A split in the final contest on the card into two divisions. A Class 6 mile and a quarter handicap looks competitive, our expert preview and tip for this Nottingham contest for our myracing meeting is below.
IN SUMMARY: Bling King looked like he was running back into form last time but he is the type who needs things to drop perfectly in place, so isn’t one to take a short price about. Frontline Phantom is getting on a bit but shaped better last time and is a dual course winner from just three runs here. The vote though goes to PATENT who didn’t appear to enjoy the all weather but produced a career best over this course and distance last summer. He is very well treated back on turf on that effort with first time cheekpieces an interesting addition.
1 LITTLE CHOOSEY – NON RUNNER
2 BLING KING – Holds no secrets from he handicapper but did win over a mile at Nottingham last summer off a mark two pound lower than now. He was runner up from this 60 perch last time at Wetheby giving the impression he is running into form again. He is well treated on his peak efforts in the past but at the age of eight, he does need things to drop right in front of him to get his head in front.
3 THE LOCK MASTER – Veteran is a better horse on the all weather but has an eleven pound lower turf mark to compensate. He hasn’t got his head in front on turf since July 2015 at Doncaster when winning over a mile and a half. He will have underfoot conditions in his favour but the drop back to a mile and a quarter isn’t a positive move for a horse who takes a bit of getting going.
4 GUNNER MOYNE – Yard are having a quiet month, without a winner in their last 34 runners going back a fortnight, though they have had nine seconds in that timeframe. Won from this mark back in April when fitted with a visor for the first time but the headgear hasn’t worked in the same way in a pair of starts since. He has raced just twice on turf in his career, neither run within ten pounds of his best on the all weather so has plenty to prove on the grass for now.
5 SAKHALIN STAR – Declared to run at Hamilton on Wednesday night. Has won just twice from sixty starts, the latest of which almost two years ago at Hamilton from a twelve pound higher mark. Was only half a length behind Bling King at Wetherby two starts ago and would have each way claims on that but likely a place is the best he can hope for despite being well handicapped, given his overall record.
6 PATENT – Showed glimmers of promise last season, including when runner up over this course and distance, when trained by Richard Hannon. He has shown very little in three starts for his new yard but as a consequence is now nine pounds lower in the handicap. He has placed on soft and good to firm so conditions won’t be a concern to him and he will appreciate the return to turf having run poorly on the all weather. First time cheek pieces are an interesting addition and given he’s only had ten career races and his current mark, he makes plenty of each way appeal.
7 COOL MUSIC – A winner just once in her career, when springing a 100/1 shock on her racecourse debut. Her handicap mark has dropped twenty two pounds since that win three years ago, campaigned primarily on the all weather since. Her win came on good to firm ground and with the sun drying out the turf, this looks likely to be the quickest surface she raced on since, which gives her supporters a little hope.
8 ST DUNSTAN – Very lightly raced with just the five career starts, the best of which came last time out when fitted with a first time visor. The headgear is retained with the step up in trip looking a positive on the way he came home over a mile but that was last July and with a very flat run first time up last season, he is likely to need this return to action.
9 STUN GUN – Just 1/16 on turf but that win came on quick ground which he can expect here, no surprise given that most of Medicean’s offspring like to hear their hooves rattle. He ran one of his better races on turf over this trip at Yarmouth two starts ago but the general level of his form over this trip isn’t as good as shorter and the percentage call is to oppose.
10 FRONTLINE PHANTOM – Has had his share of issues down the years, racing just three times in the last twenty months. He has won twice from three starts at the track, both off higher marks than the one he gets to run off now. He shaped much better on his last start, running on late to grab third at Lingfield on the all weather. This stiffer ten furlong trip will be in his favour and despite now ten years old, there may be another win in him yet.
11 COSMIC DUST – 0/14 in her career with a third place the best she has accomplished. Her dam was a winner over this trip and the Richard Whitaker yard are in rude health at present which give some hope but, realistically she can only be a watching brief on her 2017 return to action
12 ITS A SHEILA THING – Sixteen race maiden has hinted at ability, placed at both Lingfield and Brighton in 2016. Both those efforts were from a six pound higher mark than she faces here so she is not entirely ruled out for a canny trainer, though she will need to settle better to get home up this long straight than she did on her 2017 reappearance at Brighton.