Race 1 5.30PM

Stalls: Inside

Total prize fund £7000 About one mile (8f abt 2yds) for four yrs old and upwards

The Gtc Apprentice

HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 6)

Race Stats

Leading course trainer (17-22): I Jardine (33 wins from 258 runners, 13%) runs MERRICOURT

Trainer-in-form (last 14 days): T Easterby (9 wins from 94 runners, 10%) runs LITTLE TED

Weightwatcher: LITTLE TED won off a handicap mark of 61, his rating is now down 7lb to 54.

Longest Traveller: LITTLE TED trained by T Easterby, Malton, 201 miles

Owners Prize Money. Winner £2890; Second £1446; Third £722; Fourth £361; Fifth £181. (Penalty Value £3663.80) A SS No Horse

1

MERRICOURT (IRE) (10) 7 9 12 (5)

Gr g Mizzen Mast (USA) - Elite

Owner: Mr Allan McLuckie

Trainer: Iain Jardine, Carrutherstown

Breeder: Nawara Stud Limited

Sponsor: Bloomfields Raceline Horseboxes

Colours: DARK BLUE, WHITE hoops, chevrons on sleeves, striped cap Form: 052426 CD 5 wins £18887

TIMEFORM VIEW Runner-up both visits here in 7f handicaps this season and wasn’t seen to best effect at Ayr recently. Now 4lb below last winning mark and he has to enter calculations

2

Archie Young (7)

Star RatingHHHHI Official BHA Rating 60 (-1)

ENGLES ROCK (IRE) (30) 7 9 12 (3)

B m Excelebration (IRE) - Lisa Gherardini (IRE)

Owner: Mrs H. Kelly

Trainer: Lucinda Russell, Kinross

Breeder: Grange & Manister House Studs

Sponsor: Ian Macleod & Co Ltd

Colours: MAROON, WHITE seams, WHITE sleeves, MAROON stars, MAROON cap, WHITE star Form: 64-5500 D 5 wins £20876

TIMEFORM VIEW Bagged a couple of handicaps at Ayr in 2022 but this season’s efforts leave much to be desired. Usual cheekpieces replaced with first-time blinkers/tongue strap Star RatingHHIII Official BHA Rating 60

LITTLE TED (GB) (8)

Ch g Cityscape - Speedy Utmost Meg

Owner: Mr M. J. Macleod

Trainer: Tim Easterby, Malton

Breeder: Mill Bank Bloodstock LLP

Sponsor: Baker Finch Interiors, Leods Contracts Limited

6 9 6 (2)

Ben Sanderson 3

Colours: RED and BLACK diamonds, RED sleeves, BLACK armlets and diamonds on cap Form: 00-3602 CD 4 wins £11557

TIMEFORM VIEW Not the most reliable but arrives here on the back of a good effort at Nottingham (10.2f, good to firm) where he found just one too good in an 8-runner handicap off this mark. Has won twice at this trip in the past (including over C&D) and merits respect. Star RatingHHHII Official BHA Rating 54 (+2)

FANZONE (IRE) (39)

B g Gutaifan (IRE) - Dame Alicia (IRE)

Owner: Foulrice Park Racing Limited

Trainer: Liam Bailey, Middleham

Breeder: Kilcarn Stud

Sponsor: Show Business Interiors Ltd

6 9 6 (4)

Colours: BLACK, ORANGE hoop and armlets, quartered cap Form: 3-56230 C 1 wins £3726

TIMEFORM VIEW Left the impression that his turn was near when placed at Bath and over this C&D during the spring but latest effort back here was underwhelming, for all that the step up to 9f probably counted against him. Star RatingHHHII Official BHA Rating 54

Sean

Kirrane 4

WITHOUT DELAY (IRE) (20) 4 9 4 (1)

Brandon Wilkie (7) 5

Ch f Decorated Knight - Apace (IRE)

