlong and weakened, 4th of 10, 3l behind Charles Darwin (8-8) at Ascot 6f 3yo hcp (2) gf in Jul.
Power Politics (USA) 4-7fav (9-0) Made all, clear over 1f out, easily, won at Pontefract 5f 2yo mdn (4) gf in Jul '05 beating Formal Decree (9-0) by 4l, 8 ran.
Ans Bach 5-1 (9-7) Held up towards rear, pushed along 3f out, switched left 2f out, ran strongly from over 1f out, led final stride, won at Sandown 7f 3yo hcp (3) gf in Jul beating Scrummage (8-3) by a shd, 11 ran.
Carmenero (GER) 33-1 (8-2) Always mid-division, 7th of 15, 4 1/2l behind Dream Theme (8-6) at Goodwood 7f 3yo hcp (2) gf.
Scrummage 2-1fav (8-3) Chased leader, led over 2f out, soon ridden and caught final stride, 2nd of 11, shd behind Ans Bach (9-7) at Sandown 7f 3yo hcp (3) gf in Jul.