10:11 An almost dry night with just 0.5mm of rain, the going remains heavy and a sunny day is forecast.
We currently have four non-runners, details on the right.
Our selections are:
2:15 |
1 |
Calormen |
2:50 |
7 |
Tom Folan |
3:25 |
1 |
Alrasam |
4:00 |
2 |
Oscar Close |
4:35 |
4 |
Ginger Ted |
5:10 |
11 |
Slugger O'Toole |
5:40 |
3 |
Maxim Gorky |
13:02 Good afternoon from Leicester where we have a lovely sunny day. As a result the going has changed, it is now Soft, Heavy in Places.
13:30 The ground may have dried out during the morning but it remains very tacky and will take some getting.
14:07 Our opening contest is the Ladbrokes.com Knighton Median Auction Maiden Stakes a five furlong contest for two-year-olds.
Six of the nine have racecourse experience but you would not believe it looking at them.
From top to bottom in racecard order:-
Calorman – looks nice but is getting a little warm
Sailor Boy – still with winter coat, very narrow
Sky Diamond – lovely coat but unfurnished
The Best Mode – still in winter coat, very small
Unknown Rebel – winter coat, on toes
Zarazar – looks nice, still with winter coat
Mayfair Princess – debutant getting very worked up
Molly Mylenis – winter coat, small but relaxed
Mollyow – winter coat, small and narrow
14:31 A controversial opening contest with a controversial finish.
They broke well for novices and The Best Mode was the first to break but Mayfair Princess soon hit the front and was never headed.
The only serious challenge came from Molly Mylenis.
However there was a very controversial finish as Mayfair Princess drifted hard to the right, despite jockey Chris Catlin having his whip in the correct hand.
In doing so he carried Molly Mylenis across the full width of the track, almost putting her into the far rail.
With the winning distance being only half-a-length the Stewards were bound to take a look.
After doing so they decided the result will stand and it has to be said the view from the press room is Molly Mylenis would not have won anyway.
Favourite Calormen was disappointing, running in fourth for most of the contest before tailing off to beat only one home and that was Sailor Boy who was well tailed off.
Third spot went to Mollyow who made good late progress.
Not a very good race with all the field, bar the winner, being off the bridle early on.
14:42 Race two is the six furlong Ladbrokes.com Selling Stakes in which nine line up.
Arken Lad is pulling quite hard in the parade ring, Clear Ice is still in his winter coat, Kings
Aphrodite looks angry and Special Betty is another pulling hard.
The best looking were Thaliwarru, Tom Folan and Young George.
15:03 Well a less controversial race for our second.
Arken Lad, on his toes at the start, set off in front pulling hard, with Clear Ice and Hill Of Miller in pursuit.
Approaching the furlong marker the field were very well strung out in the testing conditions .
Arken Lad still had the lead but Thaliwarru seemed to be handling the conditions well and swept into the lead.
To his credit Arken Lad did try to fight back but Thaliwarru had sufficient in hand to record a length victory.
Hill Of Miller held on for third.
Arken Lad has a low grade race in him if he can learn to settle.
Favourite Tom Folan did not seem to like conditions and was never a threat.
15:04 News from the Stewards. Chris Catlin picked up a three day careless riding ban for his ride on the winner in the first.
15:17 Race three is the Ladbrokes.com Kibworth Handicap a mile and a quarter contest.
Seven line up with the morning favourite Rigidity a non-runner.
Jibrrya is a big negative really on his toes and getting badly worked up. Dr Finley is not that impressive either, also getting worked up.
Eyecatchers are Paintball and King’s Parade.
15: 43 This was our feature race and favourite and top weight Alrasm took up the running after a furlong, after Dr Finley set the very early pace.
Paintball, carrying a 5lb penalty, for a win at Doncaster 11 days ago, tracked the favourite, having said that the field were very well bunched.
Richard Hills was sitting still on the favourite as they passed the two furlong marker but than asked for an effort and the jolly pulled clear.
It looked to be a decisive run but Miss Starlight, who was runner-up to Paintball at Doncaster, came with a late charge and with a 17lb pull had enough to claim a neck victory.
Paintball came home third.
A big disappointment was King’s Parade who played up at the start, was reluctant into the stalls and gave his rider no help at all in the race.
15:55 Our longest race of the afternoon the 1½ mile Ladbrokes.com Granby Maiden Stakes in which four line up.
Oscar Close is pulling the other three were all relaxed.
16:12 This looked to be a very one sided contest on paper with Oscar Close, who has winning form over hurdles, sent off the 2/5 favourite.
He set out to make all, no great pace, and as they turned for home only a couple of lengths separated the field.
Bristol Delaurier was the first to crack and, briefly, it looked as though Frankie Falco the outsider, may be a challenger but the challenge was short lived.
A more serious challenge came from Mohanad who, when Oscar Close kicked for home, went with him and the jolly had a fight on his hands.
Instead of an easy win Matthew Davies had to work hard to get Oscar Close home, eventually by two lengths.
16:28 Back to six furlongs for race five and the Ladbrokes.com Conditions Stakes in which only three line up.
Nothing to report from the parade ring.
16:46 A three runner race and one that showed you do not need a big field for an exciting race.
Falasteen set off to make the pace with the outsider Ginger Ted following and the odds-on favourite Singeur back in third.
There was little change until Singeur ran on two out.
At the furlong pole Singeur hit the front and it looked like the money would be coming out of the bookies satchels.
