Timeform Race To Watch: The Securon Handicap Hurdle, Newbury, February 27

Race To Watch / Timeform / 04 March 2009 / Leave a Comment

Timeform reflect on a race which they believe threw up plenty of future winners.

Gala Evening's stable has been giving signs of a revival in recent weeks and finally has a winner to show for it as this gelding, who's potentially well handicapped on his all-weather Flat form, showed improved form to make a winning return from three months off, knuckling down gamely to get on top close home having been waited with; he's worth another try at three miles on this evidence.

Runner-up From Dawn To Dusk has been a fine servant to connections down the years and clearly retains all of his ability judging by this hugely encouraging return from over sixteen months off despite proving easy to back; racing sweetly in touch, he led from before two out until close home, typically finding plenty for pressure; effective at up to two and three quarter miles, he acts on good to firm and good to soft going.

The gambled on Chesapeake ran very well in third upped further in trip and surely won't be long in opening his account, be it in handicap or novice company; indeed, he'd probably have given the first two even more to think about here with a better round of jumping, travelling strongly under a patient ride despite those errors and seeing this longer trip out okay.

Ninth home Chance Du Roy, a fairly useful juvenile hurdler in 2007/8, shaped as if retaining much of that ability on his return from ten and a half months off (well backed) and seems likely to build on this, particularly if returned to shorter. He's raced lazily on occasions in the past but the opposite was true here, failing to settle in touch during the early stages and, as a result, unable to sustain a promising-looking effort once in line for home.