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Winning Connections Conference Hire Handicap Hurdle Race (Go North Sea Pigeon Series Qualifier)

15:50 Sedgefield Wed 07 Oct 2026 2m0f178y Class 5 Good 10 runners

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Mr Fox’s call

American Empire silks

American Empire

SPECULATIVE Advised 9/2 Est. 32%

9TH

Mr Fox says

American Empire (SR:87, 9/2) has steamed in 36% since opening — the most significant market move in the field by a wide margin — suggesting strong stable/market confidence. He is proven at today's distance (DistFit:+) and on Good going (GoingFit:+), two confirmatory signals that most rivals cannot match. Carrying a manageable 11-4 compared to top-weight Cadillac Ranch's 12-0, he holds a meaningful weight edge over the classier-looking Littletown Lad (11-7). The form line -33758 shows improvement at the back end and trainer Donald McCain (15% strike rate, 718 runners) is a reliable handler at this level. Each-way alternative: Littletown Lad. Main danger: Littletown Lad — Littletown Lad (SR:93, 15/8) is the highest-rated horse in the field and arrives on the back of back-to-back wins (Form:87U211), with course form of W2P2 at Sedgefield and a trainer-jockey combination (Sam and Jonathan England) posting 15% strike rates — a family yard firing at a familiar track is a potent combination even at the short price.

Verify· #22016

Full result

Winner: Clean Getaway (IRE) at SP 11/2. Mr Fox’s picks highlighted in gold.

  1. 1 Clean Getaway silks Clean Getaway Fox #3 Philip Kirby · Joe Williamson 11/2
  2. 2 Cadillac Ranch silks Cadillac Ranch L J Morgan · Miss Ellie Callwood(7) 12/1
  3. 3 Littletown Lad silks Littletown Lad Fox #2 Sam England · Jonathan England 7/4
  4. 4 Character Testing silks Character Testing Fox #4 Mark Walford · Rebecca Hitchen(7) 7/2
  5. 5 Mr Globalist silks Mr Globalist Lizzie Quinlan · Sean Quinlan 11/1
  6. 6 Battle Stride silks Battle Stride Richard Armson · Philip Armson(3) 150/1
  7. 7 Natural Ability silks Natural Ability Chris Grant · Danny McMenamin 22/1
  8. 8 Sweet Cicely silks Sweet Cicely Mike Sowersby · Joshua Thompson(5) 80/1
  9. 9 American Empire silks American Empire Fox #1 Donald McCain · William Maggs(3) 11/2
  10. — The Poet's Way silks The Poet's Way Micky Hammond · Brian Hughes 16/1

Top 4 — how each finished

  1. 1 American Empire silks American Empire 9/2 9TH
  2. 2 Littletown Lad silks Littletown Lad 15/8 🥉 3RD
  3. 3 Clean Getaway silks Clean Getaway 6/1 SP 11/2 🏆 WON
  4. 4 Character Testing silks Character Testing 4/1 🏁 4TH