Bangor-on-Dee 5:10 Result

Ashdown Forest is a lightly-raced 4yo on a clear upward trajectory - his recent form figures 776-13 show significant improvement, culminating in a recent win. Dan Skelton's yard is in strong form and Harry Skelton takes the ride, a booking that signals stable confidence. At OR96 he's not badly treated relative to the top-rated pair (Bobby Socks and Faded Fantasy both on 100), and as a younger, progressive horse he looks to have more scope for further improvement than the older, more exposed rivals at the head of the weights. Bobby Socks and Faded Fantasy both carry topweight but have patchy recent form (7 and 5 last time respectively) and are 8-9 year olds who may already be near their ceiling. Ballynoe Boy is interesting on a recent win but has stepped up in class/weight and his trainer Nicky Richards' string is a long way from home. La Lolita is respected on a fair recent run but is a mare stepping into a more competitive field. Ashdown Forest's brief but progressive profile, quick recent run (just 20 days ago, same as his winning effort), and the presence of the stable jockey make him the most interesting proposition to keep on progressing. He looks capable of defying a workable weight and franking his TS/RPR upgrade.