3:42 Fontwell
A competitive Class 3 handicap hurdle over 2m3f29y at Fontwell features a field of seven where the KTB Fit scores are tightly bunched between 59 and 48. The race brings together several smart performers on official ratings, most of whom are dropping in class, with the majority unproven on the prevailing ground. Grand Conqueror heads the KTB Fit rankings at 59 and is the selection, while Honky Tonk Highway, Tonaghneave Well and He's A Latchico complete the principals.
How the race shapes up
With a genuinely-run pace shape and high confidence, the race is expected to be contested up front. Honky Tonk Highway is likely to make the running or race prominently, pressed by several handy types including He's A Latchico, Motazzen and Just A Glance. The key question is whether the early pace will prove testing enough to expose those coming from further back such as the held-up Tonaghneave Well and Fouroneohfever, or whether the prominent runners can dominate in what looks a fair test.
The KTB Fit ranking
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1Grand Conqueror KTB Selection59/100
Grand Conqueror is a smart performer who won on his only previous visit to Fontwell and arrives in solid form after a string of placed efforts. He drops back in trip today to a distance he has never tried, which asks a fresh question, though he has the class to cope. The yard holds a respectable 16% strike rate at the track from a large sample and the trainer-jockey combination shows a 12% strike rate with an A/E of 1.01. Richie McLernon takes the ride and the horse has course form of one win from one start. He typically settles in midfield and remains unproven on the prevailing ground.
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2Honky Tonk Highway58/100
Honky Tonk Highway is a high-class performer on his day with strong ratings and race history to back him up. He steps up in trip today having been placed once at this distance from two attempts, though the small overall career sample leaves some unknowns. The Dan Skelton yard strikes at 19% from 194 runs here while jockey Tristan Durrell also has solid course experience with a 19% strike rate and A/E of 1.11 from 26 rides. He tends to make the running or race on the pace and is dropping in class from an OR of 125. The horse remains unproven on the current going with no course form on record.
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3Tonaghneave Well57/100
Tonaghneave Well is high-class on the ratings yet his recent form of 9-893P suggests he is struggling to put it together at present. He drops back in trip to a distance at which he has been placed without winning, though he is unproven on this ground. The Jim & Suzi Best yard has a 5% strike rate from 20 runs at Fontwell while jockey Adam Wedge has a 9% strike rate and A/E of 0.71 from 161 rides at the track. Usually held up and producing his effort late, he races from an OR of 129 and has no course form on record.
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4He's A Latchico55/100
He's A Latchico is a smart performer who has won three times from six starts at Fontwell and has also scored over today's trip. He drops back from 2m5½f having shown fair placed form on his last two completed starts. The main unknown remains whether he will handle the prevailing ground. Jamie & Josh Moore send him out stepping up in class from an OR of 116 and he usually races handily on or close to the lead. Jockey Caoilin Quinn has a 14% strike rate and A/E of 0.77 from 168 rides at Fontwell.
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5Motazzen51/100
Motazzen is a smart performer who has won five times at Fontwell from 11 starts and also has two wins from ten runs at this trip. His recent form of 843112 shows clear competitiveness at this level when he puts it together and he steps up in class from an OR of 112. Henrietta C Knight has a 15% strike rate here from 227 runs while the 7 lb claimer adds value, though the horse remains unproven on the current going. He usually races handily on or close to the lead.
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6Fouroneohfever51/100
Fouroneohfever is a smart performer who has built a solid record through 21 runs and looks well up to this level on ratings. He steps up in trip for the first time today which asks a fresh question while the ground is also unproven. Ben Pauling has an 18% strike rate from 157 runs at Fontwell and the trainer-jockey partnership shows 15% strike rate with an A/E of 0.75. Usually held up and producing his effort late, he steps up in class from an OR of 118.
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7Just A Glance48/100
Just A Glance is a high-class performer on the back of three wins from four starts and remains open to further improvement. He drops back in trip to 2m3f today having last run over 2m5f, which poses a fresh question. The trainer has only one run at Fontwell so that remains an unknown while jockey Ben Jones has a 15% strike rate and A/E of 0.83 from 98 rides at the track. Usually races handily on or close to the lead, he drops in class from an OR of 120.
KTB verdict
Grand Conqueror is the KTB Selection. He won on his only previous visit to Fontwell, arrives in solid form after a string of placed efforts, and drops in class while the yard has a respectable record at the track. The trip is a new question but his ability should allow him to cope in a genuinely-run race. The main dangers are Honky Tonk Highway, who has high-class form and the pace to go well from the front, and the course specialist He's A Latchico, while Tonaghneave Well cannot be entirely dismissed on raw ratings despite his recent inconsistency.
KTB Selection Grand Conqueror
Morning odds
Best available price per runner, captured 00:01 UTC, 21 Oct. These are a morning snapshot and will have moved — see the live racecard for current prices.
| Runner | Morning price | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Conqueror | 3/1 | William Hill |
| Honky Tonk Highway | 8/1 | William Hill |
| Tonaghneave Well | 18/1 | 7Bet |
| He's A Latchico | 9/1 | William Hill |
| Motazzen | 5/1 | William Hill |
| Fouroneohfever | 9/2 | Bet365 |
| Just A Glance | 5/2 | Bet365 |
This is the narrative read of the 3:42 Fontwell. For the live card — runner-by-runner stats, the full Fit Score breakdown and current odds — see the Fontwell racecard. Every result we hold for the track is on the Fontwell results & records page. How favourites, trainers, jockeys and the draw have fared here over the last five years is on the Fontwell racecourse statistics page. New here? How KTB works explains the Fit Score and why we publish both.
Questions about this race
Which horse has the best course record at Fontwell?
He's A Latchico has won three times from six starts at Fontwell while Motazzen has won five times from 11 starts here.
How many of these runners are proven on the prevailing ground?
None of the seven runners have any recorded form on the prevailing ground and all are listed as unproven.
Who is most likely to set the pace?
Honky Tonk Highway tends to make the running or race on the pace and is likely to be pressed by several handy types including He's A Latchico, Motazzen and Just A Glance.
Which trainer has the strongest strike rate at Fontwell in this field?
Ben Pauling has an 18% strike rate from 157 runs at Fontwell, followed by Dan Skelton at 19% from 194 runs, though the latter has a lower A/E.
Which principals are dropping in class?
Grand Conqueror, Honky Tonk Highway and Tonaghneave Well are all dropping in class while He's A Latchico is stepping up in class.
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