September 26 / 16.53 Pontefract

16.53

Good

Irish Stallion Farms EBF Nursery Handicap

  • Prize money: £5234
  • 0m 6f 0y
  • Class 4
  • 6 runners
RTV
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Irish Stallion Farms EBF Nursery Handicap

Runners: 6 runners

Type: Flat Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Showers

Abandoned

Form: 541594

Last run: 33 days

W: 9st 11lb

2 yo Colt

OR: 80

Form & Verdict
Won Sandown novice (5f, good) in June and respectable fourth in Windsor novice (6f, soft) last time; however, he didn't shine in his two nurseries and isn't obviously well treated.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

7

(6)

12th Oct 2024

Good To Soft

0m 7f 0y

Class 3

16:15 Newmarket

Siegen

9st 1lb

J: Jamie Spencer

T: Richard Hannon

Has raced exclusively at sprint distances; has failed to build on his June success (5f, good) and doesn't shape as if he's crying out for this new trip; others preferred.

33/1

OUR TIP

Form: 22233

Last run: 22 days

W: 9st 10lb

2 yo Colt

OR: 79

Form & Verdict
Consistent on first four runs (5f, good to soft-good to firm) and fair third on nursery debut at Hamilton (6f, heavy) three weeks ago after 77-day break; no match for the first two last time but may have more to offer.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1

(6)

3rd Jul 2025

Good

0m 6f 212y

Class 5

17:17 Haydock

Georgecandoit

9st 9lb

J: Jack Garritty

T: Jedd O’Keeffe

0-10 but has dropped down the weights and was an unlucky fifth off this mark at Beverley (7.4f, good to firm) last Tuesday, when repeatedly denied a clear passage; could make amends if he gets the breaks this time.

5/1

7

(4)

24th Jun 2025

Good To Firm

0m 7f 96y

Class 5

14:15 Beverley

Georgecandoit

9st 2lb

J: Jack Garritty

T: Jedd O’Keeffe

Beaten favourite in a 7f novice at Catterick before predictably struggling in a Class 4 handicap at York (7f, good; first-time cheekpieces); now 0-9 and the headgear is soon discarded; others preferred.

12/1

18th

18

(17)

31st May 2025

Good

0m 7f 0y

Class 4

15:50 York

Georgecandoit

9st 2lb

J: Andrew Mullen

T: Jedd O’Keeffe

0-8; disappointing when just 13-8 for 7f Catterick novice 19 days ago; needs the application of cheekpieces to have a positive effect.

40/1

Abandoned

Form: 179027 D

Last run: 13 days

W: 9st 10lb

2 yo Colt

OR: 79

Form & Verdict
Inconsistent and his two standout performances have come at Hamilton, namely a maiden win in June (6f, good) and a nursery near-miss two starts ago (6f, heavy); however, he's not ruled out on his first visit here.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5th

1

(8)

25th May 2026

Good

0m 6f 0y

Class 5

15:40 Leicester

Shazani

9st 9lb

J: George Wood

T: Roy Bowring

On a handy mark on his 1m/7f form last autumn but hasn't been shaping this spring as though he's about to return to winning ways.

11/1

7th

2

(3)

29th Apr 2026

Standard

0m 6f 16y

Class 5

18:15 Southwell (AW)

Shazani

9st 7lb

J: Alistair Rawlinson

T: Roy Bowring

Doubled his tally in Leger Legends race at Doncaster last September (comfortably made all at 40-1 despite going as far as 1m for the first/only time); just one run of note since but he did show more spark latest on his second run back from a break, in first-time blinkers (retained); not ruled out if taking to AW at the first attempt.

9/1

6th

4

(9)

13th Apr 2026

Good To Firm

0m 6f 0y

Class 5

15:52 Leicester

Shazani

9st 8lb

J: Alistair Rawlinson

T: Roy Bowring

Stable yet to get rolling for the year but started favourite on his Doncaster comeback recently; said to have stopped quickly there and goes in first-time headgear today; softer ground would have been ideal back to sprinting (last autumn's win came over 1m).

7/1

Form: 431 D

Last run: 44 days

W: 9st 10lb

2 yo Colt

OR: 79

Form & Verdict
Built upon promise of first two runs (6f, good to soft/AW) to win at Hamilton (6f, soft) last month; that latest form hasn't worked out but he has a useful pedigree and is open to further improvement on nursery debut.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

8

(8)

17th May 2026

Good

0m 6f 6y

Class 4

18:15 Hamilton

Top Juggler

9st 6lb

J: Dale Swift

T: Seb Spencer

Fair record here for the Quinn yard; made a successful debut for his current trainer off 2lb lower last September but will need to be spot on as he returns from more than six months off.