Owner: Mr W. J. Laws

Trainer: Tracy Waggott, Spennymoor

Breeder: Irish National Stud

Sponsor: Houghton Bunkhouse

Colours: BROWN and ORANGE (quartered), ORANGE sleeves, BROWN armlets, ORANGE cap

Form: 056-446 CD 1 wins £3186

TIMEFORM VIEW Gained breakthrough success over this C&D last summer but that’s her sole win from 17 career starts, and she failed to build on the promise of her first 2 efforts this season when last of 6 back here 20 days ago

Star RatingHHHII Official BHA Rating 52

CHINESE SPIRIT (IRE) (9) 9 9 4 (7)

Pyle (5) 6

Gr g Clodovil (IRE) - In The Ribbons

Owner: Mr Sandy Jarvie & Miss L. Perratt

Trainer: Linda Perratt, East Kilbride

Breeder: J. Murphy

Sponsor: Linda Perratt Racing Club

Colours: PURPLE, YELLOW sleeves, RED and YELLOW striped cap

Form: 5-55022 C D 8 wins £27213

TIMEFORM VIEW Thoroughly exposed 9-y-o but he’s just 1lb above the mark off which he scored here last summer, and another win looks imminent judged on recent near-misses over this C&D and at Hamilton. Major player Star RatingHHHHH Official BHA Rating 52 (+1) Mark Winn (3)

7

HOW BIZARRE (GB) (3) 8 9 3 (8)

Ch g Society Rock (IRE) - Amanda Carter

Owner: Foulrice Park Racing Limited

Trainer: Liam Bailey, Middleham

Breeder: Mrs Janis MacPherson

Sponsor: Show Business Interiors Ltd

Colours: BLACK, ORANGE hoop and armlets, ROYAL BLUE cap

Form: 414442 CD BF 6 wins £25837

TIMEFORM VIEW Not one to set your watch by but is standing up well to what has been a busy 2023 campaign, scoring over C&D early last month and plenty of solid efforts in defeat either side of that. Should give another good account.

8

Aiden Brookes (3)

Star RatingHHHII Official BHA Rating 51

BANNER ROAD (IRE) (21) 4 9 1 (6)

B f Make Believe - Trempjane

Owner: Mr James Mearns Long

Trainer: Jim Goldie, Glasgow

Breeder: Denis Phelan & Make Believe Syndicate

Sponsor: Long Contracts Dmcc

Colours: BLACK, RED epaulets, YELLOW sleeves, YELLOW cap, RED star

Form: 640-200 0 wins £0

TIMEFORM VIEW Stepped up on last season’s form when chasing home How Bizarre off this mark on her reappearance over C&D However, it would be something of an understatement to say that she has failed to build on that since

9

Amie Waugh (3)

Star RatingHIIII Official BHA Rating 49

HOLLIS BROWN (GB) (39) 4 8 12 (9)

B g Bobby’s Kitten (USA) - Akranti

Owner: William Burns & Alan Berry

Trainer: Linda Perratt, East Kilbride

Breeder: Miss K. Rausing

Sponsor: Linda Perratt Racing Club

Colours: BLACK and WHITE check, WHITE sleeves, BLACK cap

Form: 6030-00 0 wins £0

TIMEFORM VIEW Eleven-race maiden who is hard to make a case for judged on what he’s shown in a couple of runs at this course since returning to action early last month.

Star RatingHIIII Official BHA Rating 45

Andrew Breslin

2022 WINNER: NO CORRESPONDING RACE

NUMBER OF DECLARED RUNNERS 9

Blinkers, Tongue Strap worn first time by No 2. Sheepskin Cheek Pieces worn by No 3. Probable S.P’s: 7-2 Chinese Spirit (IRE), 4-1 Little Ted (GB), 5-1 Merricourt (IRE), 11-2 How Bizarre (GB), 8-1 Without Delay (IRE), 17-2 Fanzone (IRE), 20-1 Engles Rock (IRE), 40-1 Banner Road (IRE), 80-1 Hollis Brown (GB)

CHINESE SPIRIT deserves to get his head in front following a couple of close calls off this mark in recent weeks, and he is taken to do just that. The 9-y-o may have most to fear from Merricourt, while Little Ted and How Bizarre, though not the most reliable of types on balance, are also live contenders in current form.

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