Third Race 3.20

THE CCR WELCOMES THE JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION

HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 3) for three yrs old and upwards x Total prize fund £25000 Owners Prize Money 1st £10158, 2nd £5080, 3rd £2540, 4th £1270, 5th £635, 6th £318 (Penalty Value £12885)

City Selections

A return to this C&D can work a treat for OWL ISLAND, who struck here on debut in May, and he can maintain his unbeaten record on the all-weather The Crisfords’ three-year-old may have too much for fellow course scorer War In Heaven, as well as Secret Moment, who got up over 6f at Wolverhampton. His stablemate Open Mind is another who will appreciate going back up in trip.

Leading course trainer (17-22): M Appleby (75 wins from 615 runners, 12%) runs WAR IN HEAVEN

Trainer-in-form (last 14 days): A Watson (6 wins from 45 runners, 13%) runs ONIGHT

Longest Traveller: ONIGHT trained by A Watson, Upper Lambourn, 129 miles.

1 TOIMY SON (FR) (17) 00-5000 D

Br B c Twilight Son - Miss Pimpernel (IRE)

O Toimy Son Partnership

Guillaume Vitse & Camille Laignel Porin

TIMEFORMVIEWListedwinnerover7flastspringandhavingshownlittleinhis3outingsforcurrentyard,gavetheimpression thathecouldbeonthewaybacksportingintheBuckinghamPalaceStakeslastmonth.

2 OPEN MIND (GB) (17) 31-1204 C D

Br Br g Cable Bay (IRE) - Bonhomie

B Highclere Stud

TIMEFORM VIEWCourse winner last September and followed up at Meydan in January. Took a step back in the right directionwhenfourthof6inhandicap(11/1)atRipon(6f,goodtofirm)17daysago.

3 WAR IN HEAVEN (IRE) (17) 116061 C

Br B g Exceed And Excel (AUS) - Burma Sun (IRE)

O Mr Matthew Taylor

Appleby, Oakham T

B Kildaragh Stud Trade Access Panels Ltd S

TIMEFORM VIEW 5 wins from 8 runs this year Career best when winning 8-runner handicap (5/1) at this course (8f) 17daysago,lookingfarmorewillingunderpressurereturnedtoall-weather

Br B g Dark Angel (IRE) - Oatcake

O Phillips-Hill & Blacklands partnership

B Mount Coote Stud

TIMEFORMVIEWBumpedintoonethatwasmuchimprovedwhensecondinhandicap(8/11)atNewcastle(7.1f)14monthsago. SoldverycheaplyfromCharlesHills£2,500sinceandthisrunshouldrevealwhatabilityremains.

5 NEW DEFINITION (GB) (22) 21-2060 D

Br B c Invincible Spirit (IRE) - Second Generation

O Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum James Tate, Newmarket T

B Rabbah Bloodstock Limited

TIMEFORM VIEWDoubled his tally on final outing of 2022 at Lingfield and stepped things up a notch when short-head secondinlistedracebackthereinMarch.Notinthesameformonall3subsequentoutings.

6 SIR OLIVER (IRE) (31) 0-32300 CD

Br B g Dark Angel (IRE) - Folga

O Flying High Syndicate (Sir Oliver)

B Yeomanstown Stud & Doc Bloodstock

6 9-6 (7)

Cherchi J

Chris Dwyer, Newmarket T

TIMEFORMVIEWC&Dwinner.Againranbelowformwhenseventhof8inhandicapatYarmouth(6f,goodtofirm,7/2) 31daysago.Bettershowinganticipatedbackontheall-weather

7 SECRET MOMENT (IRE) (34) 1/2455-1 D

TFRHHHII BHA85

6 9-3 (2)

Br B g Exceed And Excel (AUS) - Devotee (USA) Harry Davies (3) J

O Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor, Newmarket T

B Godolphin Emirates Fly Better S

TIMEFORMVIEWAfter8monthsoff,provedasgoodaseverwhenwinning9-runnerhandicapatWolverhampton(6.1f) amonthago.Capableoffollowingupreturnedtothislongertrip. TFRHHHHH BHA82

Br B g Dark Angel (IRE) - Twinkleberry (IRE)

TIMEFORMVIEWMadetheperfectstarttohiscareer,makingit2-2atWolverhampton(7.2f)inMay,butseemedillateaseon thefirmishsurfaceonturf/handicapdebutatSandown(7f,goodtofirm)justover3weeksago.

