4:17 Fontwell
The 4:17 at Fontwell is a Class 5 handicap steeplechase over 3m1f210y on good ground with a field of eight. The KTB numbers point to a competitive affair where the top four are tightly matched on Fit scores ranging from 64 to 57, while the remainder sit in the high 30s. Carrigmoorna Rowan heads the KTB ranking as the selection, with Saint Arion, Daring Plan and Walkinthepresent completing the principals in what looks a genuinely-run staying chase.
How the race shapes up
With a genuinely-run pace shape of high confidence, the race is set to be contested up front from the start. A front-runner is likely to be pressed by several prominent and handy types, including Carrigmoorna Rowan, Saint Arion, Daring Plan and Elpologreg, with Hardy Buck also inclined to lead. Walkinthepresent is expected to settle in mid-division while Pooroldmackley and Uncle Al will be held up, making stamina and positioning in a true test the key question as the field heads into the stamina-sapping Fontwell finish.
The KTB Fit ranking
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1Carrigmoorna Rowan KTB Selection64/100
Carrigmoorna Rowan is a useful performer who has been consistent without winning lately, finishing second in both starts this year including over this trip. He has shown he handles good ground and was placed on his only visit to Fontwell. The nine-year-old usually races handily on or close to the lead and is expected to be to the fore in a race that should be genuinely run. Trainer Samuel Drinkwater has a 27% strike rate at Fontwell with an A/E of 1.45 from 15 runs, though the jockey combination stands at 0/6 (0%). The step back up in distance looks a fair question for this consistent sort who arrives off recent placed form of 4552-2.
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2Saint Arion62/100
Saint Arion has shown useful ability on his better days, finishing a close second in a similar race at this track last time before pulling up on his latest start. The five-year-old steps up markedly in trip today which asks a fresh question, while the first-time headgear is another unknown. He usually races handily on or close to the lead and will be prominent in what is expected to be a genuinely-run contest. The yard of Jonjo & A.J. O'Neill have a solid 23% strike rate at Fontwell from 40 runs with an A/E of 1.2, and their overall trainer-jockey record reads 26/216 (12%) with an A/E of 0.95. His going form on good is modest with four runs yielding no win or place, yet he remains a key player on his best efforts.
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3Daring Plan57/100
Daring Plan is a fair handicapper who has shown his best form around here with three placed efforts from four runs. The eight-year-old has won at this trip and acts on good ground, with two successes from seven attempts. He usually races handily on or close to the lead with high confidence and is likely to be prominent from the outset in a race with a genuinely-run pace shape. Trainer Susan Gardner has an 8% strike rate at Fontwell with an A/E of 0.64 from 128 runs, a negative, though the jockey combination shows 6/29 (21%) with an A/E of 1.90. His recent form of 52-U11 includes two wins and course placings underline his threat at this venue.
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4Walkinthepresent57/100
Walkinthepresent is a useful performer who has shown consistent form in recent starts and arrives here off the back of a win last time. The six-year-old steps up in trip for the first time today which asks a fresh question of him. He typically settles in midfield and will look to make his effort from that position as the race unfolds at a genuine gallop. Trainer Neil Mulholland has a 16% strike rate at Fontwell with an A/E of 0.95 from 647 runs, while the jockey combination reads 17/64 (27%) with an A/E of 1.09. The horse has already shown he handles this ground with one win from two on good and his course form reads a single sixth-place finish.
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5Elpologreg38/100
Elpologreg is a modest performer who has been placed on three of his six runs at Fontwell without winning. He has shown he can be competitive on good ground and at this trip, though his latest effort came after a long absence. The trainer has only one run here so far which is too small a sample to judge.
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6Pooroldmackley38/100
Pooroldmackley is a fair performer who has been consistent in recent starts with three placed efforts from his last five runs. He drops back in trip today having failed to trouble the judge in his one previous attempt at this distance while his trainer has yet to register a win from nine runners at Fontwell. He handles good ground and holds solid placed form on it.
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7Uncle Al37/100
Uncle Al is a fair performer who has shown consistency this year with placed efforts on his last two starts. He steps up in trip today having never tried beyond 3m, which asks a fresh question of him, while he is only placed rather than a winner from 11 runs on good ground. This will be his first visit to Fontwell and the trainer has had just one previous runner here so both are unknowns.
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8Hardy Buck34/100
Hardy Buck is a fair sort who has been placed once in two runs at this trip and showed some spark when third last time out. Trainer is 0% from six runners at Fontwell while the jockey is also making his first appearance here. Going form reads competitive but winless from 16 starts on good ground.
KTB verdict
Carrigmoorna Rowan is the KTB Selection. He has been consistent without winning lately and has finished second in both starts this year including over this trip, while he has been placed on his only visit to Fontwell and handles good ground. The prominent run-style fits the anticipated genuine pace shape well and the trainer's solid record at the track adds to his claims. His main dangers are Saint Arion, who showed useful ability when second here last time and whose yard performs well at Fontwell, and Daring Plan, who has shown his best form with multiple placed efforts around here and acts on the ground and trip. Walkinthepresent cannot be ruled out either after a recent win, though the step up in distance poses a question.
KTB Selection Carrigmoorna Rowan
Morning odds
Best available price per runner, captured 00:00 UTC, 21 Oct. These are a morning snapshot and will have moved — see the live racecard for current prices.
| Runner | Morning price | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Carrigmoorna Rowan | 3/1 | 7Bet |
| Saint Arion | 20/1 | Bet365 |
| Daring Plan | 11/4 | 7Bet |
| Walkinthepresent | 7/2 | Bet365 |
| Elpologreg | 20/1 | Bet365 |
| Pooroldmackley | 11/2 | 7Bet |
| Uncle Al | 15/2 | William Hill |
| Hardy Buck | 15/2 | Bet365 |
This is the narrative read of the 4:17 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 highest KTB Fit Score in the race?
Carrigmoorna Rowan with 64/100.
How many of the principals usually race prominently?
Three of the four principals usually race handily on or close to the lead.
What is the trainer strike rate at Fontwell for the yard of the KTB Selection?
27% strike rate at Fontwell with an A/E of 1.45 from 15 runs.
Which runner is making its first attempt at this distance or further?
Saint Arion steps up markedly in trip today.
How many placed efforts has Daring Plan recorded from his four runs at Fontwell?
Three placed efforts from four runs at Fontwell.
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