20/1

7

(7)

23rd Oct 2025

Standard

0m 6f 16y

Class 4

19:30 Southwell (AW)

Top Juggler

9st 9lb

J: Dale Swift

T: Seb Spencer

Won narrowly at Carlisle (6f) on debut for new yard; well held in the Ayr Bronze Cup later in September but this looks an easier task; showed promise over C&D in sole AW attempt.

16/1

67

19th Sep 2025

0m 6f 0y

Class 2

15:40 Ayr

Top Juggler

9st 2lb

T: Seb Spencer

Soft-ground 2yo winner for Quinn yard last August and beat Territorial Knight by a head to win on recent stable debut at Carlisle (6f, good); could have more to offer for this yard and not ruled out under 5lb penalty.

14/1

Form: 4351

Last run: 13 days

W: 9st 8lb

2 yo Colt

OR: 77

Form & Verdict
Hints of promise among first three starts (including on good/good to firm) and improved form to win when joint-favourite on recent nursery debut at Salisbury (7f, good to soft); did it readily and a 5lb rise may not be enough to stop him today.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

10

(17)

14th Sep 2025

Good

0m 7f 6y

Class 2

14:30 Doncaster

Up The Pace

8st 13lb

J: Callum Rodriguez

T: Edward Smyth-Osbourne

Nursery winner at two but a sharp improver this season with two wins including one over C&D; needed a stronger pace when his hat-trick bid came up shy and the drop back to 6f found him when tried in cheekpieces (now removed) at the Shergar Cup; remains of interest off this sort of mark.

16/1

9

(7)

9th Aug 2025

Good To Firm

0m 6f 0y

Class 2

15:20 Ascot

Up The Pace

9st 6lb

J: Suraj Narredu

T: Edward Smyth-Osbourne

Progressive 3yo; made a winning seasonal return in a C&D handicap in May (strong form) and followed up over 7f at Doncaster; came up just shy in his hat-trick bid at Newmarket four weeks ago (7f, good to firm) but that race was slowly run early and he turned in another rock-solid effort (the third has won two major handicaps since); now 5lb higher but it's unlikely he's reached his ceiling and new cheekpieces could help too; big chance.

5/1

2nd

10

(8)

11th Jul 2025

Good To Firm

0m 7f 0y

Class 3

16:45 Newmarket (July)

Up The Pace

9st 3lb

J: Kieran Shoemark

T: Edward Smyth-Osbourne

Successful in a couple of Class 4 events under Kieran Shoemark this term, latest at Doncaster (7f, good), taking record in turf handicaps to 1311; upped in grade but could well improve further; highly respected.

5/1

Form: 445201 D

Last run: 28 days

W: 9st 5lb

2 yo Colt

OR: 74

Form & Verdict
Runner-up at York (6f, good to soft) in July in his sole nursery and bounced back from his tough Super Sprint assignment to win a Ffos Las maiden (6f, heavy) four weeks ago; he's 5lb higher than at York but it's a mark that looks very realistic and he's high on the list.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

3

(2)

18th Oct 2024

Heavy

0m 6f 0y

Class 5

14:55 Haydock

Sir Palamedes

9st 8lb

J: Kieran Shoemark

T: Charlie Fellowes

Needs to rebound, having been disappointing at Pontefract last week; scored comfortably in Ffos Las maiden (6f, heavy) the time before and a reproduction of that form would put him in the mix.

12/1

7th

7

(11)

7th Oct 2024

Soft

0m 6f 0y

Class 4

13:17 Pontefract

Sir Palamedes

9st 4lb

J: Callum Rodriguez

T: Charlie Fellowes

in touch with leaders on outer, switched to centre 2f out

11/2

Non-runners

Ecology, Rubys Profit

Verdict

Ffos Las maiden winner Sir Palamedes is a tempting option back in a handicap but preference is for UP THE PACE, who won with something to spare on his recent nursery debut at Salisbury. It will be no surprise if Ecology returns to form and poses a big threat, while fellow nursery newcomer Top Juggler is another who could run well.[Ben Hutton]

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Up The Pace

RP RATINGS:

Sir Palamedes

TOPSPEED:

Shazani

The Times:

Ecology

The Sun:

Top Juggler

Daily Mail:

Ecology

The Guardian:

Up The Pace

D Express:

Up The Pace

Daily Mirror:

Up The Pace

Daily Record:

Up The Pace

NEWMARKET:

Sir Palamedes

The Star:

Sir Palamedes

POSTDATA:

Shazani

Telegraph:

Shazani