Grant Thornton Handicap (Div II)

19:30 Down Royal Fri 04 Sep 2026 1m4f194y Good 17 runners

Mr Fox’s call

Autocrat

SPECULATIVE Est. 14%

8TH

Mr Fox says

Autocrat holds the field's highest SR at 40, carries a light 8-13 which is the joint-lowest burden among the realistic contenders, and has dropped 19lb off his last win mark (MarkMv:-19) — a meaningful concession from the handicapper. His form string 170009 contains a win and a near-miss (1 and 7) suggesting latent ability, and at 8-13 he has the weight advantage over heavier-burdened rivals like Charlie Brow'n (10-1) and Spy (10-1). The entire field sits in the SR 23-40 range — a thoroughly moderate contest — so the SR edge combined with the lightest competitive weight makes Autocrat the marginal pick in a race where any of several horses could win on the day. Each-way alternative: Connecteo. Main danger: Connecteo — Connecteo (SR:38) is a 3-year-old trained by A Oliver (11% strike rate) with Ben Coen aboard (11% strike rate, 754 career rides) — comfortably the strongest trainer-jockey combination in the field — and at only 9-4 carries a light weight that compensates for the poor GoingFit:- flag.

Verify· #16120

Full result

Winner: Dancing Steve (IRE) at SP 17/2. Mr Fox’s picks highlighted in gold.