TIMEFORMVIEWLatestwinatLingfieldinFebruary.14/1andtonguestraponfor1sttime,neverdangerouswhen81/2 lengthsseventhof8toWarInHeaveninhandicapatthiscourse(8f)17daysago.

TIMEFORMVIEWConfirmeddebutpromisewhenscoringatNewcastleinFebruaryandputexperiencetogoodusetofollow upatKempton(7f)acoupleofmonthslater Finishedlastswitchedtoturfforhishandicapdebut.

EMPIRE (GB) (10) 232443 CD

Territories (IRE) - Veena (FR)

B Dr Arujuna Sivananthan

TIMEFORM VIEW C&D winner on debut. 9/2, wasn’t seen to best effect when third of 6 in handicap at Newmarket (7f,good)10daysago,caughtfurtherbackthanideal.

12 DISTINGUISHED LADY (FR) (23) 3001-35 C

Br B f Zoustar (AUS) - Saccharose Rowan Scott J

O Amo Racing Limited Alice Haynes, Newmarket T

B S.N.C Ecurie Loick Fouchet et al Sports Invest UK Ltd S

TIMEFORMVIEWCoursewinnerlastautumn.ShapedwellfromatrickypositionwhenneckthirdtoRadioGooGooon6fcourse reappearance.FurtherbehindthatrivalatYork(6fagain)sincebutshapesasifshe’llbesuitedby7f. TFRHHHII BHA81

DECLARED RUNNERS 12

2022: NO CORRESPONDING RACE LAST YEAR

Hood worn first time by No. 12 Visor worn first time by No. 9. Blinkers worn by No. 1.

Tongue Strap worn by No. 7, 9, 10, 12 Sheepskin Cheek Pieces worn by No. 2, 5, 7.

Running for the first time since Gelding No. 4, 10

Stewards Note:

OWL ISLAND: Following its run on 17/6/2023 it was reported that the horse would benefit from slower ground.

ONIGHT: Following its run on 17/5/2023 it was reported that the horse ran green.

Probable S.P’s: 4-1 Secret Moment (IRE), 7-1 War In Heaven (IRE), 17-2 Owl Island (IRE), 9-1 Chola Empire (GB), 11-1 Onight (GB), 12-1 Open Mind (GB), 14-1 Toimy Son (FR), King’s Knight (IRE), 16-1 Sir Oliver (IRE), 18-1 Distinguished Lady (FR), 20-1 New Definition (GB), 25-1 Wyvern (GB)

Cases can be made for several, but SECRET MOMENT resumed winning ways to prove himself as good as ever on return at Wolverhampton recently and nudged up just 3lb, Saeed bin Suroor’s 6-y-o is fancied to follow up returned to this longer trip. War In Heaven notched a fifth success of the campaign over 1m here recently and he could be the one to give the selection most to think about, ahead of Toimy Son and Chola Empire.

TIMEFORM PREDICTION: 1.SECRET MOMENT (IRE) 2.WAR IN HEAVEN (IRE) 3.TOIMY SON (FR)

Abandonment

If racing is abandoned prior to the first race, a full refund will be given.

After the third race has been run, we regret that no refunds can be made in respect of admission charges.

Refunds are not issued on the day.

Tickets purchased on the gate must be sent within 28 days of the event to Chelmsford City Racecourse, Great Leighs, CM31QP