However Falasteen was having none of it and battled back.
They crossed the line together and it took a moment or two for the judge to call Falasteen the short head winner.
16:57 The Ladbrokes.com Handicap over seven furlongs is our penultimate contest in which nine go to post.
Fairly neutral from the parade ring. Guilded Warrior was slightly on his toes but little else to report.
17:07 Big gamble on Toto Skyllachy
17:26 After two easy four race contests to call an ashen faced Simon Holt came into the press room after the race exclaiming “that was a very unpleasant surprise” – the “surprise” being the runners split into two distinct groups separated by the width of the track, making it a nightmare to call and also to work out what happened.
What was clear, however, was going to the far side (for the first time this afternoon) was a mistake as the five who took that course were soon off the bridle and gradually drifting back to the centre of the course.
There were, in the end, two late plunges. As well as the money for Toto Skyllachy there was an even later plunge on Lochan Mor.
However neither took the spoils as Guilded Warrior, on the stands side took the honours. Although
Lochan Mor did his utmost to land the gamble, going down by three parts of a length.
Slugger O’Toole slogged on to take third.
Toto Skyllachy was never in contention and he trainer has been called for a chat by the stewards.
17:54 Three newcomers and a very volatile betting heat.
Ryan Moore was here just for the ride on Maxim Gorky and his mount was a very uneasy favourite.
There was some support for the well bred Tower.
Tropical Blue, the only runner with experience set the pace with the other three trading minor places.
The field were well bunched until they turned for home at which point Maxim Gorky came to challenge the long time leader.
Lining up for home the first to crack was Tower, who eventually came home 69 lengths behind the winner.
Approaching two out Maxim Gorky hit the front and Moore would not allow him to idle as he drove him home in the final furlong, eventually recording a 2¾ length victory.
The win was workmanlike but Sir Michael Stoute will have many better in his stables.
Tropical Blue took second, whilst Setter’s Prince was outclassed, 27 lengths back in third.
17:58 Well that’s it from Leicester and how nice it was to be racing in the sunshine.
Not the highest quality but a good afternoon’s racing nonetheless. I don’t think we have seen any
Classic winners or indeed serious contenders this afternoon.
Of course the tacky going did not help.
Tomorrow we are back to jumping action at Kempton park where, in contrast to this afternoon, we have some massive fields.
Until then a very good afternoon.
Return to race archive:
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Non-Runners
The time in brackets is the time the horse was officially declared a non-runner.
SC - Self Certificate
VC - Vet's Certificate
Non-runners
15:25
5 Rigidity (going - 08:32)
16:35
3 Tasmeem (off colour - SC 08:27)
17:10
2 Definightly (temperature - SC 08:29)
4 Sakhee's Pearl (going - 15:54)
15:40
4 Moose Moran (going - 08:32)
Results
14:15 Maiden Stakes 5m 2yds
1st 7 Mayfair Princess 40/1
2nd 8 Molly Mylenis 100/30
3rd 9 Mollyow 9/1
9 Ran
Distances ½ & 2½
Fav 1 Calormen 2/1 (8th)
Tote
Win £35.40
Places £5.30 £1.40 £2.40
Exacta £132.00
CSF £161.02
Time 1' 06.32" (slow 7.22")
14:50 Selling Stakes 5f 218yds
1st 6 Thaliwarru 9/2
2nd 1 Arken Lad 7/1
3rd 3 Hill Of Miller 8/1
9 Ran
Distances 1 & 4
Fav 7 Tom Folan (5th)
Tote
Win £5.80
Places £2.00 £1.70 £2.20
Exacta £31.80
CSF £32.69
Time 1' 17.73" (slow 6.73")
15:25 Handicap 1m 1f 218yds
1st 3 Miss Starlight 9/2
2nd 1 Alrasm 2/1 fav
7 Ran Nr 5
Distances neck
Fav second
Tote
Win £5.20
Places £2.50 £1.30
Exacta £15.60
CSF £12.72
Tricast £47.74
Time 2' 15.56 (slow 10.56")
16:00 Maiden Stakes 1m 3f 183yds
1st 2 Oscar Close 2/5 fav
2nd 4 Mohanad 5/2
4 Ran
Distances 2
Fav winner
Tote
Win £1.40
Exacta £1.30
CSF £1.45
Time 2' 50.22" (slow 20.22")
16:35 Conditions Stakes 5m 218yds
1st 2 Falasteen 15/8
2nd 1 Singeur 8/13 fav
3 Ran Nr 3
Distances short head
Fav second
Tote
Win £2.50
Exacta £3.20
CSF £3.44
Time 1'11.0" (slow 6.1")
17:10 Handicap 7f 9yd
1st 3 Guilded Warrior 7/1
2nd 6 Lochan Mor 7/2
3rd 11 Slugger O'Toole 10/3
9 Ran Nr's 2 & 4
Distances ¾ & 2½
Fav 7 Toto Skyllachy 5/2 (7th)
Tote
Win £9.50
Places £2.60 £1.60 £2.20
Exacta £37.40
CSF £31.86
Tricast £93.75
Time 1' 30.95" (slow 6.95")
17:40 Maiden Stakes 1m 1f 218yds
1st 3 Maxim Gorky 5/4 fav
2nd 1 Tropical Blue 11/4
4 Ran Nr 4
Distances 2¾
Fav winner
Tote
Win £2.50
Exacta £2¾
CSF £4.96
Time 2' 15.92" (slow 10.92")
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