The handicapper allocated new handicap marks to the 3 horses which ran in the last assessment period, and as ever, we always feel he could have been a tad been favourable!
INDICATION ROCKET has a new mark of 53. A drop of 3 after his second under-par run since his return from his break. This is a drop of 6 now in total from the 59 that he started the year, and is now below the mark he won from - 55. After his last run, there was a concern that he had bled, but the assessment when he was back at the yard was he had some kind of virus and it has been treated with antibiotics and he will be 100% again soon. There was blood mixed with the mucus coming from his nose, but nothing to cause concern there is an underlying issue, it will be monitored very careful, obviously.
LOUBIERE has a new mark of 52, a drop of 2 following her run at Catterick. This is now the lowest mark she has been able to race from and if she shows her best form, she is exceptionally well handicapped and surely can win off 52. This is 1 below her excellent run to finish 2nd at Newcastle and 3 below her very good effort at Beverley.
NOODLE MISSION will now race off new marks of 72 on turf, and 77 on the all-weather, a raise of 1 following his second placed finish at Chelmsford. Noodle has "split" marks as his turf form to date has been below what he has done on the all-weather and the handicapper took the call that separate ratings were appropriate. This is very much to our advantage as Noodle has never really had a chance to show what he can do on turf, and is bred to be better on turf than sand. His first run was at Chester in a hot contest after a 6 month break and he was too free, and clearly didn't stay the 1m3. He then went to Goodwood again over 1m3 and in pretty testing ground for a hot 0-90 and again was too keen, before heading to Leicester on very quick ground dropped back to a mile, and his race was done at the start after a bad draw and never getting competitive. He ran those races off marks of 79, 79 and 77 so the 72 he now has is generous with also taking the fact he has won off 74 now on the all-weather.